Know Your Debt Rights

The FDCPA Rights Cheat Sheet

Ten things debt collectors are legally not allowed to do — with the section of federal law next to each one. One page. Free. Print it and keep it by the phone.

What's on it

  1. Collectors can't call before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. your local time (unless you've agreed).15 U.S.C. § 1692c(a)(1)
  2. Collectors can't call you at work if they know or have reason to know your employer doesn't allow it.§ 1692c(a)(3)
  3. Collectors can't use obscene, profane, or abusive language.§ 1692d(2)
  4. Collectors can't threaten you with arrest or criminal prosecution over a debt.§ 1692e(4)
  5. Collectors can't threaten legal action they don't actually intend to take.§ 1692e(5)
  6. Collectors can't misrepresent how much you owe.§ 1692e(2)(A)
  7. Collectors must stop contacting you after receiving your written request to stop (with narrow exceptions).§ 1692c(c)
  8. Collectors can't contact you directly if they know a lawyer represents you on the debt.§ 1692c(a)(2)
  9. Collectors must send a written validation notice within 5 days of first contacting you.§ 1692g(a)
  10. Collectors can't publish your name on a list of people who allegedly refuse to pay debts.§ 1692d(3)

Why people keep it by the phone

When a collector calls at 7 a.m., threatens arrest, or tells your sister about your debt, you won't have time to look up the law. This sheet puts the rule and the citation in front of you, so you know the moment a line gets crossed — and what to write down.

Free: the FDCPA Rights Cheat Sheet

Ten things debt collectors are legally not allowed to do, with the section of federal law next to each one. One page. Print it and keep it by the phone.

Send me the cheat sheet

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What happens next

  1. Check your inbox for an email from Know Your Debt Rights with your cheat sheet.
  2. Over the next couple of weeks we'll send a few short emails: the biggest mistake people make when collectors call, what your credit report may be saying about you, and the rules collectors break most.
  3. Unsubscribe anytime.

Fine print: Based on the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1692 et seq. The FDCPA covers third-party debt collectors, not usually original creditors collecting their own debts. If a collector has violated these rules, you may have grounds to sue — see How to document violations.