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Debt Collection Rule (Regulation F)

This rule revises Regulation F, 12 CFR part 1006, which implements the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), to prescribe Federal rules governing the activities of debt collectors, as that term is defined in the FDCPA.

Final rules

October final rule
The final rule addresses, among other things, communications in connection with debt collection and prohibitions on harassment or abuse, false or misleading representations, and unfair practices in debt collection.

December final rule
The final rule, among other things, clarifies the information that a debt collector must provide to a consumer at the outset of debt collection communications and provides a model notice containing such information, prohibits debt collectors from bringing or threatening to bring a legal action against a consumer to collect a time-barred debt, and requires debt collectors to take certain actions before furnishing information about a consumer’s debt to a consumer reporting agency.

Debt Collection Practices in Connection with the Global COVID-19 Pandemic - April 2021
The interim final rule requires debt collectors to provide written notice to certain consumers of their protections under the CDC Order’s eviction moratorium and clarifies that certain misrepresentations are prohibited.

Proposed rules

Proposed rule with request for public comment – May 2019

Supplemental proposal on time-barred debt – February 2020

Consumer testing reports

CFPB Usability Testing Report: Model Validation Notice – November 2020

Findings from Quantitative Disclosure testing – February 2020

ICF Methodology Report – January 2020

FMG Summary Report – February 2016

FMG Cognitive Report

FMG Focus Group Report – August 2014

FMG Usability Report – February 2016

Related documents

Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking – November 2013

Small Business Review Panel Outline – July 2016

Small Business Review Panel Report and Appendices – October 2016

CFPB Debt Collection Operations Study – July 2016

CFPB Debt Collection Operations Survey – January 2017