What is the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act?

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, is the federal law that bars debt collectors from abusive, unfair or deceptive practices when they collect consumer debts. It applies to collection agencies and lawyers who collect debts as part of their business.

Regulation F, written by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, is the rule that puts the law into practice. A letter or a web page that cites "Reg F" means this law.

Photo of Ross Kilburn

Updated

Where you’ll see the word

  • A collector's first letter

    The notice of your right to dispute the debt comes from this law. It has to name the debt and the collector.

  • A phone call

    The law limits when a collector can call, and bars threats and lies on the phone.

  • A complaint form

    When you complain to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau about a collector, this is the law behind the complaint.

You might see it called

  • FDCPA The abbreviation on letters, forms and the CFPB's pages. CFPB

What the FDCPA means for you

A collector can't lie to you about how much you owe or what it can do about it, can't threaten a step it can't legally take, and can't harass you with calls or language. Those are the rule's own categories: false or misleading representations and harassment, oppression and abuse.

Getting a notice doesn't mean the debt is yours. The rule says that not disputing a debt isn't an admission that you owe it.

Questions about the FDCPA

Does the FDCPA cover the company I originally owed?

Usually not. The CFPB says the law doesn't generally cover collection by the original creditor. Some state laws cover the original creditor, while others don't.

Does the FDCPA cover business debts?

No. The law covers consumer debts, which it defines as money owed from a transaction that was primarily for personal, family or household purposes.

Does the FDCPA cover medical debt?

Yes. A medical bill for your own or your family's care is a personal, family or household debt under the law's definition.

Help with debt collection

  • Credit counseling

    Nationwideconsumerfinance.gov

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau explains how nonprofit credit counselors help with debt and where to find one.

  • Legal aid

    Every statelsc.gov

    Nonprofit law offices give free civil legal help to people with low incomes. Our help directory lists the 120 offices the Legal Services Corporation funds.

Our pages that use it

Related terms

  • Debt ValidationThe information a debt collector has to give you about a debt, and the written dispute that makes it stop collecting until it verifies the debt.
  • GarnishmentA legal order that makes your employer or bank hand over part of your money to pay a debt or a support obligation.
  • Cease and Desist (Debt Collection)A written request that limits a covered debt collector’s contact about a debt.
  • Statute of Limitations (Debt)The legal period for filing a lawsuit to collect a debt, set by the law governing the claim.

Sources and method

This page uses none of our own data. Its facts come from the federal FDCPA and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Regulation F, each opened on Oct 22, 2026.

We write with assistance from AI tools. Figures come from the data and sources named on this page.