Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), Pub. L. 95-109; 91 Stat. 874, codified as 15 U.S.C. § 1692 –1692p, approved on September 20, 1977 (and as subsequently amended), is a consumer protection amendment, establishing legal protection from abusive debt collection practices, to the Consumer Credit Protection Act, as Title VIII of that Act. The statute's stated purposes are: to eliminate abusive practices in the collection of consumer debts, to promote fair debt collection, and to provide consumers with an avenue for disputing and obtaining validation of debt information in order to ensure the information's accuracy. The Act creates guidelines under which debt collectors may conduct business, defines rights of consumers involved with debt collectors, and prescribes penalties and remedies for violations of the Act. It is sometimes used in conjunction with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Long title | An act to amend the Consumer Credit Protection Act to prohibit abusive practices by debt collectors. |
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Acronyms (colloquial) | FDCPA |
Enacted by | the 95th United States Congress |
Citations | |
Public law | Pub. L. 95–109 |
Statutes at Large | 91 Stat. 874 |
Codification | |
Titles amended | Title 15 |
U.S.C. sections created | 15 U.S.C. §§ 1692–1692p |
Legislative history | |
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United States Supreme Court cases | |
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