LOCAL RULES

Nova Scotia promissory note requirements

Your Nova Scotia promissory note has 8 rules to meet. ReportDraft puts every one on your checklist and checks your draft before you sign.

  • 2 years to sue from discovery, 15 years at most
  • Small Claims Court up to 25,000 dollars
  • A demand loan counted from the missed demand (s. 14)
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A Nova Scotia promissory note follows the federal rules on this page, and the Limitation of Actions Act sets the time to sue: 2 years from discovery, 15 years at most, and for a demand note from the first failure to pay after a demand. The parties can lengthen the period, never shorten it. Here is each provincial rule.

Last reviewed November 3, 2026 against the official sources listed below.

Promissory noteNOVA SCOTIA / FREE CALCULATOR

Repayment schedule

PaymentDateAmountInterestPrincipalBalance
1December 1, 2026$1,010.02$15.00$995.02$2,004.98
2January 1, 2027$1,010.02$10.02$1,000.00$1,004.98
3February 1, 2027$1,010.00$5.02$1,004.98$0.00
Totals$3,030.04$30.04$3,000.00

3 monthly payments of $1,010.02, the last adjusted to the cent. Interest at 6% a year, calculated monthly on the unpaid balance.

Checks for the lender (not printed on the note)

WhatResultRule
Yearly rate stated on the note6% a year (effective 6.17% with monthly compounding): a rate stated only by the month or week would be capped at 5% a yearInterest Act s. 4
Criminal interest rateUnder the limit of 35% a year (6.17%), counting all fees and charges as interestCriminal Code s. 347
Last day to sue if the final payment is missedFebruary 2, 2029 (2 years from the day after the final payment on February 1, 2027); each earlier missed payment runs from its own dateLimitation of Actions Act (N.S.) s. 8 (1) (a), (2)
A part payment or a signed written acknowledgementUnder the Limitation of Actions Act, starts the period again from that day if made before it runs outLimitation of Actions Act (N.S.) s. 20 (1), (10), (11)
Where to file for this amountSmall Claims Court of Nova Scotia: claims up to $25,000, not counting interest and costsSmall Claims Court Act (N.S.) s. 9 (a)

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What Nova Scotia requires

  • A claim may not be brought after the earlier of two years from the day it is discovered and fifteen years from the day of the act or omission it is based on; it is discovered when the claimant first knew or reasonably ought to have known of the loss, its cause, who caused it and that it is serious enough to warrant a proceedingLimitation of Actions Act, s. 8 (1), (2)
  • The Small Claims Court hears claims for money arising under a contract or a tort of up to 25,000 dollars, including general damages but not counting interestSmall Claims Court Act, s. 9 (a)
  • For a demand obligation, the first day there is a failure to perform it, once a demand for performance has been made, is the day the loss occurs and the day of the act or omissionLimitation of Actions Act, s. 14
  • A limitation period under the Act may be extended, but not shortened, by agreementLimitation of Actions Act, s. 21 (1)
  • An acknowledgement of liability for a liquidated sum, made to the claimant before the limitation period expires, starts the period again; it must be in writing and signed, and a part payment has the same effectLimitation of Actions Act, s. 20 (1), (9), (10), (11)
  • In a proceeding in the Supreme Court to recover a debt, the Court includes interest at a rate it thinks fit from the date the cause of action arose to the date of judgment, and may decline or reduce it where interest is already payable under an agreement or by law, or where the claimant caused undue delayJudicature Act, s. 41 (i), (k)

Time to sue

Two years from discovery, 15 years at most. On a demand note, the first day of non-payment after a demand is the start.

Payments and acknowledgements

A part payment, or a signed written acknowledgement of the sum, made before the period ends restarts it.

Small Claims Court

Notes up to 25,000 dollars, interest not counted.

Common mistakes

  • Writing a shorter time to sue into the note.
  • Stating only a monthly rate.
  • Taking an unsigned acknowledgement.

Sources

Last reviewed November 3, 2026. Next review due February 3, 2027. This page explains published rules to help you write your report. It is not legal advice; the official text linked above governs.