INDIVIDUAL STATE LAWS ABOUT COLLECTIONS

ARKANSAS:     When an agency communicates with a debtor, the agency must disclose, in written or telephone communication, the specific reason for the communication, the name of the creditor, the registered name of the agency, the date of communication in written communication, and in oral communication, the identity of the collector making the contact. 

CALIFORNIA:      The state Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act require that, except under unusual circumstances, collectors may not contact you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m.  They many not harasss you by using threats of violence or arrest or using obscene language. Collectors may not use false or misleading statements or call you at work if they know or have reason to know that you many not receive personal calls at work.  For the most part, collectors may not tell another person, other than your attorney or spouse, about your debt. Collectors may contact another person to confirm your location or enforce a judgement.  For more information about debt collection activities, you may contact the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP or www.ftc.gov.  

COLORADO:      FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE COLORADO FAIR DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT, SEE WWW.COAG.GOV/CAR.  "
A consumer has the right to request in writing that a debt collector or collection agency cease further communication with the consumer.  A written request to cease communication will not prohibit the debt collector or collection agency from taking any other action authorized by law to collect the debt. "

CONNECTICUT:      No consumer collection agency or control person shall: communicate with consumer debtors, property tax debtors, or federal income tax debtors in the name of an attorney or upon the stationery of an attorney, or prepare any forms or instruments which only attorneys are authorized to prepare; use or attempt to use or make reference to the terms "bonded by the state of Connecticut," "bonded" or "bonded collection agency" or any combination of such terms or words, except the word "bonded" may be used on the stationery of any such agency in type not larger than twelve point.  HB 7141 (2017 Conn)  
     (A) The law limits how long you can be sued on a debt.  Because of the age of your debt, (INSERT OWNER NAME) will not sue you for it.  If you do not pay the debt, (INSERT OWNER NAME) may report or continue to report it to the credit reporting agencies as unpaid.   (B) when collecting on a debt that is past the date for obsolescence provided for in Section 605(a) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 USC 1681c; "The law limits how long you can be sued on a debt.  Because of the age of your debt, (INSERT OWNER NAME) will not sue you for it and (INSERT OWNER NAME) will not report it to any credit reporting agencies.  HB 7141(2017 Conn.)

GEORGIA:      Required disclosure:  This is an attempt to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose

HAWAII:      No collection agency shall unreasonably publicize information relating to the alleged indebtedness or debtor, in any of the following ways.  (4) The use of any form of communication by a collection agency to the debtor or alleged debtor, which ordinarily may be seen by any other person that displays or conveys any information about the alleged claim other than the name, address, and phone number of the collection agency.  Haw.Rev.Stat.Ann. 443B-17(4) 

No collection agency shall use any fraudulent, deceptive, or misleading representation, or means to collect, or attempt to collect, claims or to obtain information concerning a debtor or alleged debtor, including any conduct which is described as follows:  (2) The failure to disclose clearly (A) In the initial written and initial oral communication made to collect, or attempt to collect, a claim or to obtain, or attempt to obtain, information about a debtor or alleged debtor that the collection agency is attempting to collect a claim and that any information obtained will be used for that purpose, and  (B) In subsequent communications that the communication is from a debt collector.  Haw.Reb.Stat.Ann 443B-18(2).  

IDAHO:      In every instance where a collection agency licensee has a managerial or financial interest in a creditor client, or where a creditor client has a managerial or financial interest in a collection agency licensee, disclosure of each interest must be made on each and every contact with a debtor in seeking to make a collection of any account, claim, or other indebtedness.  Idaho Code 26-2229A(3)

No person shall sell, distribute, or make use of solicitations, collection letters, demand forms or other printed matter which are made similar to or resemble governmental forms or documents, or legal forms used in civil or criminal proceedings. Idaho Code § 26-2229A(5) (West, WESTLAW through Chs. 1-30 that are effective on or before March 3, 2009).

No person shall use any trade name, address, insignia, picture, emblem or any other means which creates any impressions that such person is connected with or is an agency of government.  Idaho Code 26-2229A(6)

NEW YORK:      (1) that debt collectors, in accordance with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. 1692 et seq., are prohibited from engaging in an abusive, deceptive, and misleading debt collection efforts, including but not limited to:
   (i) the use or threat of violence
   (ii) the use of obscene or profane language
   (iii) repeated phone calls made with the intent to annoy, abuse, or harass. 
(2) the following written notice:
"If a creditor or debt collector receives a money judgment against you in court, state and federal laws may prevent the following types of income from being taken to pay the debt:
   1. Supplemental security income (SSI)
   2. Social security;
   3. Public assistance (welfare);
   4. Spousal support, maintenance (alimony) or child support;
   5. Unemployment benefits;
   6. Disability benefits;
   7. Workers' compensation benefits
   8. Public or private pensions;
   9. Veteran's benefits;
  10. Federal student loans, federal student grants, and federal work study funds; and
  11. Ninety percent of your wages or salary earned in the last sixty days."
  To be codified at N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. tit. 23, 1.2(a) (2014)

UTAH:     As required by Utah law, you are hereby notified that a negative credit report reflecting on your credit record may be submitted to a credit reporting agency if you fail to fulfill the terms of your credit obligation.

WEST VIRGINIA:    
  (1) When collecting on a debt that is not past the date for obsolescence provided for in Section 605(a)of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C 1681c:
      "The law limits how long you can be sued on a debt.  Because of the age of your debt, NSI cannot sue you for it. If you do not pay the debt, NSI may report or continue to report it to the credit reporting agencies as unpaid. disclaimer