Your rights with debt collectors: the FDCPA and Regulation F
Edited by Moe Ameen · Published
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the CFPB's Regulation F limit how third-party debt collectors can reach you. They can't contact you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., and more than seven calls in seven days about one debt is presumed to be harassment. You have 30 days after you receive the validation notice to dispute the debt. If a collector breaks the law, you have one year to sue, for actual damages plus up to $1,000.
Key takeaways
- The FDCPA covers collection agencies, debt buyers and lawyers, but generally not the original creditor collecting its own debt.
- Dispute in writing within the 30-day validation period and the collector has to pause until it mails you verification.
- A written stop-contact request ends most contact, but the debt still exists and the collector can still sue.
- Collectors can't sue or threaten to sue over a time-barred debt.
- Report problems to the CFPB, the FTC or your state attorney general. You have one year to sue the collector.
Who does the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act cover?
Third-party collectors of personal debts, such as collection agencies, debt buyers and lawyers. Not, generally, the original creditor collecting its own debt.
The CFPB says debt collectors "can include collection agencies, debt buyers, and lawyers," and that the FDCPA "doesn't generally cover collection by the original creditor or business you owed money to" [11]. The statute defines a debt collector as a business whose main purpose is collecting debts, or one that regularly collects debts "owed or due or asserted to be owed or due another" [1].
There's one exception. A creditor that collects its own debts under a different name, one that makes it look like a third party is collecting, counts as a debt collector [1].
The law only covers debts for "personal, family, or household purposes" [1], and the FTC says business debts aren't covered [16]. Most states have their own debt collection laws, and some of them do reach original creditors [11].
What is a debt validation notice, and how long do I have to dispute?
The collector has to give you validation information in its first contact or within five days of it. You then have 30 days after you receive it to dispute.
Regulation F lets the collector deliver it three ways: a notice in the first communication, a notice within five days of it, or out loud during the first conversation [10]. It has to show the amount you owed on an itemization date, then every charge for interest and fees and every payment and credit since, plus the current amount. It also names the current creditor and gives the date your dispute window ends [10].
That window, the validation period, ends 30 days after you receive the information. The collector is allowed to assume you got it five days after sending it, not counting weekends and federal holidays [10]. Go by the end date printed on your notice.
Dispute in writing inside that window, or ask in writing for the original creditor's name and address, and the collector must stop collecting the disputed part until it mails you verification [5]. The CFPB suggests certified mail with a return receipt, and copies of everything you send [14]. Not disputing doesn't count as admitting you owe the debt; the statute says a court can't treat it that way [5].
How often can a debt collector call me?
More than seven calls in seven days about one debt, or any call within seven days of a phone conversation about it, is presumed to be harassment.
Regulation F bans calling "repeatedly or continuously" with intent to annoy, abuse or harass [8]. It then sets a test. A collector that stays within seven calls in seven consecutive days, and doesn't call for seven days after talking with you about the debt, is presumed to comply. One that goes past either limit is presumed to violate the rule [8]. Either presumption can be rebutted with other evidence [8].
- The limits apply to each debt, so a collector with three of your accounts can call about each one [12].
- Calls that go to voicemail count. Texts and emails don't count toward the seven [12].
- Calls you gave the collector permission to make, within seven days of that permission, don't count. Neither do calls that never connected, such as a busy signal [8].
When and where can't a debt collector contact me?
Before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. your local time, at work if they know your employer forbids it, and directly at all once they know you have a lawyer.
Unless the collector knows otherwise, Regulation F treats any time before 8:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m. at your location as inconvenient [7]. That covers emails and texts as well as calls. If another time or place doesn't work for you, tell the collector it's "inconvenient." Once you use that word, the collector knows, or should know, not to contact you then [7].
Collectors can't contact you at work if they know or have reason to know your employer bans those communications [2][7]. If a lawyer represents you on the debt and the collector knows it, the collector has to deal with the lawyer instead of you [2][11].
How do I make a debt collector stop contacting me?
Tell the collector in writing to stop. After that it can only confirm it's stopping or tell you about a specific step it plans to take, such as a lawsuit.
Under the statute, a written request to stop, or a written refusal to pay, ends contact about that debt [2]. The collector can still write to say it's ending collection, to describe remedies it or the creditor ordinarily uses, or to say it's using one of them [2]. The CFPB says the request covers every channel [13]. Keep a copy of the letter and send it by certified mail with a return receipt [13].
You can also stop just emails or texts. Every collection email and text has to include a clear, simple way to opt out of that address or number, and the collector can't charge you for using it [7].
What can't a debt collector say or do?
Threaten violence, swear at you, lie about the debt or about who they are, or threaten arrest or any action they can't legally take or don't intend to.
- Use or threaten "violence or other criminal means", or use "obscene or profane language" [3].
- Call without saying who's calling, or publish a list of people who supposedly won't pay [3].
- Misstate "the character, amount, or legal status of any debt" [4].
- Pose as a lawyer, or imply a link to the federal government [4].
- Suggest you'll be arrested or jailed for not paying [4].
- Threaten action that "cannot legally be taken", or action they don't intend to take [4].
- Report credit information they know or should know is false, including leaving off that a disputed debt is disputed [4].
- Post publicly about your debt on social media [11].
The FTC adds that collectors can't add interest or fees that aren't authorized, and can't reveal your debt on a postcard or envelope [16].
Can a debt collector sue me over a time-barred debt?
No. Once the statute of limitations runs out, Regulation F bars collectors from suing or threatening to sue. In many states they can still ask you to pay.
Regulation F says a collector "must not bring or threaten to bring a legal action against a consumer to collect a time-barred debt" [9]. A time-barred debt is one where the deadline to sue under the applicable law has passed [9]. The rule doesn't cover proofs of claim in a bankruptcy case [9].
Each state sets its own deadline, and in some a payment can restart it. Our statute of limitations on debt by state table has every state's figure, with a link to the statute.
Where do I report a debt collector?
The CFPB, the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, or your state attorney general. The CFPB sends complaints to the company, which generally answers in 15 days.
The FTC points people to all three [16]. The CFPB takes complaints at consumerfinance.gov/complaint or by phone at (855) 411-2372, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern, Monday to Friday [15]. It sends the complaint to the company. Companies generally respond within 15 days, and some take up to 60 to give a final answer. You then have 60 days to give feedback [15].
Before you file, write down what happened: dates, times, the caller's name and what they said. The CFPB tells people to keep a record of every letter and conversation [13].
Can I sue a debt collector?
Yes, in federal or state court, within one year of the violation. If you win, you can recover actual damages, up to $1,000 more, and lawyer's fees.
Section 1692k makes a collector that breaks the FDCPA liable for any actual damage you suffered, extra damages the court allows up to $1,000 in an individual case, and, if you win, court costs and a reasonable attorney's fee [6]. The FTC gives examples: lost wages and medical bills count as actual damages, and the judge can still award up to $1,000 if you can't prove any [16].
The deadline is one year from the date of the violation [6]. Winning doesn't cancel the debt, either. The FTC notes you may still owe it even if the court finds the collector broke the law [16].
Glisten check
Every rule on this page and the section of law it comes from
| Rule | Where it's written | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| Who counts as a debt collector | 15 U.S.C. 1692a(6) [1] | Anyone who regularly collects debts owed to someone else, plus creditors collecting under another name |
| Validation information | 12 CFR 1006.34 [10] | In the first contact or within five days; window ends 30 days after you receive it |
| Dispute pauses collection | 15 U.S.C. 1692g(b) [5] | Written dispute in the window stops collection until verification is mailed |
| Call frequency | 12 CFR 1006.14(b) [8] | Over 7 calls in 7 days, or a call within 7 days of a conversation, is presumed harassment |
| Hours | 15 U.S.C. 1692c(a)(1) [2], 12 CFR 1006.6(b) [7] | Not before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. your local time |
| Work | 15 U.S.C. 1692c(a)(3) [2] | Not at work if your employer forbids it |
| Stop contact | 15 U.S.C. 1692c(c) [2] | A written request ends contact, with narrow exceptions |
| Email and text opt-out | 12 CFR 1006.6(e) [7] | Every message must offer a free, simple opt-out |
| Time-barred debt | 12 CFR 1006.26(b) [9] | No lawsuits or threats of one |
| Lawsuits against collectors | 15 U.S.C. 1692k [6] | Actual damages, up to $1,000 more, fees; file within one year |
Two things turned up when we lined the rules up against their sources. The seven-calls-in-seven-days limit isn't in the FDCPA. The statute only bans calling with intent to annoy, abuse or harass [3], and the number comes from Regulation F [8]. And Credit Karma describes the dispute window as "30 days from the date you're first contacted" [17]. Regulation F ends it 30 days after you receive the validation information [10], which can be later than the first contact. We follow the regulation, so check the end date on your own notice.
Is this right for you?
Best for
- Anyone getting calls, letters or texts from a collection agency or debt buyer.
- Working out whether a collector crossed a line before you file a complaint or call a lawyer.
Not ideal for
Frequently asked questions
Does the FDCPA apply to my credit card company?
Generally not when the card company collects its own debt in its own name [11]. It does apply if the company uses a name that makes it look like a third party is collecting [1], and some state laws cover original creditors [11].
Can a debt collector text or email me?
Yes, but every text and email has to include a simple way to opt out, at no cost to you [7]. Texts and emails don't count toward the seven-call limit [12], but the CFPB says collectors can't harass you by text or email either [11].
Do voicemails count toward the seven-call limit?
Yes. The CFPB says calls that go to voicemail count as calls [12].
What if a collector contacts me about a debt I already paid?
Check that the collector is real first. Then send copies, not originals, of your proof of payment, such as cancelled checks or statements, and keep a record of what you sent [14].
Does asking a collector to stop contacting me end the debt?
No. The debt still exists, and the CFPB says the collector can still sue you or report the debt to a credit bureau [13].
How long do I have to sue a debt collector?
One year from the date the collector broke the law [6].
How we know this
On November 2, 2026 we read the FDCPA's sections on definitions, communications, harassment, false statements, validation and civil liability (15 U.S.C. 1692a, 1692c, 1692d, 1692e, 1692g and 1692k) on Cornell's Legal Information Institute. We read Regulation F's sections on communications, call frequency, time-barred debts and validation (12 CFR 1006.6, 1006.14, 1006.26 and 1006.34) on the CFPB's site. We also read the CFPB's consumer answers on collector conduct, call limits, stopping contact and disputes, its complaint page, and the FTC's debt collection FAQs. We compared the rules with Credit Karma's guide to debt collection rights; NerdWallet's guide wouldn't load for us. Where the guide and the regulation differ, we follow the regulation. This is general information, not legal advice.
- 15 U.S. Code § 1692a: Definitions, Cornell Legal Information Institute. Checked November 2, 2026.
- 15 U.S. Code § 1692c: Communication in connection with debt collection, Cornell Legal Information Institute. Checked November 2, 2026.
- 15 U.S. Code § 1692d: Harassment or abuse, Cornell Legal Information Institute. Checked November 2, 2026.
- 15 U.S. Code § 1692e: False or misleading representations, Cornell Legal Information Institute. Checked November 2, 2026.
- 15 U.S. Code § 1692g: Validation of debts, Cornell Legal Information Institute. Checked November 2, 2026.
- 15 U.S. Code § 1692k: Civil liability, Cornell Legal Information Institute. Checked November 2, 2026.
- 12 CFR 1006.6: Communications in connection with debt collection (Regulation F), CFPB. Checked November 2, 2026.
- 12 CFR 1006.14: Harassing, oppressive, or abusive conduct (Regulation F), CFPB. Checked November 2, 2026.
- 12 CFR 1006.26: Collection of time-barred debts (Regulation F), CFPB. Checked November 2, 2026.
- 12 CFR 1006.34: Notice for validation of debts (Regulation F), CFPB. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Are there laws that limit what debt collectors can say or do?, CFPB. Checked November 2, 2026.
- How often can a debt collector call me?, CFPB. Checked November 2, 2026.
- How do I get a debt collector to stop contacting me?, CFPB. Checked November 2, 2026.
- What if I believe I do not owe the debt or I want more information about the debt?, CFPB. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Submit a complaint, CFPB. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Debt collection FAQs, FTC. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Contacted by a debt collector? 6 things to know about your rights, Credit Karma. Checked November 2, 2026.