FDCPA Rights Checklist

Use this checklist to ensure debt collectors are following the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). If a collector violates any of these rights, you may file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

Time and Place Restrictions

• No calls before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. your local time
• No contact at your workplace if you've told them not to call you there

Communication Practices

• Must identify themselves as debt collectors
• Must provide written notice of the debt within 5 days of initial contact
• Must stop contacting you if you request it in writing (with some exceptions)
• Cannot discuss your debt with others (except your attorney or spouse)

Harassment and Abuse Prohibition

• No threats of violence or harm
• No obscene or profane language
• No repeated phone calls intended to annoy or harass
• No publishing lists of consumers who refuse to pay debts

Truthful Representations

• No false statements about the debt amount
• No false claims of being an attorney or government representative
• No threats of arrest or legal action they cannot or do not intend to take
• No false claims that you've committed a crime

Unfair Practices

• Cannot collect more than the amount of the debt
• No depositing of post-dated checks before the date on the check
• No threats to seize or garnish your property unless legally allowed
• Cannot use deceptive means to collect a debt

Your Rights

• Right to dispute the debt within 30 days of initial contact
• Right to request debt verification
• Right to know the original creditor's name and address
• Right to be free from "unfair" debt collection practices

Remember: Knowledge is power. If a debt collector violates your rights, document the violation and report it to the CFPB at www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/.