(NewsNation) — A majority of American adults owned a credit card last year: 82%. Middle-income adults were the most likely to have a credit card with a balance carrying over month to month, according to the most recent Federal Reserve's Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households. Get Hawaii's latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You A Bankrate survey found almost 2 in 5 credit cardholders have maxed out or come close to maxing out their plastic. How would Trump or Harris policies impact credit card debt? High interest rates make the feat of reaching a zero balance feel impossible for some. So, when does debt become uncollectible — or does it? Can my debt become uncollectible? Lenders will send unpaid debt to a collection agency after three to six months. This impacts one's credit score the longer it remains unpaid. However, the debt becomes legally uncollectible after a certain amount of time, depending on the state. This is called a statute of limitation, a state law that sets a deadline for the amount of time parties can initiate legal action against someone for unpaid debt. The time frames vary by state, ranging from three to 10 years. "Nonetheless, consumers should not consider the statute of limitations a 'Get Out of Jail Free' card," according to the nonprofit InCharge Debt Solutions, which lists the laws by state. "You still owe the debt, and the collection agency has the right to pursue attempts to make you pay it. They just can’t take you to court over it." Though the debt may be legally uncollectible, a company may still choose to contact you through phone calls and mailed letters. Here are 4 tips to get out of credit card debt Credit card debt can also become uncollectible if the debtor files for bankruptcy, a legal process that helps people get relief from debt and stops collection efforts, such as wage garnishment, lawsuits and aggressive collection calls. A creditor can also choose to write off the debt when it has given up on being paid, though this will reflect on a credit report. Debt-relief strategies The average credit card balance is $6,329. The No. 1 rule to paying off a balance is to make consistent payments. Making the minimum payment when larger payments aren't within reach is better than no payment at all. Find an approach that fits your budget. There are two popular approaches to paying off debt: The avalanche method and the snowball method. With interest rates falling where should I keep my savings? With the avalanche strategy, prioritize paying off debt with the highest interest rate and then move on to the debt with the next highest rate, and so on. The snowball method involves paying off the smallest balance first and moving on to the next highest balance. Find more Hawaii, Oahu, Maui and Kauai news here Someone in debt may also consider asking the card issuer for a lower interest rate, issuing a balance transfer to another credit card or contacting a credit counseling firm. NewsNation's Andrew Dorn contributed to this article.