Skip to main content

Search

pdf

Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

THE FAIR DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT

As amended by Pub. L. 111-203, title X, 124 Stat. 2092 (2010)

As a public service, the staff of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has prepared the following complete text of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), 15 U.S.C. §§ 1692-1692p.

pdf

Statement of Policy Regarding Communications in Connection with the Collection of Decedents’ Debts (July 27, 2011),

Pursuant to the FTC’s authority to enforce the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (‘‘FDCPA’’), 15 U.S.C. 1692l(a), and Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act (‘‘FTC Act’’), 15 U.S.C. 45, the Commission issues this final Statement of Policy Regarding Communications in Connection with the Collection of Decedents’ Debts (‘‘Statement’’).1 When a person dies, creditors and the debt collectors they hire usually have the right to collect on the person’s debts from the assets of his or her estate.

pdf

CFPB Bulletin on The FCRA’s Requirement that Furnishers Conduct Investigations of Disputed Information (Feb. 2014)

Debt buyers, debt collectors, and others who furnish information to credit reporting agencies have a variety of obligations under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) 1 and Regulation V2. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issues this bulletin3 to highlight one of those obligations – the obligation of furnishers to investigate disputed information in a consumer report.

pdf

Debt Collection Practices (Regulation F) (Nov. 30, 2020)

The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau) is issuing this final rule to revise Regulation F, which implements the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and currently contains the procedures for State application for exemption from the provisions of the FDCPA. The Bureau is finalizing Federal rules governing the activities of debt collectors, as that term is defined in the FDCPA.

pdf

Executive Summary of the December 2020 Final Rule (Dec. 2020)

On December 18, 2020, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Bureau) issued a final rule (December 2020 Rule) amending Regulation F to provide additional requirements regarding validation information and disclosures provided at the outset of debt collection communications, prohibit suits and threats of suits regarding time-barred debt, and identify actions that must be taken before a debt collector may report information about a debt to consumer reporting agencies (CRAs).

pdf

Usability Testing Report: Model Validation Notice (Nov. 2020)

pdf

Executive summary of the October 2020 final rule (Oct. 2020)

On October 30, 2020, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Bureau) issued a final rule (Debt Collection Rule or Rule) implementing the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). 1 The Debt Collection Rule is available at https://www.consumerfinance.gov/rules-policy/final- rules/debt-collection-practices-regulation-f/. The Debt Collection Rule will become effective one year after publication in the Federal Register.

pdf

Debt Collection Practices (Regulation F) Supplemental Proposal on Time-Barred Debt (Mar. 2020)

The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau) proposes to amend Regulation F, which implements the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and currently contains the procedures for State application for exemption from the provisions of the FDCPA. On May 21, 2019, the Bureau published in the Federal Register a proposed rule (May 2019 Proposed Rule) that would prescribe Federal rules governing the activities of debt collectors, as that term is defined in the FDCPA.

pdf

Fast Facts for Supplemental Debt Collection Proposal on Time-Barred Debt (Mar. 2020)

On May 7, 2019, the Bureau issued a proposal (the May 2019 Proposed Rule) to amend Regulation F, which implements the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). The May 2019 Proposed Rule was published in the Federal Register on May 21, 2019 and would prescribe federal rules governing the activities of debt collectors, as that term is defined in the FDCPA. The supplemental proposal on time-barred debt supplements the May 2019 Proposed Rule by adding a proposed §1006.26(c), as well as a related provision of §1006.34(c), Model Forms, and Official Interpretations.

pdf

Table of Contents for Debt Collection Proposed Rule (May 2019)

Table of Contents for Debt Collection (Regulation F) NPRM

May 7, 2019 proposal to amend Regulation F to prescribe Federal rules governing the activities of debt collectors covered by the FDCPA

Regulation F: Federal Register Notice, 85 Fed. Reg. 76734 (Nov. 30, 2020)

The CFPB issued this final rule to revise Regulation F, which implements the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and currently contains the procedures for State application for exemption from the provisions of the FDCPA. The Bureau is finalizing Federal rules governing the activities of debt collectors, as that term is defined in the FDCPA. The Bureau's final rule addresses, among other things, communications in connection with debt collection and prohibitions on harassment or abuse, false or misleading representations, and unfair practices in debt collection.

Regulation F: Provision in Connection with Global COVID-19 Pandemic, 86 Fed. Reg. 21163 (Apr. 22, 2021)

The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau) is issuing this interim final rule to amend Regulation F, which implements the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and currently contains the procedures for State application for exemption from the provisions of the FDCPA. The interim final rule addresses certain debt collector conduct associated with an eviction moratorium issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

web

Native Design Files for Model Validation Notice (Oct. 2021)

This is a link to a GitHub webpage that has InDesign, PDF, and Word versions of the Model Validation Notice in both English and Spanish included in Regulation F.

pdf

Spanish Translation of the Model Validation Notices (Oct. 18, 2021)

The Debt Collection Rule permits debt collectors to send consumers a validation notice completely and accurately translated into any language, so long as the debt collector also either (1) sends an English-language version in the same communication or (2) previously provided the consumer with an English-language version in a prior communication. 12 C.F.R. § 1006.34(e)(1). The following is a “complete and accurate” Spanish translation of the model Englishlanguage validation notice in Appendix B of the Rule.

pdf

Executive Summary of the December 2020 Final Regulation F (Dec. 2020)

On December 18, 2020, the CFPB issued a final rule (December 2020 Rule) amending Regulation F to provide additional requirements regarding validation information and disclosures provided at the outset of debt collection communications, prohibit suits and threats of suits regarding time-barred debt, and identify actions that must be taken before a debt collector may report information about a debt to consumer reporting agencies (CRAs).

pdf

Usability Testing Report: Model Validation Notice (Nov. 2020)

In this research project, the CFPB tested whether the Regulation F model validation notice effectively disclosed debt information and what actions consumers can take in response to the notice. Our findings demonstrate that the model validation notice is clear, easy to understand, and effectively provides consumers with actionable information.