Fact Sheet 15 Addendum:
State Merchant Laws

The following state laws involve what merchants can and cannot do when you pay by check or credit card. This is not necessarily a complete list.

California Michigan Pennsylvania Delaware Minnesota Rhode Island Florida Nevada Tennessee Georgia New Hampshire Virginia Illinois New Jersey Washington D.C. Iowa New York Washington State Kansas North Dakota Wisconsin Maryland Ohio   Massachusetts Oregon

California

• California Civil Code § 1725.  Prohibition against requiring credit card as condition of acceptance of negotiable instrument
  http://law.onecle.com/california/civil/1725.html

• California Civil Code § 1747.08. Requiring identification information as condition of acceptance
  http://law.onecle.com/california/civil/1747.08.html

Delaware

• 11 Del. C. § 915. Use of credit card information 
  http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/decode/11/5/III/915

• 11 Del. C. § 914. Use of consumer identification information
  http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/decode/11/5/III/914

Florida

Georgia

Illinois

•  § 810 ILCS 5/3-505A.  Provision of credit card number as a condition of check cashing or acceptance prohibited
  http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp

Iowa

•     Iowa Code § 537.8101. Provision of credit card number as condition of check cashing or acceptance prohibited.
  http://www.legis.state.ia.us/IACODE/2001/537/8101.html

Kansas

Maryland

•     Md. Commerical Law Code Ann. § 13-317. Use of consumer identification information in connection with credit card payments
  http://law.justia.com/maryland/codes/gcl/13-317.html

•     Md. Commercial Law Code Ann. § 13-318. Use of credit card information in connection with payment by check
  http://law.justia.com/maryland/codes/gcl/13-318.html

Massachusetts

Michigan

•     MCL § 600.2964. Social security or credit card number on check as condition of acceptance; requirement prohibited; exceptions; prima facie evidence of identity; violation; penalty; "sale at retail" defined.
  http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(k1nyjnviz2ctkif4tmqur355))/mileg.aspx?page=GetMCLDocument&objectname=mcl-600-2964

Minnesota

•     Minn. Stat. § 325F.981. Check cashing practices
  https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bin/getpub.php?pubtype=STAT_CHAP&year=2007&section=325F#stat.325F.981.0

•     Minn. Stat. § 325F.982. Consumer identification information
  https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bin/getpub.php?pubtype=STAT_CHAP&year=2007&section=325F#stat.325F.982.0

Nevada

•     NRS § 597.940. Restrictions on recording of account number of credit card as condition to accepting check or draft; restrictions on recording of telephone number as condition to accepting credit card
  http://leg.state.nv.us/nrs/NRS-597.html#NRS597Sec940

New Hampshire

New Jersey

•     N.J. Stat. § 56:11-21. Acceptance of checks for consumer transactions; cashing checks
  http://law.onecle.com/new-jersey/56-trade-names-trade-marks-and-unfair-trade-practices/11-21.html

New York

•     NY CLS Gen Bus § 520-a. Certain credit and debit card transaction forms required
  http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/nycode/GBS/29-A/520-a

North Dakota

Ohio

• ORC Ann. 1349.17. Restrictions on recording credit card, telephone or social security numbers.
  http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/1349.17

Oregon

•     ORS § 646.892. Requiring credit card number as condition for accepting check or share draft prohibited; exceptions.http://www.leg.state.or.us/95reg/measures/sb0800.dir/sb0894.en.html 

•     ORS § 646.894. Requiring personal information not required by credit card issuer prohibited in credit card business transaction; exceptions.
  http://www.leg.state.or.us/07reg/measures/hb2800.dir/hb2879.intro.html
  
  
• 646.894 Verification of identity in credit or debit card transactions.
  http://law.onecle.com/oregon/646A-trade-regulation/646A.214.html

Pennsylvania

•     69 P.S. § 2602. Requirement of information prohibited
  http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview/id/781085.html

Rhode Island

•     R.I. Gen. Laws § 6-13-15. Prohibition against recording credit card or social security numbers on checks
  http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/statutes/title6/6-13/6-13-15.HTM

•     R.I. Gen. Laws § 6-13-16. Prohibition against recording personal information in credit card transactions
  http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/statutes/title6/6-13/6-13-16.HTM

•     R.I. Gen. Laws § 6-13-17.  Requiring consumers to furnish social security numbers.
  http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/statutes/title6/6-13/6-13-17.HTM

Tennessee

Virginia

•     Va. Code Ann. § 11-33.1. Production of credit card number as condition of check cashing or acceptance prohibited 
  http://law.onecle.com/virginia/contracts/11-33.1.html

Washington D.C.

•     D.C. Code § 47-3152. Use of credit card information in connection with payment by check
  http://weblinks.westlaw.com/result/default.aspx

•     D.C. Code § 47-3153. Use of consumer identification information in connection with credit card payments
  http://weblinks.westlaw.com/result/default.aspx

Washington State

•     Rev. Code Wash. (ARCW) § 62A.3-512. Credit cards -- As identification -- In lieu of deposit
  http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=62A.3-512

Wisconsin

•     Wis. Stat. § 423.401. Credit card identification information http://www.legis.state.wi.us/statutes/Stat0423.pdf

•     Wis. Stat. § 423.402. Check identification information.
  http://www.legis.state.wi.us/statutes/Stat0423.pdf

 

We acknowledge the assistance of legal intern Aaron Budd
for his research in updating this guide (2010).