State vs. Federal Protections

The protections offered under the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA) apply to all consumers regardless of the state in which they live. The FDCPA is a powerful tool in fighting back against abusive debt collectors but in most instances it isn’t the only protection available. Rather, in most states there are consumer protection laws that protect their citizens above and beyond the FDCPA.

The fact that the state in which you live can offer protection above and beyond the FDCPA is a very important point. The more ammunition a consumer and his/her attorney have to fire across the bow of an abusive debt collector the more likely the debt collector will be willing to settle their case, and the more willing they will be to settle for a higher dollar amount.

Under the FDCPA you have the right to sue a debt collector within one year from the date the law was violated. If you bring a claim under the FDCPA you can recover actual damages, statutory damages of up to $1,000.00, plus your court costs and your attorney’s fees. Based on the consumer’s ability to recover all of these damages most consumer attorneys will take an FDCPA case on a contingency basis (i.e., you pay nothing unless you win).

Depending on the state in which you live, it may be possible to sue an abusive debt collector for all the damages, costs and fees allowed under the FDCPA as well as whatever damages, costs and penalties afforded under the state law.

All but eight states have laws specifically relating to debt collector abuse. State laws vary greatly in the manner which they regulate debt collectors. Most state laws relating to debt collection either:

1. require the debt collectors to be licensed and/or carry a bond with the State,
2. expressly disallow abusive collection acts, and/or
3. provide a private right of action for injured consumers.

State Debt Collections Statutes:

Alabama (Ala. Code § 40-12-80)

Alaska (Alaska Stat. §§ 08.24.041 – 08.24.380; §§ 45.50.471 to 45.50.561)

Arizona  (Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§ 32-1001 to -1057)

Arkansas (Ark. Stat. Ann. §§ 17-24-101 to -404)

California (Cal. Civ. Code § 1788-1788.32, 1812.700-1812.720

Colorado (Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 5-1-101 to 5-12-105; see also Colo. Rev. Stat. § 12-14-101 to -137)

Connecticut (Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 36a-645 – 36a-647; Cnn. Gen. Stat. §§ 36a-800 – 36a-810)

Delaware (Del. Code Ann. tit. 3, § 2301(a)(13) This is a licensing requirement. Fairly thin law.

District of Columbia (D.C. Code Ann. § 28-3814 – 28-3816; D.C. Code Ann. §§ 28-3901 – 28-3909)

Florida (Fla. Stat. §§ 559.55 – 559.785)

Georgia (Ga. Code Ann. §§ 7-3-1 – 7-3-29)

Hawaii (Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 433B-1 to -20; Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 480D-1, et. seq.)

Idaho ( Idaho Code §§ 26-2222 – 26-2251)

Illinois (225 Ill. Comp.. Stat. 425/1 – 425/25)

Indiana (Ind. Code Ann. §§ 25-11-1 to -13; § 24-4.55-107)

Iowa (Iowa Code Ann. §§ 537.7101 to .7103)

Kansas Stat. Ann. § 16a-5-107

Kentucky: no comparable law

Louisiana (La. Rev. Stat. § 9:3576.1 to 3576.24; La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§ 9:3557 to 9:3562)

Maine (Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. title 32, § 11,001 – 11,054; Me. Rev. Stat. title 9-A, §§ 5-107, -116, -117, -201)

Maryland (Md. Ann. Code Bus. Reg. §§ 7-101 to -502; Md. Comm. Law Code Ann. § 14-201, 202, 203, 204)

Massachusetts (Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. Ch.93, §§ 24-28, § 49)

Michigan (Mich. Comp. Laws Ann. §§ 339.901 – 339.920; §§ 445.251 – 445.258)

Minnesota (Minn. Stat. Ann. § 332.31 – 332.50)

Mississippi: no applicable law

Missouri: no applicable law

Montana: no applicable law

Nebraska (Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 45-601 – 45-623; 45-1043 to 45-1058)

Nevada (Nev. Rev. Stat. §§ 649.005 to 649.435)

New Hampshire (N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§ 358-C:1 to C:4)

New Jersey (N.J. Stat. Ann. §§ 45:18-1 to 45:6-1

New Mexico (N.M. Stat. Ann. §§ 61-18A-1 to -33)

New York (N.Y. Gen Bus. Laws §§ 600-603)

North Carolina (N.C. Gen Stat. §§ 58-70-90 – 58-70-130; N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 75-50 to -56)

North Dakota (N.D. Cent. Code §§ 13-05-01 to -10)

Ohio: no applicable law

Oklahoma (Okla. Stat. title 14A, § 5-107)

Oregon (Or. Rev. Stat. § 646.639 – 646.656; §§ 697.005 – 697.095)

Pennsylvania (18 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. § 7311; 73 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 2270.1 to .6)

Rhode Island: no applicable law

South Carolina (S.C. Code § 37-5-108)

South Dakota: no applicable law

Tennessee (Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 62-20-101 to -126)

Texas (Tex. Fin. Code §§ 392.001 to .404, 396.001 to .353)

Utah (Utah Code Ann. §§ 12-1-1 to -10; §§ 70C-7-105, -106)

Vermont (Vt. Stat. Ann. title 9, §§ 2451a to 2461)

Virginia (Va. § 18.2.213)

Washington (Wash. Rev. Code Ann. §§ 19.16.100 to .950)

West Virginia (W.Va. Code §§ 47-16-1 to -5; 46A-2-122 to -129a)

Wisconsin (Wis. Stat. Ann. § 218.04, §§ 427.101 - .105)

Wyoming (Wyo. Stat. §§ 33-11-101 to -116; Wyo. Stat. § 40-14-507)