How and when they can contact you
| Rule | Regulation F |
|---|---|
| Call frequency | presumed compliant if no more than seven calls within seven consecutive days about a debt, and no call within seven days after a telephone conversation with you about it |
| Hours | before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. your local time is presumed inconvenient, absent knowledge to the contrary |
| Inconvenient times | no communication at a time the collector knows or should know is inconvenient for you |
| Work | no contact at your workplace if the collector knows or has reason to know your employer prohibits it |
| Stopping contact | after you notify the collector in writing that you refuse to pay the debt, it must stop further communication about it, subject to the rule's exceptions |
The seven-in-seven figure is a presumption, not a free allowance: the CFPB's commentary lists factors, such as calling at an inconvenient time or place, that can show harassment even within it.
What the collector must tell you
The CFPB says a debt collector must give you validation information, either in its initial communication or in a written notice within five days after it. The notice must include:
- a statement that the communication is from a debt collector;
- your name and mailing information and the collector's;
- the name of the creditor, or creditors, you owe;
- the account number, if any;
- an itemization of the balance showing interest, fees, payments and credits since a particular date;
- the current amount owed;
- how to reply if you think the debt is not yours or the amount is wrong;
- the end date of a 30-day dispute period.
The 30-day dispute window
| Step | Date (example) |
|---|---|
| Validation notice received | November 2, 2026 |
| Dispute period ends (30 days, the notice states the exact date) | December 2, 2026 |
| Send the written dispute well before | by November 22, 2026, with proof of sending |
The CFPB: if you dispute in writing, or ask for information about the original creditor, within the 30 days, the collector must pause collecting the disputed amount until it responds adequately; if you do not dispute in writing within that period, it can affect your ability to assert your rights under the rule. The notice itself states the end date, which is the one to use; the add or subtract days calculator checks it.
What to do
- Read the validation notice and compare the creditor, account and amount with your records.
- Dispute in writing within the window if anything is wrong or unfamiliar, and keep a copy.
- Check your credit reports for how the debt is listed; how to read a credit report shows where collections appear.
- Send a written notice that you refuse to pay if you want contact about the debt to end; the debt itself remains.
- Complain to the CFPB if a collector left out required information or broke the rules, as the CFPB invites.
Paying is a separate decision: the credit card payoff calculator and budget planner help plan it. This guide follows Regulation F and the CFPB; state laws can add protections, and it is not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
How often can a debt collector call me?
Regulation F presumes a collector complies with the call limits if it does not call about a particular debt more than seven times within seven consecutive days, and does not call within seven consecutive days after having had a telephone conversation with you about that debt. The presumption can be rebutted by the facts, such as calls at an inconvenient time or place.
What times can a debt collector contact me?
Under Regulation F, absent knowledge of circumstances to the contrary, a time before 8:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m. local time at your location is inconvenient, and a collector may not communicate at a time it knows or should know is inconvenient for you. It also may not contact you at work if it knows or has reason to know your employer prohibits such communications.
What information does a debt collector have to give me?
Validation information, in the first communication or a written notice within five days of it, per the CFPB: a statement that the communication is from a debt collector, the creditor or creditors, the account number, an itemization of the balance with interest, fees, payments and credits since a stated date, the current amount owed, how to dispute, and the end date of a 30-day dispute period.
How do I dispute a debt?
In writing, within the 30-day validation period. The CFPB says that if you send a written dispute or ask for information about the original creditor within that period, the collector must pause collecting the disputed amount until it responds adequately, and that not disputing in writing within the period can affect your ability to assert your rights under the debt collection rule.
Can I make a debt collector stop contacting me?
Yes. Regulation F says that if you tell a collector in writing that you refuse to pay a debt, it must stop further communication about that debt, subject to the exceptions in the rule. Stopping contact does not erase the debt.
Sources
- Regulation F, 12 CFR 1006.6, Communications in connection with debt collection (before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. local time presumed inconvenient; no contact at the place of employment if the employer prohibits it; the written notice that the consumer refuses to pay or wants communication to stop)
- Regulation F, 12 CFR 1006.14, Harassing, oppressive, or abusive conduct (the call frequency presumption: not more than seven calls within seven consecutive days, and none within seven days after a telephone conversation, about a particular debt)
- CFPB: What information does a debt collector have to give me about the debt? (validation information in the first communication or within five days; the items it must include; the 30-day dispute period; the pause on collection after a written dispute or request; complaints to the CFPB)
General information based on the sources above, not tax, legal or financial advice.