Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act regulates debt collections in all 50 states.

Learn About The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

Fair Debt Collection Practices Act [FDCPA]

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act is the Federal law that regulates collection activities for collection agencies, collection attorneys and business attempting to collect a debt "in-house." The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act generally applies to personal, family, and household debts. This might include money owed for the purchase of a car, for personal charge accounts, or for medical treatment. "Debt collectors" are prohibited from engaging in unfair, deceptive, or abusive practices while collecting these types of debts.

We have listed the entire FDCPA for your reference. To make the Act easier to read, we have broken down the law into its sections. Please click on the section number below to read that portion of the Act.

To amend the Consumer Credit Protection Act to prohibit abusive practices by debt collectors.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Consumer Credit Protection Act (15 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new title:

TITLE VIII - DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES [Fair Debt Collection Practices Act]

§ 801.  Short Title
§ 802.  Congressional findings and declaration of purpose
§ 803.  Definitions
§ 804.  Acquisition of location information
§ 805.  Communication in connection with debt collection
§ 806.  Harassment or abuse
§ 807.  False or misleading representations
§ 808.  Unfair practice
§ 809.  Validation of debts
§ 810.  Multiple debts
§ 811.  Legal actions by debt collectors
§ 812.  Furnishing certain deceptive forms
§ 813.  Civil liability
§ 814.  Administrative enforcement
§ 815.  Reports to Congress by the Commission
§ 816.  Relation to State laws
§ 817.  Exemption for State regulation
§ 818.  Effective date
§ Endnotes

Please note this website site not intended to give legal advice and may not be complete or up to date with the most current collection laws changes.

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