This addendum contains links to state-specific resources that provide an overview of debt collection, citations of state debt collection laws, and web addresses to access those citations online. It is not intended to give legal advice and may not be complete.
Remember that The federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) (15 USC §§1692-1695) applies to collection agencies in all states. The full text of the FDCPA is found at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre27.pdf
Arizona
Arizona Administrative Code, Title 20, Article 15 - Collection agencies, operations
www.azsos.gov/public_services/Title_20/20-04.pdf
Scroll down to Article 15, Collection Agencies
Arkansas
Fair Debt Collection Practices Guide
www.ag.arkansas.gov/consumers_consumer_tips_fair_debt_collection.html
Arkansas Code Title 17, Chapter 24, Section 203 (17-24-203)
www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2009/R/Bills/HB2228.pdf
California
Attorney General's Collection Agencies Guide
www.ag.ca.gov/consumers/general/collection_agencies10.htm
Department of Consumer Affairs Guide
What to Do If You Receive a Demand for Payment from a Creditor or Debt Collection Agency
www.dca.ca.gov//publications/legal_guides/dc_1.pdf
Summary of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Statutes, covers both federal and California state laws
http://www.dca.ca.gov//publications/legal_guides/dc-2.shtml
California Civil Code Section 1788, et seq.
http://leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=civ&group=01001-02000&file=1788-1788.3
http://leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=civ&group=01001-02000&file=1788.10-1788.18
http://leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=civ&group=01001-02000&file=1788.20-1788.22
http://leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=civ&group=01001-02000&file=1788.30-1788.33
Colorado
Collection Agencies and Debt Collection
www.ago.state.co.us/CADC/CADCmain.cfm
Colorado Revised Statute Title 12, Article 14, Section 101, et seq. (12-14-101)
http://www.michie.com/colorado/lpext.dll?f=templates&fn=main-h.htm&cp=
Connecticut
Connecticut Statute § 36a-805
http://www.cga.ct.gov/2009/pub/chap669.htm#Sec36a-805.htm
Florida
How to Protect Yourself: Debt Collections/Consumer
Go to: http://myfloridalegal.com/consumer, click on What Florida Law Provides, click on the link 'For information on how to protect yourself against consumer fraud,' scroll down to Debt Collection.
Florida Statute Title 33, Chapter 559, Section 72, (33-559.552, et seq.)
http://www.flsenate.gov/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0559/SEC725.HTM&Title=-%3E2009-%3ECh0559-%3ESection%20725#0559.725
Georgia
Official Code of George Title 7-3, Section 25 (7-3-25) - (no official online source)
Department of Consumer Affairs Guide
http://consumer.georgia.gov/00/article/0,2086,5426814_39039081_115344623,00.html
Hawaii
Hawaii Code § 433b
www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol10_Ch0436-0474/HRS0443B/HRS_0443B-.htm
Idaho
Consumer Protection Manual
http://www2.state.id.us/ag/consumer/manuals/ConsumerProtectionManual.pdf
Title 26, Chapter 22
www3.state.id.us/idstat/TOC/26022KTOC.html
Illinois
Debt Collection
http://www.illinoislegalaid.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.dsp_content&contentID=11
Illinois Compiled Statute, Chapter 225, Section 425
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp
Indiana
Fair Debt Collection Guide
www.in.gov/dfi/2588.htm
Indiana Code Title 25, Article11
www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title25/ar11/
Iowa
Iowa Attorney General's Guide to Debt Collection
www.iowaattorneygeneral.org/consumer/consumer_tips/debt_collect.html
Iowa State Code Sections 537.7103(1) - 7103(6)
http://coolice.legis.state.ia.us/Cool-ICE/default.asp?category=billinfo&service=IowaCode&ga=83#537.7103
Kansas
Attorney General Consumer Protection Letter
http://www.ksag.org/page/law-requires-debt-collectors-to-treat-consumers-fairly
Louisiana
Louisiana Revised Statute Title 9, Section 5362
http://www.legis.state.la.us/lss/lss.asp?doc=107679
Maine
Debt Collector FAQ
www.maine.gov/pfr/consumercredit/faqs/debt_collector_faq.htm
Maine Revised Statute, Title 32, Chapter 109-A
http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/32/title32ch109-Asec0.html
Maryland
Dealing with Debt Collectors Guide
www.oag.state.md.us/consumer/edge117.htm
Maryland Code § 14-2 (Click Commercial Law folder, then Subtitle 14)
http://www.michie.com/maryland/lpext.dll?f=templates&fn=main-h.htm&cp=mdcode
Massachusetts
Guide to Fair Debt Collection
www.mass.gov
Mass. General Law, Part 1, Title XV, Chapter 93, Sections 24-28 & Section 49
http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/gl-93-toc.htm
Code of Massachusettes Regulations, 940 CMR 7
www.lawlib.state.ma.us/source/mass/cmr/940cmr.html
Michigan
Michigan Compiled Law, Chapter 445, Act 70 of 1981
www.michiganlegislature.org/mileg.asp?page=getObject&objName=mcl-Act-70-of-1981
Minnesota
Know Your Rights: Guard Yourself Against Debt Collectors
http://www.ag.state.mn.us/consumer/
Minnesota Statute Chapter 332, Section 37 (332.37)
www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/getpub.php?type=s&num=332.37&year=2006
Missouri
Missouri Dept. of Finance - Debt Collection Problems?
http://www.missouri-finance.org/
Nebraska
Nebraska Code § 45-601 through § 46-622
http://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/browse-chapters.php?chapter=45
Nevada
Neveda Chapter 659
http://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-649.html
New Hampshire
New Hampshire Revised Statute, Title XXXI, Chapter 358-C (358-C:1)
www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/NHTOC/NHTOC-XXXI-358-C.htm
New Hampshire Department of Justice Consumer Sourcebook
http://doj.state.nh.us/consumer/sourcebook/credit_debt.html
New Mexico
Annotated Code of New Mexico, Chapter 61, Article 18A (61-18A)
http://law.justia.com/newmexico/codes/nmrc/jd_ch61art18a-16315.html
New York City
Debt Collection Guide
www.nyc.gov/html/dca/downloads/pdf/Debt.pdf
New York State
New York Code 29-H (Debt Collection Procedures)
http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/nycode/GBS/29-H
When Debt Collectors Cross the Line
www.nyc.gov/html/dca/downloads/pdf/debt.pdf
Penal Law, Part 3, Title K, Article 190.50
http://law.justia.com/newyork/codes/penal/pen0190.50_190.50.html
North Carolina
North Carolina General Statute, Chapter 75, Article 2, Section 75-50, et seq.
www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/ByChapter/Chapter_75.html
North Dakota
North Dakota Collector Regulation Statute § 13-05
www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t13c05.pdf
Ohio
Ohio Revised Code, Title 13, Chapter 1319
http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/1319
Ohio Legal Services Q&A
http://www.ohiolegalservices.org/public/legal_problem/consumer-rights/debt-collection/qandact_view
Oklahoma
Oklahoma Statute, Title 15, Chapter 20,Section 755.1
http://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/Index.asp?ftdb=STOKST15&level=1
Oregon
Oregon Revised Statute, Chapter 646, Section 646.639 et seq.
www.leg.state.or.us/ors/
Pennsylvania
PA Debt Collection Practices
www.attorneygeneral.gov/consumers.aspx?id=244
Pennsylvania Statute, Title 73, Chapter 42 (73 P.S. § 2270.1)
(no official link for PA statute)
Rhode Island
Rhode Island Debt Collections Act § 19-14.9
http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/Statutes/TITLE19/19-14.9/INDEX.HTM
South Carolina
Debt Collection FAQ
http://www.scconsumer.gov/faqs/fair_debt_collection_practices_act.htm
South Carolina Debt Collections Act § 37-005
http://www.scstatehouse.gov/CODE/t37c005.htm
South Dakota
Attorney General Consumer Protection Guide (pg. 62)
http://www.state.sd.us/attorney/office/publications/pdf/consmhb.pdf
Tennessee
Title 62, Chapter 20
http://www.michie.com/tennessee/lpext.dll?f=templates&fn=main-h.htm&cp=tncode
Texas
Texas Statute, Finance Code, Title 5, Chapter 392
http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/FI/htm/FI.392.htm
Texas Attorney General Office - Debt Collection
http://www.oag.state.tx.us/consumer/debt_collection.shtml
Utah
What Rights Do I Have When Collectors Call?
http://www.utahlegalservices.org/public/self-help-webpages/debt-collections
Utah Annotated Code, Title 12
www.le.state.ut.us/~code/code.htm
Vermont
Vermont Code
http://www.atg.state.vt.us/assets/files/CF%20104.pdf
Vermont Consumer Debt Collection Guide
http://www.vtlawhelp.org/Home/PublicWeb/Pages/Consumer/DebtCollect
Washington State
Revised Code of Washington, Title 19, Chapter 16
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/
West Virginia
What Are My Rights as a Consumer with Debts in Collection? Guide
www.wvs.state.wv.us/wvag/faq/consumer/debt_collection.html
Wisconsin
Wisconsin Statute, Chapter 427
www.legis.state.wi.us/rsb/Statutes.html
Wyoming
Prohibited Collection Practices
www.audit.state.wy.us/banking/cab/cab_brochure.pdf
Wyoming Statute, Title 33, Chapter 11
http://legisweb.state.wy.us/statutes/statutes.aspx?file=titles/Title33/T33CH11.htm
We acknowledge the assistance of legal intern Kris Cronin
for his research in developing this guide (2004).
|
Send to Printer
Post to Twitter