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What to say when a debt collector calls

Keep the first call short. Get their details, ask for everything in writing, and don't pay, promise or admit anything until you've checked the debt is really yours and the amount is right. Here is the script, and the rules that protect you.

Checked 2026-09-28 · All guides

What to say to a debt collector on the phone

The first call has one job: find out who they are and what they say you owe, then move everything to paper. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) says never to give the caller sensitive financial information until you've confirmed they're legitimate.

Call script

Get their details first: "Before we go on, can I have your name, the name of your company, your mailing address and a phone number?" Write them down.
Ask what the debt is: "Which creditor is this for, what's the account number, and what amount do you say is owed?"
Ask for it in writing: "Please send me the validation notice in writing. I'll review it and respond in writing." If you'd rather they email or mail you than call, say so: "Please contact me by mail only."
Don't agree to anything: "I'm not agreeing that I owe this, and I'm not making a payment today. I'll look at what you send."
End the call: "Thank you. That's all for today." Note the date, time and what was said.

Use your own words. You don't need to explain your money situation on this call.

What not to say or agree to on a first call

Don't give your bank account or card number, or agree to a payment "to show good faith", before you've checked the debt.
Don't say "yes, that's my debt" if you're not sure. For an old debt, in most states a partial payment or a signed admission that you owe it can restart the time limit to sue (see old debts below).
Don't agree to a payment plan or a settlement on the spot. If you later decide to pay, get the offer in writing first.
Don't ignore them either. The CFPB notes that ignoring calls usually won't make a collector go away; they may sue instead.

What to have in front of you

Pen and paper for names, dates and numbers.
Any bills from the original creditor (the hospital, card or phone company).
Your latest credit report, if you have it.
A calendar for the date of the call and, later, the dispute deadline.

The validation notice and your 30 days

Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and its rule, Regulation F, a collector must give you "validation information" in its first communication or within five days after it. The notice must show the collector's name and mailing address, the creditor, the account number, an itemization of interest, fees, payments and credits, the current amount, and the date the collector treats as the end of your validation period.

Regulation F defines the validation period as starting when the collector provides the information and ending 30 days after you receive it. The collector may assume you received it five days after sending, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and federal holidays. Use the end date printed on your notice.

If you dispute the debt, or any part of it, in writing on or before that date, the collector must stop collecting it (or the disputed part) until it sends you verification of the debt or a copy of a judgment. If you ask in writing by that date for the name and address of the original creditor, it must stop until it sends that too.

Debt validation letter: the CFPB's sample letters

The CFPB publishes free sample letters you can edit and send yourself (Word files):

Keep a copy of every letter. The CFPB suggests certified mail with a return receipt, so you can prove when it arrived. If the collector offers a way to send it electronically, that works too.

A worked example: a $600 medical bill in collections

Jordan gets a call about a $600 hospital bill, uses the script, and a week later the validation notice arrives. Jordan checks three things:

Is it mine? The creditor and account number match a visit Jordan remembers. Yes.
Is the amount right? The itemization shows $520 on the itemization date plus $80 in fees. Jordan's last bill from the hospital said $520. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says collectors can't add interest or fees unless the original contract or a law allows it, so Jordan wants to know what the $80 is.
Was insurance billed? Jordan isn't sure, and asks the hospital for an itemized bill (see what to say to a hospital billing office).

Before the end date on the notice, Jordan mails a letter disputing the $80 and asking for verification. The collector must stop collecting that $80 until it sends verification. If Jordan later pays, any agreement comes in writing first.

Medical debt and credit reports: a 2025 CFPB rule that would have kept medical bills off credit reports was vacated by a federal court on July 11, 2025, so it doesn't apply. What does apply is the three credit bureaus' own policy. Equifax, Experian and TransUnion say that paid medical collections no longer appear on credit reports (since July 1, 2022), that medical collections that started under $500 are not on reports (since April 2023), and that an unpaid medical collection waits one year before it can show up. Jordan's collection started at $600, so it can appear on the report once that year has passed, and it would come off if paid. Checking the report itself (below) shows whether it's listed and whether the amount is right. Some states go further than the credit bureaus' policy and bar reporting most medical debt at all; see your state's protections below.

What collectors can't do

Call too often. Regulation F presumes a collector breaks the rules if it calls you about one debt more than 7 times in 7 days, or within 7 days after a phone conversation with you about that debt.
Call at inconvenient times. Before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. your local time is presumed inconvenient. They also can't contact you at work if they know your employer doesn't allow it.
Threaten or harass. No threats of harm, no obscene language (FTC).
Lie. They can't claim you owe a different amount, pretend to be a lawyer or from the government, or say you'll be arrested or sued when that isn't true (FTC).
Post about your debt on social media (CFPB).
Sue, or threaten to sue, on a time-barred debt, meaning one whose statute of limitations has run out (Regulation F). The CFPB says most states' limits are three to six years, some longer. In most states they can still ask you to pay, and a court can still rule against you if you don't show up and raise the time limit. If you're ever sued, respond by the deadline on the court papers.

Old debts: when the time limit to sue runs out

Every state sets a time limit for suing over a debt, and once it runs out a debt collector can't sue you or threaten to (federal Regulation F). But in most states, making even a small payment, or signing something that admits the debt, can restart the clock and let them sue again. A few states don't allow that for consumer debts, among them Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New York and Texas (in Connecticut and Texas the rule covers debts owned by debt buyers). Some states, including California, Connecticut, New York and Texas, require collectors to tell you in writing when a debt is too old to sue on. The table shows your state's rules. Before paying anything on an old debt, check your state in the table and ask the collector: "What's the date of the last payment on this account?"

Alabama

Does a payment restart the time limit?: Only a signed written promise restarts it
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: No
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: No
Collectors must be licensed: No
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

Alabama gives 6 years to sue on written promises, loans and stated accounts, and 3 years on open accounts. A partial payment keeps the clock alive only if made before the deadline passes; once the debt is time-barred, only an unconditional promise to pay, in writing and signed by you, removes the bar. Alabama has no state licensing agency for collectors (only a local license tax), so complaints go to the Attorney General.

Ala. Code 6-2-16; 6-2-34; 6-2-37; 40-12-80 · official text · checked 2026-09-27

Alaska

Does a payment restart the time limit?: Yes: a payment or acknowledgment can restart it
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: No
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: No
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

Alaska gives 3 years to sue on a contract. Any payment on a past-due debt restarts the clock from the date of that payment; a promise or acknowledgment counts only if it is in writing and signed. Collection agencies must be licensed by the state commerce department (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing).

AS 09.10.053; AS 09.10.200; AS 09.10.210; AS 08.24.090 · official text · checked 2026-09-27

Arizona

Does a payment restart the time limit?: Only a signed written promise restarts it
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: No
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: No
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

Arizona gives 6 years on written contracts and credit cards and 3 years on oral debts and open accounts. By statute, an acknowledgment of a time-barred debt counts only if it is in writing and signed; the statute does not address a bare partial payment. Collection agencies must be licensed by the Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions.

A.R.S. 12-508; 12-548; 12-543; 32-1021 · official text · checked 2026-09-27

Arkansas

Does a payment restart the time limit?: Yes: a payment or acknowledgment can restart it
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: No
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: No
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

Arkansas gives 5 years on written obligations and 3 years on unwritten contracts and open accounts. A partial payment or a written acknowledgment of default restarts (tolls) the 5-year clock on a written debt. Collection agencies, including debt buyers, must be licensed by the State Board of Collection Agencies, which also takes complaints. | 2026-09-27 research profile: collector_license and regulator_url confirmed on the State Board of Collection Agencies FAQ (confirm/AR-1). The earlier quote ('partial payment or written acknowledgment of default shall toll...') is NOT on that FAQ page or the residents' FAQ (AR-2); it is Ark. The 5/3-year periods are also confirmed in the statute-of-limitations table (district court benchbook). Row confirmed.

Ark. Code Ann. 16-56-111; 16-56-105; 17-24-101 et seq. (State Board of Collection Agencies) · official text · checked 2026-09-27

California

Does a payment restart the time limit?: Only a signed written promise restarts it
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: Yes
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: Yes
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

California gives 4 years on written contracts and book/open accounts and 2 years on oral contracts. Once that time runs, no one may sue or start arbitration to collect, and the deadline can be extended only by a signed written acknowledgment or promise (a payment alone does not revive a barred claim). Collectors must put a 'we will not sue you' notice in their first letter on a time-barred debt, and must be licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI).

Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 337, 339, 360; Cal. Civ. Code 1788.14(d), 1788.56; Cal. Fin. Code 100001 · official text · checked 2026-09-27

Colorado

Does a payment restart the time limit?: Yes: a payment or acknowledgment can restart it
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: No
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: No
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

Colorado gives 6 years to sue on most debts (general six-year limit for contract/liquidated debts). A promise or acknowledgment must be in writing and signed, but the law expressly keeps the effect of a payment, so a payment can restart the clock. Collection agencies must be licensed through the Attorney General's office, which offers a license search and complaint form. | confirmed 2026-09-27 via research profile: C.R.S. 13-80-113 and 13-80-103.5(1)(a) (six years for a liquidated debt) read in the General Assembly's CRS 2024 Title 13 PDF (confirm/CO-2); licensing and the complaint form on the AG Consumer Credit Unit page (CO-1); no time-barred suit ban or notice found in CRS Title 5 art. 16 (CO-3, CRS 2024 Title 5 PDF) or 4 CCR 903-1 (CO-4, Secretary of State PDF, ruleVersionId 9565).

C.R.S. 13-80-113; 13-80-103.5; 5-16-115 · official text · checked 2026-09-27

Connecticut

Does a payment restart the time limit?: No: state law stops this for consumer debt
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: Yes
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: Yes
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

Connecticut's general deadline to sue on an account or a written contract is 6 years. Once that deadline has passed, a payment or a promise (spoken or written) does not restart it against a debt buyer, and debt buyers may not sue on debts they know or should know are too old. Licensed consumer collection agencies must also tell you in their first letter that the debt is too old to sue on.

Conn. Gen. Stat. 36a-814; 36a-805(a)(14); 36a-801; 52-576 · official text · checked 2026-09-27

Delaware

We don't list a rule for Delaware on this page.

District of Columbia

We don't list a rule for District of Columbia on this page.

Florida

Does a payment restart the time limit?: Yes: a payment or acknowledgment can restart it
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: No
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: No
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

Florida allows 5 years to sue on a written contract and 4 years on an unwritten one or a store/open account. A promise to pay an already time-barred debt only counts if it is written and signed. Paying any part of a debt based on a written contract pauses (tolls) the deadline. Consumer collection agencies must register with the Office of Financial Regulation.

Fla. Stat. 95.04; 95.051(1)(f); 95.11(2)(b), (3)(k); 559.553 · official text · checked 2026-09-27

Georgia

Does a payment restart the time limit?: Only a signed written promise restarts it
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: No
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: No
Collectors must be licensed: No
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

Georgia allows 6 years for written contracts and 4 years for open accounts. A new promise restarts the clock only if it is written and signed. A payment counts only when it is recorded on a written record of the debt or on a written acknowledgment. Georgia does not license third-party collection agencies, and complaints go to the Consumer Protection Division. | 2026-09-27 research profile: not confirmable. The official O.C.G.A. is published only through the Lexis public-access site (click-through, not used), and no Georgia appellate opinion on the court's own site quoting 9-3-112 was found. Source and quote remain Justia (secondary). | 2026-09-28: read on the official code via LexisNexis public access (founder-opened session; I clicked the search result). Raw: GA-lexis-9-3-110.txt and GA-lexis-9-3-112.txt (and statute-of-limitations GA-lexis-9-3-24.txt). payment_revives=writing-only confirmed; 9-3-25 (4-year open-account period) not re-read; collector_license=no rests on absence. Row confirmed.

O.C.G.A. 9-3-110; 9-3-112; 9-3-24; 9-3-25 · official text · checked 2026-09-27

Hawaii

We don't list a rule for Hawaii on this page.

Idaho

Does a payment restart the time limit?: Yes: a payment or acknowledgment can restart it
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: No
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: No
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

Idaho allows 5 years on a written contract and 4 years on an unwritten one. A promise must be written and signed to restart the clock, but any payment of principal or interest restarts it. Collection agencies must be licensed by the Idaho Department of Finance.

Idaho Code 5-238; 5-216; 5-217; 26-2223 · official text · checked 2026-09-27

Illinois

Does a payment restart the time limit?: Yes: a payment or acknowledgment can restart it
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: Yes
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: No
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

Illinois gives 10 years to sue on written contracts and 5 years on unwritten ones (such as some open accounts). A payment or a new written promise to pay starts a fresh 10-year clock on a written debt. Debt buyers must file any suit on consumer debt within the limitations period. We found no Illinois rule that makes collectors tell you a debt is too old to sue on.

735 ILCS 5/13-206; 735 ILCS 5/13-205; 205 ILCS 740/8.6(a) (formerly 225 ILCS 425/8.6); 205 ILCS 740/4 · official text · checked 2026-09-27

Indiana

Does a payment restart the time limit?: Yes: a payment or acknowledgment can restart it
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: No
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: No
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

Indiana generally gives 6 years to sue on credit accounts and written contracts to pay money (IC 34-11-2-7 and 34-11-2-9). A promise or acknowledgment restarts the clock only if it is in writing and signed. The same chapter keeps the effect of a payment, so a partial payment can also restart it. Collection agencies must be licensed by the Secretary of State's Securities Division, which also takes complaints.

IC 34-11-9-1; IC 34-11-9-3; IC 34-11-2-7; IC 34-11-2-9; IC 25-11-1-7 · official text · checked 2026-09-27

Iowa

Does a payment restart the time limit?: Only a signed written promise restarts it
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: No
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: No
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

Iowa gives 10 years to sue on written contracts and 5 years on unwritten ones. Only a signed written admission that the debt is unpaid, or a signed new promise to pay, revives it; the statute says nothing about a bare payment. Iowa does not license collectors, but collectors above a dollar threshold must register (file notification) with the Attorney General, who publishes the list.

Iowa Code 614.11; 614.1(4)-(5); 537.6201-537.6202 · official text · checked 2026-09-27

Kansas

Does a payment restart the time limit?: Yes: a payment or acknowledgment can restart it
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: No
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: No
Collectors must be licensed: No
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

Kansas gives 5 years to sue on written contracts and 3 years on unwritten ones. A partial payment of principal or interest restarts the clock, and so does an acknowledgment or promise if it is in writing and signed. Kansas does not license third-party collection agencies, but debt buyers are regulated by the Office of the State Bank Commissioner (OSBC), which takes complaints. | confirmed 2026-09-27 via research profile: K.S.A. 60-520, 60-511(1) (5 years, written) and 60-512(1) (3 years, unwritten) read on ksrevisor.gov (confirm/KS-1..3). The OSBC complaint page (KS-4) lists collection agencies under 'Who the OSBC Does NOT Regulate' (FDCPA, FTC) and says a collection agency that buys consumer debt counts as a debt buyer and may need a supervised-lender license.

K.S.A. 60-520; 60-511; 60-512 · official text · checked 2026-09-27

Kentucky

We don't list a rule for Kentucky on this page.

Louisiana

Does a payment restart the time limit?: Yes: a payment or acknowledgment can restart it
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: No
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: No
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

Louisiana calls the time limit 'prescription': 3 years for open accounts (including most credit cards) and money lent, 5 years for promissory notes, and 10 years for other personal actions. Acknowledging the debt, even by conduct such as a payment, interrupts prescription before it runs out. After it runs out, only a renunciation revives the debt. A renunciation can be spoken or implied, and courts differ on whether a small payment alone counts. Collection agencies must register with the Secretary of State, and complaints go to the Attorney General.

La. Civ. Code arts. 3464, 3449, 3450, 3494, 3498, 3499; La. R.S. 9:3534.1 · official text · checked 2026-09-27

Maine

Does a payment restart the time limit?: No: state law stops this for consumer debt
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: Yes
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: No
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

Maine's debt collection law gives debt collectors 6 years from your last activity on the debt to sue, and bars them from suing after that. Once that period ends, paying something or admitting the debt (in writing or out loud) does not restart it. Debt collectors must hold a Maine license. The general rule for other creditors still needs a signed written acknowledgment (14 MRSA 860). No Maine-specific 'too old to sue' notice was found in the statute.

32 M.R.S. 11013(7)-(8); 14 M.R.S. 860; 32 M.R.S. 11031 · official text · checked 2026-09-27

Maryland

Does a payment restart the time limit?: No: state law stops this for consumer debt
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: Yes
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: —
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

Maryland bars creditors and collectors from suing on a consumer debt after the limitations period, which is generally 3 years. After it expires, a payment or a spoken or written admission does not restart it. The exception is a separate written agreement or payment plan signed before the period ran out. Collection agencies need a Maryland license (Office of Financial Regulation). We did not check for a Maryland-specific disclosure rule.

Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. 5-1202; 5-101; Md. Code, Bus. Reg. 7-301 · official text · checked 2026-09-27

Massachusetts

Does a payment restart the time limit?: Yes: a payment or acknowledgment can restart it
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: No
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: Yes
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

In Massachusetts a spoken promise does not restart the clock: an acknowledgment or new promise must be in a signed writing (c.260 s.13). But the Attorney General's required notice warns that any payment or signed admission can renew the debt and the time to sue. Creditors collecting a debt they know is time-barred must say it may be too old to sue on and that you do not have to pay (940 CMR 7.07(24); the notice binds creditors under 940 CMR 7). Contract actions must be brought within 6 years (c.260 s.2). Debt collectors need a license from the Commissioner of Banks (c.93 s.24A); the Division of Banks lists debt collectors among its licensees. | confirmed 2026-09-27 via research profile: 940 CMR 7.07(24) from the official mass.gov PDF (llm_raw/states/time-barred-debt/MA-940cmr7-official.pdf); c.260 s.2, c.260 s.13 and c.93 s.24A read on malegislature.gov (confirm/MA-1..3); Division of Banks page (MA-4).

M.G.L. c.260 s.13; 940 CMR 7.07(24); M.G.L. c.93 s.24A · official text · checked 2026-09-27

Michigan

We don't list a rule for Michigan on this page.

Minnesota

Does a payment restart the time limit?: No: state law stops this for consumer debt
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: Yes
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: No
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

Minnesota gives 6 years to sue on a personal, family or household consumer debt. After that, a payment, an oral or written reaffirmation, or a bankruptcy discharge does not restart it. Licensed collection agencies and debt buyers may not sue outside that period. Collection agencies and debt buyers must be licensed by the Minnesota Department of Commerce, and individual collectors must register with it.

Minn. Stat. 541.053; 332.37(24); 332.33 · official text · checked 2026-09-27

Mississippi

Does a payment restart the time limit?: Only a signed written promise restarts it
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: No
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: No
Collectors must be licensed: No
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

Mississippi's default limitations period, which covers most debts, is 3 years. When it runs out, the debt itself is wiped out, not just the right to sue. Before the deadline, a payment or acknowledgment restarts the clock. After it, only a new promise to pay, signed in writing, can create a debt that can be enforced again. We found no Mississippi collector-license law or time-barred-debt disclosure rule. Complaints go to the Attorney General. | 2026-09-27 research profile: the Mississippi Code is published officially only through Lexis (not used). A Court of Appeals opinion on courts.ms.gov (confirm/MS-1, No. 1999-CA-00228-COA) states that a partial payment does not take a case out of the statute unless accompanied by an express acknowledgment and an express promise to pay, which supports writing-only. I clicked the search result). Raw: llm_raw/states/time-barred-debt/MS-lexis-15-1-3.txt and MS-lexis-15-1-73.txt. With 15-1-49 (3 years) confirmed in the statute-of-limitations table, payment_revives=writing-only is confirmed. collector_license=no rests on absence (no license statute found). Row confirmed.

Miss. Code Ann. 15-1-3; 15-1-73; 15-1-49 · official text · checked 2026-09-27

Missouri

We don't list a rule for Missouri on this page.

Montana

We don't list a rule for Montana on this page.

Nebraska

Does a payment restart the time limit?: Yes: a payment or acknowledgment can restart it
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: No
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: No
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

In Nebraska a voluntary part payment, or a written acknowledgment or promise, lets a collector sue for a new full limitation period, and court notes say a payment can revive an already-barred debt. The limit is 5 years for written contracts and 4 years for oral contracts and open accounts. Collection agencies need a license from the Nebraska Collection Agency Licensing Board at the Secretary of State. (Statute text came from Wayback copies of nebraskalegislature.gov, because the direct site is unreachable.)

Neb. Rev. Stat. 25-216; 25-205; 25-206; 45-606 · official text · checked 2026-09-27

Nevada

Does a payment restart the time limit?: No: state law stops this for consumer debt
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: Yes
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: No
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

Since 2023, in Nevada a payment or acknowledgment made after the limitation period has run does not revive the debt (this applies to any debt, not just consumer debt). A payment made before it runs still restarts the clock. Licensed collection agencies may not file suit when they know or should know the time limit has passed. Limits: 6 years for written contracts, 4 years for open accounts and unwritten contracts. A written notice about payments not waiving the time limit is required only for hospital debts (NRS 649.332). (Statute text came from Wayback copies of leg.state.nv.us, because the direct site returns 403.)

NRS 11.200(2); NRS 11.190; NRS 11.390; NRS 649.375(1)(j); NRS 649.075; NRS 649.332 · official text · checked 2026-09-27

New Hampshire

We don't list a rule for New Hampshire on this page.

New Jersey

We don't list a rule for New Jersey on this page.

New Mexico

Does a payment restart the time limit?: Yes: a payment or acknowledgment can restart it
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: No
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: Yes
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

In New Mexico any payment, or a signed paper admitting the debt or promising to pay, restarts the time limit to sue (6 years for written contracts, 4 years for open accounts). An Attorney General rule makes collectors tell you when a debt may be too old to sue on and warn that paying or signing can restart the clock. Collection agencies must be licensed by the state Financial Institutions Division.

NMSA 1978 37-1-16 (revival); 37-1-3, 37-1-4 (SOL); 12.2.12.9 NMAC (time-barred debt disclosure); Collection Agency Regulatory Act, NMSA 61-18A · official text · checked 2026-09-27

New York

Does a payment restart the time limit?: No: state law stops this for consumer debt
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: No
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: Yes
Collectors must be licensed: No
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

Since April 7, 2022, a lender or collector has 3 years to sue on a consumer credit debt, and once that time runs out, paying something or agreeing you owe it does not restart the clock. State rules (23 NYCRR 1.3) make collectors tell you before taking a payment that the debt may be too old to sue on. New York State does not license debt collectors (DFS regulates them); New York City, Buffalo and some other cities do.

N.Y. CPLR 214-i (Consumer Credit Fairness Act, L.2021 c.593); N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law 17-101; 23 NYCRR 1.3 · official text · checked 2026-09-27

North Carolina

Does a payment restart the time limit?: Yes: a payment or acknowledgment can restart it
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: Yes
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: Yes
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

North Carolina's time limit for most debt lawsuits is 3 years. Under the general rule a payment restarts it and a written, signed promise does too, but a debt buyer (or a collector working for one) may not sue or even try to collect once it knows the time limit has run. A collector asking you to sign an acknowledgment of an old debt must first tell you what signing means and that you don't have to. Collection agencies need a permit from the NC Department of Insurance. | confirmed 2026-09-27 via research profile: G.S. 58-70-115(1) and (4) (NC-1), 1-26 (NC-2), 1-52(1) (NC-3) and 58-70-1 permit requirement (NC-4) read on ncleg.gov; NC Department of Insurance collection agency licensing page (NC-5).

N.C. Gen. Stat. 1-26 (acknowledgment in writing; payment effect preserved); 1-52(1) (3-year contract SOL); 58-70-115(1),(4) (debt buyers barred from suing/collecting time-barred debt; acknowledgment disclosure); 58-70-1 et seq. (collection agency permit) · official text · checked 2026-09-27

North Dakota

Does a payment restart the time limit?: Yes: a payment or acknowledgment can restart it
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: No
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: No
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

North Dakota gives 6 years to sue on a contract debt. A payment can restart the clock, and so can a written, signed acknowledgment or promise to pay. No North Dakota rule was found that specifically bans suing on old debts or requires a too-old-to-sue notice, but federal rules still forbid suing on time-barred debt. Collection agencies must be licensed by the Department of Financial Institutions. | confirmed 2026-09-27 via research profile: N.D.C.C. 28-01-36 and 28-01-16(1) read in the Legislature's chapter 28-01 PDF (confirm/ND-1); 13-05-02 license requirement in chapter 13-05 PDF (ND-2), which has no time-barred suit ban or notice; DFI complaint page (ND-3).

N.D.C.C. 28-01-36 (acknowledgment in writing; payment effect preserved); 28-01-16(1) (6-year contract SOL); N.D.C.C. ch. 13-05 (collection agency licensing) · official text · checked 2026-09-27

Ohio

We don't list a rule for Ohio on this page.

Oklahoma

Does a payment restart the time limit?: Yes: a payment or acknowledgment can restart it
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: No
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: No
Collectors must be licensed: No
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

In Oklahoma a partial payment restarts the time limit to sue, and so does a signed written acknowledgment or promise to pay. The limit is 5 years for written contracts and 3 years for unwritten ones such as open accounts. Oklahoma does not license debt collectors (the Banking Department sends collector complaints to the FTC). No state rule banning suits on old debt was found, but the federal ban still applies.

12 O.S. 101 (part payment, acknowledgment or new promise); 12 O.S. 95(A)(1)-(2) (5-year written, 3-year unwritten) · official text · checked 2026-09-27

Oregon

We don't list a rule for Oregon on this page.

Pennsylvania

We don't list a rule for Pennsylvania on this page.

Rhode Island

We don't list a rule for Rhode Island on this page.

South Carolina

Does a payment restart the time limit?: Yes: a payment or acknowledgment can restart it
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: No
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: No
Collectors must be licensed: No
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

South Carolina gives only 3 years to sue on a contract debt. A signed written acknowledgment restarts the clock, and by statute any part payment counts the same as a written promise. No state ban on suing on old debt was found. South Carolina does not license third-party collection agencies (several licensing bills failed), so complaints go to the SC Department of Consumer Affairs.

S.C. Code 15-3-530(1); S.C. Code 15-3-120; S.C. Code 15-3-130 · official text · checked 2026-09-27

South Dakota

Does a payment restart the time limit?: Yes: a payment or acknowledgment can restart it
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: No
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: No
Collectors must be licensed: No
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

South Dakota gives 6 years to sue on a contract debt. A signed written acknowledgment or promise restarts the clock, and the statute keeps the usual rule that a payment of principal or interest restarts it too. No state ban on suing on old debt and no collection-agency license were found. Complaints go to the Attorney General's Division of Consumer Protection (1-800-300-1986).

SDCL 15-2-13(1); SDCL 15-2-29 · official text · checked 2026-09-27

Tennessee

Does a payment restart the time limit?: Yes: a payment or acknowledgment can restart it
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: No
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: No
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

Tennessee gives 6 years to sue on a contract debt. Tennessee courts treat a new promise to pay, or an acknowledgment of the debt, made after the deadline as reviving it. Older cases say a bare payment without a sign of willingness to pay may not be enough, so the payment rule is less certain. Collection agencies must hold a license from the Tennessee Collection Service Board, where you can check a license or file a complaint. | 2026-09-27 research profile: collector_license and regulator_url confirmed on the TDCI Collection Service Board page (confirm/TN-1). Tenn. I clicked the search result). Raw: llm_raw/states/time-barred-debt/TN-lexis-28-3-109.txt confirms 6 years for contracts not otherwise provided for (28-3-109(a)(3)) and 10 years for demand notes (c). Little, 2024; raw TN-tncourts-siskin-2024.txt): a new promise to pay, or an acknowledgment plus willingness to pay (which may be implied from words or acts), revives a time-barred debt, and the new deadline runs from that conduct. A bare payment counts only if it amounts to such an acknowledgment. state_bars_suit=no and disclosure_required=no rest on absence.

Tenn. Code Ann. 28-3-109(a)(3); Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabilitation, Inc. v. Little (Tenn. Ct. App. 2024), quoting Ingram v. Earthman, 993 S.W.2d 611, 633-34; Tenn. Code Ann. Title 62, Ch. 20 · official text · checked 2026-09-27

Texas

Does a payment restart the time limit?: No: state law stops this for consumer debt
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: Yes
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: Yes
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

Texas gives 4 years to sue on a debt. A debt buyer may not sue (or start arbitration) once that time has run, a payment or promise does not restart it, and the buyer's first letter must say it will not sue. For other collectors, only a signed written acknowledgment can revive the debt. Third-party collectors must file a surety bond with the Secretary of State.

Tex. Fin. Code 392.307(c)-(e); Tex. Fin. Code 392.101; Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.004, 16.065 · official text · checked 2026-09-27

Utah

Does a payment restart the time limit?: Yes: a payment or acknowledgment can restart it
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: No
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: No
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

In Utah, a payment or a written acknowledgment or promise to pay starts the limitation period over. The period is 4 years for open accounts and unwritten contracts; 6 years for written contracts (78B-2-309, not fetched). No Utah rule on suing over time-barred debt was found, so federal Reg F applies. Collection agencies must register and post a bond with the Division of Corporations and Commercial Code. le.utah.gov refused connections from here, so the official text came from Wayback copies of le.utah.gov PDFs; the version IDs are unchanged in 2025 snapshots. | 2026-10-01 source audit: quote now read on the live official page (le.utah.gov, 2026-09-30), replacing the 2017 Wayback PDF, and given in full instead of with an unmarked omission.

Utah Code 78B-2-113; 78B-2-307; 12-1-1 · official text · checked 2026-09-27

Vermont

Does a payment restart the time limit?: Yes: a payment or acknowledgment can restart it
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: No
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: No
Collectors must be licensed: No
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

In Vermont, a signed written acknowledgment or promise can revive a debt, and the law keeps the effect of a payment, so a payment can restart the clock. The general deadline for civil actions is 6 years. Under Attorney General Rule CP 104.05(a), a collector seeking an acknowledgment of a time-barred debt must disclose what that means and that you do not have to agree; there is no general 'too old to sue' notice. The DFR license list (Wayback copy) has no collection-agency license. Official pages came from Wayback copies because they were blocked from here.

12 V.S.A. 511, 591, 592; Vt. AG Consumer Protection Rule CP 104.05(a) · official text · checked 2026-09-27

Virginia

We don't list a rule for Virginia on this page.

Washington

Does a payment restart the time limit?: Unclear in state law
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: Yes
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: No
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

In Washington, an acknowledgment or promise made after the deadline has passed cannot revive the debt (2019 change). The statute leaves the effect of a payment to case law, which we did not confirm. Licensed collection agencies may not sue, or start arbitration, on a claim they know or should know is time-barred. The deadline is 6 years for written contracts and accounts receivable.

RCW 4.16.280; RCW 4.16.040; RCW 19.16.250(23) · official text · checked 2026-09-27

West Virginia

Does a payment restart the time limit?: Only a signed written promise restarts it
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: No
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: Yes
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

In West Virginia, only a signed written promise or acknowledgment takes a debt out of the time limit; the statute is silent on a bare payment. The deadline is 10 years for signed written contracts and 5 years for other contracts and accounts. Every written message about a time-barred debt must say the owner 'cannot sue you for it'. Collection agencies need a license from the State Tax Commissioner. code.wvlegislature.gov blocked direct fetches, so the text came from Wayback copies (2025).

W. Va. Code 55-2-8; 55-2-6; 46A-2-128(f); 47-16-2 · official text · checked 2026-09-27

Wisconsin

Does a payment restart the time limit?: No
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: No
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: No
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

In Wisconsin, once the 6-year contract deadline passes, the right to collect is wiped out along with the right to sue, so a later payment or promise does not bring it back. Before the deadline, a signed writing or a payment can extend it (893.45, 893.48). There is no separate Wisconsin rule on suing over time-barred debt, but the claim itself no longer exists. Collection agencies need a license from DFI. Statute text came from Wayback copies of docs.legis.wisconsin.gov (blocked from here).

Wis. Stat. 893.05; 893.43; 893.45; 893.48; 218.04 · official text · checked 2026-09-27

Wyoming

Does a payment restart the time limit?: Yes: a payment or acknowledgment can restart it
State law bars suing on a too-old debt: No
Collector must tell you the debt is too old to sue on: No
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Check a license or complain: State regulator

Details

In Wyoming, a payment, or a signed written acknowledgment or promise, restarts the clock from that date. The deadline is long: 10 years for written contracts and 8 years for unwritten ones. No Wyoming rule on suing over time-barred debt was found, so federal Reg F applies. Collection agencies must be licensed by the Collection Agency Board.

Wyo. Stat. 1-3-119; 1-3-105(a)(i)-(ii); 33-11-102 · official text · checked 2026-09-27

State law from official sources, checked 2026-09-27.

Your state may protect you more

Many states add their own debt-collection rules on top of the federal ones, for example by licensing collectors (Connecticut, Maine, Maryland and Minnesota do). We read each state's law on 2026-09-28. Four kinds of rule make the biggest difference:

Rules that also cover the original lender. The federal FDCPA covers collection agencies and debt buyers, not a lender collecting its own debt. In California, Connecticut, D.C., Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia, among others, the state's collection rules also bind the original lender. So the card company or hospital calling you directly has to follow them too.
Stricter call limits. Federal Regulation F allows 7 calls in 7 days. In Massachusetts, a creditor or collector may make no more than 2 calls, texts or recorded messages per 7 days to your home, cell or personal number, and 2 per 30 days to other numbers, for each debt. In D.C., a collector may make no more than 4 calls per account in 7 days, can't call back for 7 days after a conversation, and must stop phoning if you opt out in writing. In Washington, a licensed collection agency is presumed to be harassing you if it contacts you more than 3 times a week, calls your workplace more than once a week, or calls your home between 9 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. In West Virginia, calling more than 30 times a week, or talking with you more than 10 times a week, to annoy or harass is barred.
Medical debt on credit reports. At least 14 states ban most medical debt from credit reports by law: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia and Washington. The details differ. Some bar the hospital or collector from reporting it, some bar the credit bureaus from including it, and many do both. Washington's ban binds collection agencies. New Jersey's covers care from July 22, 2024 on. Colorado's has an exception for large mortgages. Florida (hospitals), Idaho, Nevada and Utah require a waiting period or notice before reporting. In October 2025 the CFPB published guidance saying federal credit-reporting law overrides these state bans. The guidance itself says it is not legally binding and leaves the question to the courts, so your state's ban is still law unless a court strikes it down. Either way, check your credit report (below).
Limits on taking your pay. A collector can garnish wages only after winning a court judgment. Federal law then allows up to 25% of your take-home pay (less if you earn little). Many states protect more. Texas and South Carolina don't allow wage garnishment for ordinary consumer debts at all, and North Carolina protects recent earnings needed to support your family. New York and New Jersey cap it at 10% of gross pay, and Arizona at 10% of take-home pay. Illinois and Massachusetts cap it at 15% of gross pay, and California, Colorado and Washington at 20% of take-home pay. Florida protects all the pay of a head of family earning up to $750 a week. Mississippi protects all your pay for the first 30 days after the garnishment order is served; after that the federal limit applies.

The table shows what we found in each state, with the law it comes from and where to complain. Where it says "none found", we found no such rule in the sections we read, which isn't proof there is none. City rules aren't covered (New York City has its own). Your state attorney general's office can tell you how these rules apply to you.

Alabama

State collection law: None found; federal rules apply
Also covers the original lender: No
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: No state ban found
Wage garnishment limit: The federal limit applies
Collectors must be licensed: No
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

No general state fair debt collection statute found (Alabama relies on the federal FDCPA and Regulation F). Garnishment for a consumer credit transaction is capped at the federal level (25% of disposable earnings or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum wage), so no stricter limit. No state medical-debt credit-reporting ban or call-frequency rule found. Alabama does not license collectors (see time-barred-debt table). Absence rests on the known collection/consumer-finance chapters of the Code of Alabama, not a full-text search.

Ala. Code 5-19-15; 6-10-7 · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Alaska

State collection law: Alaska collection agency law (AS 08.24)
Also covers the original lender: No
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: No state ban found
Wage garnishment limit: Alaska protects a fixed dollar amount of weekly net earnings rather than a percentage: the statute exempts weekly net earnings up to $350 (higher for a sole earner supporting dependents under AS 09.38.030(b)). The dollar figures can be adjusted, so check the current amount with the court.
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

Alaska regulates collection agencies through licensing (AS 08.24; see time-barred-debt table), which applies to agencies, not to the original lender. No separate state debt collection practices act covering creditors, no call-frequency rule and no medical-debt credit-reporting ban found. The earnings exemption is a flat weekly amount, which protects low earners more than the federal 25% rule but is not a percentage cap.

AS 09.38.030; AS 08.24 · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Arizona

State collection law: Arizona collection agency law (A.R.S. 32-1001 et seq.; duties of licensees, 32-1051)
Also covers the original lender: No
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: No state ban found
Wage garnishment limit: 10% of disposable earnings for the week, or the amount above 60 times the highest applicable minimum wage, whichever is less (Proposition 209, 2022). Support orders are excluded.
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

Licensed collection agencies may not use unfair, misleading, oppressive or vindictive collection methods (A.R.S. 32-1051); the rule binds licensees, and creditors collecting their own debts are generally outside the licensing law. Arizona's 10% garnishment cap is much stricter than the federal 25%. Proposition 209 also capped interest on medical debt, but no medical-debt credit-reporting ban was found.

A.R.S. 33-1131(B); 32-1051 · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Arkansas

State collection law: Arkansas Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (Ark. Code 17-24-501 et seq.)
Also covers the original lender: No
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: No state ban found
Wage garnishment limit: Not stricter than the federal rule by default. Arkansas adds: the first $25 a week of net wages is always exempt, and a laborer or mechanic who files a sworn claim can exempt up to 60 days' wages within the state constitutional exemption.
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

The State Board of Collection Agencies page confirms creditors collecting their own accounts are outside the licensing law. Arkansas's wage exemption rules (Ark. No medical-debt reporting ban found. | Read 2026-09-28 on the official code via LexisNexis free public access (research profile, logged out; no terms screen or sign-in shown). Arkansas FDCPA: 'debt collector' excludes a creditor's own staff collecting in the creditor's name and debts the collector originated (17-24-502(5)(D)); a creditor using another name is covered (5)(B). Call rules copy the federal ones (8 a.m.-9 p.m. presumption, 17-24-504; repeated calls to annoy, 17-24-505), nothing beyond Regulation F. Damages up to $1,000 plus actual damages, suit within 1 year (17-24-512). Wage exemption 16-66-208 read. 'medical debt' full-text search: 0 hits.

Ark. Code 17-24-502, 17-24-504, 17-24-505; 16-66-208 · official text · checked 2026-09-28

California

State collection law: Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (Cal. Civ. Code 1788 et seq.)
Also covers the original lender: Yes
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: Yes. Since 2025 no person may furnish information about a medical debt to a credit reporting agency; a medical debt knowingly reported is void and unenforceable, and medical-debt contracts from July 1, 2025 must carry a notice saying so (Civ. Code 1785.27, SB 1061).
Wage garnishment limit: 20% of disposable earnings, or 40% of the amount above 48 times the state (or higher local) minimum wage, whichever is less.
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

"On behalf of that person" is why the Rosenthal Act reaches original lenders collecting their own debts, not only collection agencies. Calls: the Act bars calling so often it is unreasonable and harassing (1788.11(d)-(e)) but sets no numeric cap beyond Regulation F. Collectors must be licensed by the DFPI (Debt Collection Licensing Act; see time-barred-debt table). All four sections were read on leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.

Cal. Civ. Code 1788.2(c); 1788.11; 1785.27; Code Civ. Proc. 706.050 · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Colorado

State collection law: Colorado Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (C.R.S. 5-16-101 et seq.)
Also covers the original lender: No
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: Yes. Credit bureaus may not report medical debt or factor it into a credit score, except for a credit report used for a loan above the national conforming (one-unit) mortgage limit (HB23-1126). Collectors must say so in their first written notice.
Wage garnishment limit: 20% of disposable earnings, or the amount above 40 times the federal or state minimum wage, whichever is less (a debtor can also ask the court to lower it for hardship).
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

The Colorado act applies to collection agencies (including debt buyers) and their employees, not to an original creditor collecting its own debt. No numeric call limit found in the act or the administrator's rules (4 CCR 903-1). Medical debt interest is capped at 3% a year. Collectors are licensed by the Attorney General (see time-barred-debt table).

C.R.S. 5-16-103(3),(9); 5-16-106(3)(e); 5-16-107(1)(r); 13-54-104(2)(a)(I) · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Connecticut

State collection law: Creditors' Collection Practices Act (Conn. Gen. Stat. 36a-645 to 36a-647) and the consumer collection agency law (36a-800 et seq.)
Also covers the original lender: Yes
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: Yes. Since July 1, 2024, health care providers and collection entities may not report any part of a medical debt to a credit rating agency, and a medical debt that is reported becomes void (Public Act 24-6).
Wage garnishment limit: 25% of disposable earnings, or the amount above 40 times the higher of the federal or Connecticut minimum wage, whichever is less (and only after you miss a court installment order).
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

Connecticut's Creditors' Collection Practices Act applies directly to creditors collecting their own debts; consumer collection agencies are licensed separately by the Department of Banking (see time-barred-debt table). No numeric call cap found in the statutes read. The medical-debt ban was read in the Public Act PDF on cga.ct.gov; wage execution in 52-361a (chapter 906).

Conn. Gen. Stat. 36a-645, 36a-646; Public Act 24-6 (SB 395); 52-361a(f) · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Delaware

State collection law: None found; federal rules apply
Also covers the original lender: No
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: Yes. No person may report any medical debt to a credit bureau, and credit bureaus may not include it in a report (Medical Debt Protection Act, 6 Del. C. 2507J, as amended by 85 Del. Laws c. 107; the Governor's office says the ban took effect October 27, 2025).
Wage garnishment limit: 85% of wages are exempt, so at most 15% can be garnished (except for state fines, costs or taxes), and only one attachment at a time.
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

No general Delaware fair debt collection act found; Delaware licenses collection agencies (see time-barred-debt table) and relies on the federal FDCPA for conduct rules. The Medical Debt Protection Act (6 Del. C. ch. 25J) also bars collection and credit reporting while a financial-assistance or insurance appeal is pending. Garnishment rule read at delcode.delaware.gov (10 Del. C. 4913).

6 Del. C. 2507J; 10 Del. C. 4913 · official text · checked 2026-09-28

District of Columbia

State collection law: D.C. debt collection law (D.C. Code 28-3814)
Also covers the original lender: Yes
Call limits beyond federal rules: Yes. A debt collector may not make more than 4 phone calls per account in any 7-day period (counting all your numbers), must wait 7 days after a completed conversation before calling again unless you ask, and you can opt out of phone calls in writing.
Medical debt on credit reports: No state ban found
Wage garnishment limit: Only 25% of the amount by which weekly disposable wages exceed 40 times the D.C. minimum wage can be taken.
Collectors must be licensed: No
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

D.C.'s law expressly covers original creditors. The 4-calls-in-7-days limit sits in the list of practices that apply to 'debt collectors' as defined (which includes original creditors), but the Attorney General's FAQ reads some 28-3814(m) limits as applying to third-party collectors, so treat the call cap as certain only for collection agencies and debt buyers. Medical debt: D.C. Code 44-423 to 44-428 (financial assistance and medical debt) are marked 'Not Funded' (not in effect), and Bill 26-438 (2025), which would bar medical debt collectors from reporting to credit bureaus, is only a bill; no ban in force was found. D.C. does not license collectors (see time-barred-debt table).

D.C. Code 28-3814(b)(5), (m); 16-572 · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Florida

State collection law: Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act (Fla. Stat. 559.55-559.785)
Also covers the original lender: Yes
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: Limited. A licensed hospital or ambulatory surgical center may not report adverse information to credit bureaus (an 'extraordinary collection action') until it has screened you for financial assistance, sent an itemized bill, billed insurance, finished any billing dispute, and given 30 days' written notice (Fla. Stat. 395.3011). Not a general ban.
Wage garnishment limit: Head of family: all disposable earnings up to $750 a week are exempt, and earnings above $750 a week cannot be garnished unless you agreed in writing (Fla. Stat. 222.11). Others: federal limits.
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

Calls: no communication between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. in your time zone without consent (559.72(17)) - the same hours as federal law, but in Florida it also binds original creditors. Florida's list of prohibited practices applies to any person collecting a consumer debt, so it covers original creditors as well as agencies. Consumer collection agencies must register with the Office of Financial Regulation (see time-barred-debt table). All three sections read on the Legislature's Online Sunshine site (2026 statutes).

Fla. Stat. 559.72; 395.3011; 222.11 · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Georgia

State collection law: None found; federal rules apply
Also covers the original lender: No
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: No state ban found
Wage garnishment limit: Same as the federal rule for ordinary consumer debt (25% of disposable earnings or the amount above $217.50 a week, whichever is less); stricter only for a judgment on a private student loan: 15% of disposable earnings.
Collectors must be licensed: No
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

No Georgia fair debt collection statute found; collection conduct falls under the federal FDCPA and the general Fair Business Practices Act. No medical-debt reporting ban found. Georgia does not license collectors (see time-barred-debt table). | Read 2026-09-28 on the official code via LexisNexis free public access (research profile, logged out; no terms screen or sign-in shown). The wage limit is in 18-4-5 (18-4-20 is about unclaimed garnishment funds; both saved). Employers may not fire an employee over garnishment for one obligation (18-4-5(c)). Absence checks on the official code: 'debt collector or collection agency' (30 hits, all pages read: Fair Business Practices Act 10-1-390 ff., tax/agency collection contracts, garnishment procedure, no consumer debt-collection conduct law) and 'medical debt and credit report' (0 hits). So no Georgia collection statute, call limit or medical-debt reporting ban found; say 'we found none'.

O.C.G.A. 18-4-5(a) · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Hawaii

State collection law: Hawaii Collection Practices law (HRS ch. 480D) for creditors; collection agencies under HRS ch. 443B
Also covers the original lender: Yes
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: No state ban found
Wage garnishment limit: 5% of the first $100 a month, 10% of the next $100, and 20% of everything above $200 a month (or the weekly equivalent).
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

Hawaii splits its rules: chapter 480D reaches businesses collecting their own consumer debts (original creditors), and chapter 443B licenses and regulates collection agencies (see time-barred-debt table). Hawaii's sliding garnishment scale tops out at 20%, stricter than federal. No numeric call cap or medical-debt reporting ban found.

HRS 480D-2; 652-1(b) · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Idaho

State collection law: Idaho Collection Agency Act (Idaho Code 26-2222 et seq.)
Also covers the original lender: No
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: Limited. Under the Idaho Patient Act, reporting adverse information to a credit bureau is an 'extraordinary collection action' a health care provider may take only after the required billing statements and a final notice, and at least 90 days after that notice (Idaho Code 48-303, 48-304). Not a general ban.
Wage garnishment limit: The federal limit applies
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

Idaho's collection agency act licenses and regulates agencies (see time-barred-debt table); it does not reach a creditor collecting its own debt. Garnishment follows the federal formula (25% of disposable earnings or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum wage; Idaho Code 11-207, read). No numeric call cap found.

Idaho Code 48-303(3), 48-304; 11-207 · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Illinois

State collection law: Illinois Collection Agency Act (205 ILCS 740)
Also covers the original lender: No
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: Yes. Since January 1, 2025 it is an unlawful practice for a credit bureau to make or furnish a report containing adverse information it knows or should know relates to medical debt, or to keep medical-debt information in your file (815 ILCS 505/2EEEE, as amended August 15, 2025).
Wage garnishment limit: 15% of gross weekly wages, or the amount by which disposable earnings exceed 45 times the (higher) Illinois minimum wage, whichever is less.
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

The Collection Agency Act licenses and regulates third-party agencies (IDFPR; see time-barred-debt table) and exempts creditors collecting their own accounts. The current text of 2EEEE (after P.A. 104-417) is aimed at credit bureaus; the 2024 bill also barred providers from reporting, so check the version in force before saying who is barred. Garnishment rule read at ilga.gov (12-803). No numeric call cap found.

815 ILCS 505/2EEEE; 735 ILCS 5/12-803 · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Indiana

State collection law: None found; federal rules apply
Also covers the original lender: No
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: No state ban found
Wage garnishment limit: Federal formula (25% of disposable earnings or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum wage), but a court may lower the 25% to as little as 10% if you show good cause.
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

No general Indiana fair debt collection act found; collection agencies are licensed by the Secretary of State (see time-barred-debt table). No medical-debt reporting ban or call cap found in the 2025 Indiana Code Title 24 text searched.

IC 24-4.5-5-105(2) · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Iowa

State collection law: Iowa Debt Collection Practices Act (Iowa Code 537.7101-537.7103)
Also covers the original lender: Yes
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: No state ban found
Wage garnishment limit: Yearly caps per creditor: $250 if you expect to earn under $12,000 a year, rising in steps ($400, $800, $1,500, $2,000) to 10% of expected earnings at $50,000 or more (on top of the federal weekly limits).
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

'Whether for the person' means the Iowa act covers creditors collecting their own consumer credit debts. Collectors must file a notification with the Attorney General (see time-barred-debt table). No numeric call cap or medical-debt reporting ban found. Both sections read on legis.iowa.gov (Iowa Code 2026).

Iowa Code 537.7102(5); 642.21 · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Kansas

State collection law: None found; federal rules apply
Also covers the original lender: No
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: No state ban found
Wage garnishment limit: The federal limit applies
Collectors must be licensed: No
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

No Kansas fair debt collection statute found, and Kansas does not license collectors (see time-barred-debt table); complaints go to the Office of the State Bank Commissioner or the Attorney General. Garnishment follows the federal formula (25% or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum wage), so no stricter limit. No medical-debt reporting ban or call cap found.

K.S.A. 60-2310(b) · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Kentucky

We don't list a rule for Kentucky on this page.

Louisiana

State collection law: Louisiana Consumer Credit Law, collection practices (La. R.S. 9:3562); Collection Agency Regulation Act (La. R.S. 9:3576.1 et seq.)
Also covers the original lender: Yes
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: No state ban found
Wage garnishment limit: The federal limit applies
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

Louisiana's rule is narrow but reaches original creditors: a creditor generally may not contact people outside your household (other than lenders and credit bureaus) about your debt, unless you consent after the debt arises or an exception applies. Collection agencies are licensed by the Office of Financial Institutions (see time-barred-debt table). Wage exemption (La.

La. R.S. 9:3562 · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Maine

State collection law: Maine Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (32 M.R.S. 11001 et seq.)
Also covers the original lender: No
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: Yes. A credit bureau may not report medical debt on your credit report, and a medical creditor, debt collector or debt buyer may not report your medical debt to a credit bureau (10 M.R.S. 1310-H(4), as amended by P.L. 2025, c. 201).
Wage garnishment limit: 25% of disposable earnings (plus exempt income), or the amount above 40 times the higher of the federal or Maine minimum wage, whichever is less.
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

Maine's act defines 'debt collector' as someone collecting debts owed to another (plus debt buyers), so it does not generally reach original creditors. Collectors are licensed by the Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection (see time-barred-debt table). No numeric call cap found. All three sections read on legislature.maine.gov.

32 M.R.S. 11002(6); 10 M.R.S. 1310-H(4)(A); 14 M.R.S. 3126-A · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Maryland

State collection law: Maryland Consumer Debt Collection Act (Md. Code, Com. Law 14-201 et seq.)
Also covers the original lender: Yes
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: Yes, since October 1, 2025 (HB 1020): providers of medical services, devices or products may not give medical debt information to credit bureaus, and credit bureaus may not create, furnish or keep reports with adverse information they know or should know relates to medical debt.
Wage garnishment limit: Exempt: the greater of 75% of disposable wages or 30 times the Maryland minimum wage per week (so the state minimum wage, higher than the federal one, protects more).
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

Maryland's act applies to anyone collecting a consumer debt, including the original creditor. Collection agencies are licensed by the State Collection Agency Licensing Board (see time-barred-debt table). The medical-debt ban was read in the Office of Financial Regulation's October 14, 2025 advisory (official), not in the codified section. No numeric call cap found.

Com. Law 14-201(b); 15-601.1(b); HB 1020 (2025), per Office of Financial Regulation advisory · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Massachusetts

State collection law: Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 93, secs. 24-28 (collection agencies) and 49 (creditors), plus the Attorney General's Debt Collection Regulations (940 CMR 7.00)
Also covers the original lender: Yes
Call limits beyond federal rules: Yes. A creditor or collector may not start more than 2 phone calls, texts or recorded messages in each 7-day period to your home, cell or personal number, and 2 in each 30-day period to other numbers, for each debt (940 CMR 7.04(1)(f)); for third-party collectors the calls to others in your household are limited the same way (7.05).
Medical debt on credit reports: Not yet. On June 30, 2026 the Governor announced proposed Department of Public Health regulations that would bar licensed providers and their collectors from reporting medical debt to credit bureaus; they were out for comment (hearings July 27-28, 2026) and were not final in the source read.
Wage garnishment limit: Exempt: the greater of 85% of gross wages or 50 times the higher of the federal or Massachusetts minimum wage each week (so at most 15% of gross can be taken).
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

The Attorney General's rules define 'creditor' broadly (anyone collecting a debt owed to them), so the call cap applies to original lenders as well as agencies. 940 CMR 7.00 text is the official mass.gov PDF the founder saved on 2026-09-27 for the time-barred-debt table (copied here as MA-2.txt). The wage exemption was read on malegislature.gov (c. 235, sec. 34). Collection agencies are licensed by the Division of Banks (see time-barred-debt table).

940 CMR 7.03, 7.04(1)(f); M.G.L. c. 235, sec. 34, cl. Fifteenth · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Michigan

State collection law: Michigan Regulation of Collection Practices Act (MCL 445.251 et seq.); Occupational Code art. 9 for collection agencies (MCL 339.901 et seq.)
Also covers the original lender: Yes
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: No state ban found
Wage garnishment limit: The federal limit applies
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

The Regulation of Collection Practices Act covers 'regulated persons' such as businesses and banks collecting their own claims, so original creditors are covered; licensed collection agencies are covered by the Occupational Code (licensing by LARA; see time-barred-debt table). Michigan garnishment is believed to follow the federal limits. No medical-debt reporting ban or call cap found.

MCL 445.251(g) · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Minnesota

State collection law: Minnesota Collection Agencies Act (Minn. Stat. 332.31-332.45); Debt Fairness Act medical-debt rules (ch. 332C)
Also covers the original lender: No
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: Yes (2024). A collecting party may not report medical debt to a credit bureau, and a credit bureau may not include medical debt in a credit report (Minn. Stat. 332C.03).
Wage garnishment limit: Sliding scale: 10% of disposable earnings if weekly income is 40-60 times the minimum wage, 15% at 60-80 times, 25% above 80 times, and nothing below 40 times the higher of the Minnesota or federal minimum wage.
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

The collection agency act licenses and regulates third-party agencies (Department of Commerce; see time-barred-debt table); it does not generally reach original creditors, though the 332C medical-debt rules apply to 'collecting parties', including providers. No numeric call cap found. Both sections read on revisor.mn.gov.

Minn. Stat. 332C.03; 571.922 · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Mississippi

State collection law: None found; federal rules apply
Also covers the original lender: No
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: No state ban found
Wage garnishment limit: Wages are fully exempt for 30 days after a garnishment, execution or attachment writ is served; after that, the federal formula (25% of disposable earnings or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum wage, whichever is less).
Collectors must be licensed: No
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

No Mississippi fair debt collection statute found, and Mississippi does not license collectors (see time-barred-debt table); complaints go to the Attorney General. Mississippi's wage exemption (Miss. No medical-debt reporting ban found. | 2026-09-28 (lexis-rest tn-ms): 85-3-4 read on the official Mississippi Code via LexisNexis public access. Absence checks (word searches on the same site): 'debt collector' returned only the Debt Management Services Act (81-22-19); 'collection agency' returned only government-collection sections; 'medical debt consumer reporting agency' returned only security-freeze and support-reporting sections. So no state collection-conduct law, collector license, call limit or medical-debt reporting ban found; absence rests on those searches.

Miss. Code Ann. 85-3-4 · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Missouri

State collection law: None found; federal rules apply
Also covers the original lender: No
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: No state ban found
Wage garnishment limit: 10% of disposable earnings if you are the head of a family and a Missouri resident; otherwise the federal limits (25% or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum wage).
Collectors must be licensed: No
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

No Missouri fair debt collection statute found and Missouri does not license collectors (see time-barred-debt table); complaints go to the Attorney General. No medical-debt reporting ban or call cap found.

RSMo 525.030(2) · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Montana

State collection law: None found; federal rules apply
Also covers the original lender: No
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: No state ban found
Wage garnishment limit: The federal limit applies
Collectors must be licensed: No
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

No Montana fair debt collection statute found and Montana does not license collectors (see time-barred-debt table). Garnishment follows the federal formula, so no stricter limit. No medical-debt reporting ban or call cap found.

MCA 25-13-614 · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Nebraska

State collection law: Nebraska Collection Agency Act (Neb. Rev. Stat. 45-601 et seq.)
Also covers the original lender: No
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: No state ban found
Wage garnishment limit: 15% of disposable earnings if you are the head of a family (you support relatives); otherwise the federal limits.
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

Nebraska licenses collection agencies through the Secretary of State (see time-barred-debt table); the act does not reach original creditors. No medical-debt reporting ban or call cap found.

Neb. Rev. Stat. 25-1558(1)(c) · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Nevada

State collection law: Nevada collection agency law (NRS ch. 649)
Also covers the original lender: No
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: Limited. A collection agency must mail you a notice at least 60 days before taking any action to collect a medical debt, and the debt may not be reported to a credit bureau during that 60-day period (NRS 649.366, 649.367). Not a general ban.
Wage garnishment limit: 18% of disposable earnings if your gross weekly pay is $770 or less; 25% if more; or the amount above 50 times the federal minimum wage if that is less.
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

NRS 649 licenses and regulates collection agencies (Financial Institutions Division; see time-barred-debt table) and makes an FDCPA violation a violation of state law; it does not cover original creditors. Nevada also bars collection agencies from suing on small medical debts outside small claims court (NRS 649.368). No numeric call cap found. NRS chapters 31 and 649 read on leg.state.nv.us.

NRS 649.366, 649.367; 31.295(2) · official text · checked 2026-09-28

New Hampshire

State collection law: New Hampshire Unfair, Deceptive or Unreasonable Collection Practices Act (RSA 358-C)
Also covers the original lender: Yes
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: No state ban found
Wage garnishment limit: Wages can be taken only on a court judgment, and 50 times the federal minimum wage per week is always exempt (RSA 512:21, II).
Collectors must be licensed: No
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

New Hampshire's definition of 'debt collector' reaches anyone enforcing a consumer credit obligation, so original creditors are covered. Calls: the act bars repeated calls or calls at inconvenient times meant to harass, and limits calls to your workplace, but sets no numeric cap. NH does not license collectors (see time-barred-debt table).

RSA 358-C:1, VIII; 358-C:3; 512:21, II · official text · checked 2026-09-28

New Jersey

State collection law: None found; federal rules apply
Also covers the original lender: No
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: Yes, for care from July 22, 2024 on: medical creditors and medical debt collectors may not report a patient's medical debt to credit bureaus, and credit bureaus may not report paid medical debt or medical debt under $500 regardless of when it was incurred (Louisa Carman Medical Debt Relief Act, P.L.2024, c.48, N.J.S.A. 56:11-58).
Wage garnishment limit: The lesser of 10% of gross weekly pay, 25% of disposable earnings, or the amount above $217.50 a week; nothing is taken if you earn $217.50 a week or less, and only one wage execution at a time (court form).
Collectors must be licensed: No
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

New Jersey has no general state fair debt collection act (the Consumer Fraud Act applies generally); collection agencies post bonds but are not licensed (see time-barred-debt table). The medical-debt section took effect immediately on approval (July 22, 2024). No numeric call cap found.

P.L.2024, c.48, sec. 3 (N.J.S.A. 56:11-58); N.J. Courts Wage Execution form (Appendix XI-J, CN 11471); N.J.S.A. 2A:17-56 · official text · checked 2026-09-28

New Mexico

We don't list a rule for New Mexico on this page.

New York

State collection law: New York General Business Law art. 29-H, secs. 600-604 (Debt collection procedures); DFS rules for third-party collectors (23 NYCRR 1)
Also covers the original lender: Yes
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: Yes. The Fair Medical Debt Reporting Act (Laws of 2023, ch. 727, signed December 13, 2023, effective immediately) bars hospitals and other medical providers from reporting medical debt to credit bureaus and bars credit bureaus from including medical debt in a credit report (Pub. Health Law 4925-4927; Gen. Bus. Law 380-a, 380-j).
Wage garnishment limit: 10% of gross income, but never more than 25% of disposable earnings or the amount above 30 times the higher of the federal or New York minimum wage; nothing is taken in a week when disposable earnings are 30 times that minimum wage or less.
Collectors must be licensed: No
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

GBL 600 defines 'principal creditor' as anyone a consumer claim is owed to, and GBL 601's list of prohibited practices binds principal creditors and their agents, so original creditors are covered. Garnishment rule read in CPLR 5231 (nysenate.gov, after the founder cleared the bot check). NY does not license collectors statewide (see time-barred-debt table).

GBL 600(3), 601; CPLR 5231(b); S4907-A (2023), signed ch. 727 · official text · checked 2026-09-28

North Carolina

State collection law: North Carolina Debt Collection Act (N.C. Gen. Stat. 75-50 to 75-56); Collection Agency Act (58-70) for licensed agencies
Also covers the original lender: Yes
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: Not by statute. As a condition of extra Medicaid-related hospital payments (the HASP program), participating acute-care hospitals committed to stop reporting medical debt to credit agencies by July 1, 2025 (NCDHHS). Debts from non-hospital providers are not covered.
Wage garnishment limit: Wages are effectively protected from ordinary consumer creditors: earnings from the last 60 days cannot be taken if needed to support your family (G.S. 1-362).
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

The Debt Collection Act covers anyone collecting from a consumer, including original creditors; licensed collection agencies are covered by the parallel Article 70 of Chapter 58 (Department of Insurance permit; see time-barred-debt table). The hospital credit-reporting commitment was read on the NCDHHS 'NC Medical Debt' page. Statutes read on ncleg.gov. No numeric call cap found.

N.C. Gen. Stat. 75-50(3); 1-362 · official text · checked 2026-09-28

North Dakota

State collection law: North Dakota collection agency law (N.D.C.C. ch. 13-05)
Also covers the original lender: No
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: No state ban found
Wage garnishment limit: 25% of disposable earnings or the amount above 40 times the federal minimum wage, whichever is less, reduced by $20 a week for each dependent living with you (if you give your employer the list within 10 days).
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

North Dakota licenses collection agencies (Department of Financial Institutions; see time-barred-debt table); no separate act covering original creditors found. No medical-debt reporting ban or call cap found.

N.D.C.C. 32-09.1-03 · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Ohio

We don't list a rule for Ohio on this page.

Oklahoma

We don't list a rule for Oklahoma on this page.

Oregon

State collection law: Oregon Unlawful Debt Collection Practices Act (ORS 646.639)
Also covers the original lender: Yes
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: Yes (2025). No person may report the amount or existence of an Oregon resident's medical debt to a credit bureau (a court may void the debt), and credit bureaus may not include it in reports (ORS 646A.677(11)-(12)). Hospitals must also screen for financial assistance before sending a bill to collections.
Wage garnishment limit: 75% of disposable earnings are exempt, and garnishment may not leave you with less than a weekly floor: $400 a week for wages paid July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, then 30 times the Oregon minimum wage.
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

ORS 646.639 defines a debt collector as anyone who collects a debt owed to a creditor, which includes the creditor itself, so the act reaches original lenders. Collection agencies register with the Division of Financial Regulation (see time-barred-debt table). No numeric call cap found. Chapters 18, 646 and 646A read on oregonlegislature.gov (2025 edition).

ORS 646.639(1)(h); 646A.677(11); 18.385 · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Pennsylvania

We don't list a rule for Pennsylvania on this page.

Rhode Island

State collection law: Rhode Island Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (R.I. Gen. Laws 19-14.9)
Also covers the original lender: No
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: Yes, since January 1, 2025: no credit reporting agency may acquire, record or report any medical debt, and providers' contracts with collectors must forbid reporting it (R.I. Gen. Laws 6-60-3, P.L. 2024, ch. 224).
Wage garnishment limit: The federal limit applies
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

Rhode Island's act follows the federal definition (collecting debts owed to another), so it covers an original creditor only when it collects under a different name. Calls: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. default and a ban on repeated harassing calls, but no numeric cap. Collection agencies are licensed by the Department of Business Regulation (see time-barred-debt table). The 2024 medical-debt law also bars false or misleading tactics by creditors and collectors of medical debt (6-60-4).

R.I. Gen. Laws 19-14.9-3(5); 19-14.9-5; 6-60-3 (P.L. 2024, ch. 224) · official text · checked 2026-09-28

South Carolina

State collection law: South Carolina Consumer Protection Code (S.C. Code 37-5-108, unconscionable collection conduct)
Also covers the original lender: Yes
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: No state ban found
Wage garnishment limit: No wage garnishment at all for debts from a consumer credit sale, lease, loan or rent-to-own agreement.
Collectors must be licensed: No
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

Calls: no numeric cap, but contacting you or your family at frequent intervals in a 24-hour period or at unusual hours so that the aim is to harass is unconscionable (37-5-108(5)). The Code's collection rules say 'a creditor or debt collector may not', so they bind original lenders. South Carolina does not license collectors (see time-barred-debt table); the Department of Consumer Affairs takes complaints. No medical-debt reporting ban found.

S.C. Code 37-5-104; 37-5-108(5) · official text · checked 2026-09-28

South Dakota

State collection law: None found; federal rules apply
Also covers the original lender: No
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: No state ban found
Wage garnishment limit: 20% of disposable earnings, or the amount above 40 times the federal or (higher) state minimum wage, whichever is less, reduced by $25 a week for each dependent living with you.
Collectors must be licensed: No
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

No South Dakota fair debt collection statute found and South Dakota does not license collectors (see time-barred-debt table). SDCL 15-20-12 also protects the last 60 days' earnings needed to support a family from court orders applying property to a judgment. No medical-debt reporting ban or call cap found.

SDCL 21-18-51 · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Tennessee

State collection law: Tennessee Collection Service Act (Tenn. Code 62-20-101 et seq.)
Also covers the original lender: No
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: No state ban found
Wage garnishment limit: Federal formula (25% of disposable earnings or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum wage, whichever is less), plus an extra $2.50 a week exempt for each dependent child under 16 living in Tennessee, if you tell your employer about the child.
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

Tennessee licenses collection services through the Collection Service Board (see time-barred-debt table); the act regulates agencies, not original creditors. Tennessee's wage exemption (Tenn. No medical-debt reporting ban found. | 2026-09-28 (lexis-rest tn-ms): read on the official Tennessee Code via LexisNexis public access. 62-20-102: a 'collection service' collects debts for others or debts it bought; an original creditor collecting its own accounts is covered only if it uses a name suggesting a third party, so covers_original_creditors=no. 62-20-105 requires a license; 62-20-114/115 set record-keeping and license-discipline grounds (including failing to follow state or federal collection law) but no call-frequency limit. Word search 'medical debt consumer reporting agency' found no medical-debt reporting ban. Wage rule: 26-2-106 (federal formula) and 26-2-107 ($2.50/week per dependent child).

Tenn. Code 26-2-106; 26-2-107; 62-20-102, 62-20-105, 62-20-114, 62-20-115 · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Texas

State collection law: Texas Debt Collection Act (Tex. Fin. Code ch. 392)
Also covers the original lender: Yes
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: No state ban found
Wage garnishment limit: Texas does not allow garnishment of current wages for consumer debts at all; only child support and spousal maintenance (Tex. Const. art. XVI, sec. 28).
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

Because 'debt collector' means anyone who collects, the Texas act covers original creditors; third-party collectors must also file a bond with the Secretary of State (see time-barred-debt table). No numeric call cap beyond the ban on calling repeatedly to harass. No Texas medical-debt credit-reporting ban found (not a full-text search of 2025 session laws).

Tex. Fin. Code 392.001(6); Tex. Const. art. XVI, sec. 28 · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Utah

State collection law: Utah collection agency registration law (see time-barred-debt table)
Also covers the original lender: No
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: Limited. Before a collection action that leads to a credit-bureau report, a health care provider must send a notice giving at least 45 days to pay (60 days for Medicare beneficiaries and retirees 65 or older) and warning that the debt may be reported (Utah Code 31A-26-313). Not a ban.
Wage garnishment limit: The federal limit applies
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

No general Utah act covering original creditors found. No numeric call cap found.

Utah Code 31A-26-313 (version effective 5/14/2019) · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Vermont

We don't list a rule for Vermont on this page.

Virginia

State collection law: None found; federal rules apply
Also covers the original lender: No
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: Yes. Medical facilities, licensed health professionals and EMS agencies may not report any part of a medical debt to a credit bureau, and collectors of medical debt may not report their collection efforts (Va. Code 59.1-444.4); willful violations are prohibited practices under the Consumer Protection Act.
Wage garnishment limit: 25% of disposable earnings, or the amount above 40 times the higher of the federal or Virginia minimum wage, whichever is less.
Collectors must be licensed: No
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

No general Virginia fair debt collection act found and Virginia does not license collectors (see time-barred-debt table). Virginia also has a Medical Debt Protection Act. Section 34-29 has a new version effective July 1, 2027 (2026 Acts) that keeps the 40-times-minimum-wage rule. Both sections read on law.lis.virginia.gov.

Va. Code 59.1-444.4; 34-29(A) · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Washington

State collection law: Washington Collection Agency Act (RCW 19.16)
Also covers the original lender: No
Call limits beyond federal rules: Yes. A licensed collection agency is presumed to be harassing if it communicates with you or your spouse more than 3 times in a single week, calls your workplace more than once a week, or calls your home between 9 p.m. and 7:30 a.m.; it also may not cause cell-phone charges more than 3 times a week (RCW 19.16.250(13)).
Medical debt on credit reports: Yes, for collection agencies: an agency collecting medical debt may not report adverse information to credit bureaus (RCW 19.16.250(28)(a)(iii)).
Wage garnishment limit: For consumer debt: exempt is the greater of 80% of disposable earnings or 35 times the Washington minimum wage per week (so at most 20% can be taken).
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

The Collection Agency Act binds licensed collection agencies (Department of Licensing; see time-barred-debt table), not original creditors. Both sections read on app.leg.wa.gov.

RCW 19.16.250(13), (28); 6.27.150(4) · official text · checked 2026-09-28

West Virginia

State collection law: West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act, debt collection (W. Va. Code 46A-2-122 et seq.)
Also covers the original lender: Yes
Call limits beyond federal rules: Yes. Calling any person more than 30 times a week, or talking with them by phone more than 10 times a week, with intent to annoy, abuse or harass is barred (W. Va. Code 46A-2-125(d)).
Medical debt on credit reports: No state ban found
Wage garnishment limit: At most 20% of wages, and only when weekly after-tax wages exceed 50 times the federal minimum wage (W. Va. Code 38-5A-3).
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

West Virginia defines 'debt collector' as any person engaging directly or indirectly in debt collection, so original creditors are covered. Collection agencies are licensed (see time-barred-debt table). All three sections read on code.wvlegislature.gov through the research browser.

W. Va. Code 46A-2-122(d); 46A-2-125(d); 38-5A-3(a) · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Wisconsin

State collection law: Wisconsin Consumer Act, debt collection (Wis. Stat. ch. 427)
Also covers the original lender: Yes
Call limits beyond federal rules: None beyond federal rules
Medical debt on credit reports: No state ban found
Wage garnishment limit: 20% of disposable earnings at most, and wages are fully exempt if your household income is below the poverty line or you receive need-based public assistance (Wis. Stat. 812.34).
Collectors must be licensed: Yes
Where to complain: State complaint page

Details

The Wisconsin Consumer Act applies to anyone collecting a consumer debt owed to a merchant, including the merchant itself. Calls: communicating so often or at such unusual hours as can reasonably be expected to harass is barred, but no numeric cap (a court found 69 calls over 19 months was not harassment). Collection agencies are licensed by DFI (see time-barred-debt table). Read on docs.legis.wisconsin.gov through the research browser.

Wis. Stat. 427.103(3); 427.104(1)(g); 812.34(2) · official text · checked 2026-09-28

Wyoming

We don't list a rule for Wyoming on this page.

State law from official sources, checked 2026-09-28. State law that adds to the federal FDCPA and Regulation F for consumer debts: coverage of original creditors, call limits, medical-debt credit reporting, wage garnishment. City rules (e.g. New York City) not covered. Not legal advice.

What to say to stop debt collectors

You can tell a collector, in writing, to stop contacting you (use the CFPB's "stop contacting me" letter). Once it has your letter, it may only contact you to say it will stop, or to tell you that it or the creditor may take a specific step, such as filing a lawsuit. You can also ask it not to use a particular way of reaching you, like phone calls, texts or email, and it must respect that (Regulation F).

What it doesn't do: it doesn't make the debt go away. The CFPB notes the collector may still sue or report the debt to a credit reporting company.

Check your credit report for free

You can get your credit reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion free every week at AnnualCreditReport.com or 1-877-322-8228 (FTC). It's the only official site; look-alike sites exist. Compare the collection account with your validation notice. If something is wrong, you can dispute it with the credit reporting company.

How to complain

CFPB: consumerfinance.gov/complaint or (855) 411-2372, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern, Monday to Friday.
FTC: reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Your state attorney general's office.

If the debt is real and you can't pay it all, a hardship letter explains your situation in your own words. If it's still with your card company, ask about a hardship program. More on the scripts page.

General information about federal rules, not legal advice. Checked on CFPB, FTC, eCFR, state-code and credit-bureau pages, 2026-09-28.

Sources

Sources checked 2026-09-28.

General information, not legal or financial advice. You send every message yourself; we never contact anyone on your behalf.