Most states have statutes regulating debt collection activities. Generally, these state statutes apply to original creditors and not national debt collection agencies and collection attorneys, who are regulated under federal law by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act or FDCPA. Most state statutes have language and regulations that are very similar to the FDCPA.
If you believe an original creditor has violated your rights while trying to collect a debt from you, look up your state's law to find out what action you can take against that creditor and with whom you should file a complaint. Usually, the Attorney General in each state oversees debt collection agencies and would handle all complaints.
If you believe a collection attorney or debt collection agency, such as one that would work for a major credit card company, has violated your rights, research the FDCPA and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission online at www.ftc.gov.
The links below are to state debt collection statutes or to specific websites where one can research a state's legislative code.
