Debt collection laws by state: find rules and practical help

Find state debt help

Open your jurisdiction’s guide for consumer agencies, courts and legal help.

• Alabama (AL)

  Find Alabama complaint intake, court form categories and legal-aid screening. Keep a collection dispute separate from responding to an actual court case.

• Alaska (AK)

  Find Alaska complaint intake, court form categories and legal-aid screening. Keep a collection dispute separate from responding to an actual court case.

• Arizona

  Medical interest uses a lower-of rule; certain property amounts adjust annually.

• Arkansas (AR)

  Find Arkansas complaint intake, court form categories and legal-aid screening. Keep a collection dispute separate from responding to an actual court case.

• California

  An ordinary civil debt response and a small-claims hearing use different procedures.

• Colorado (CO)

  Find Colorado complaint intake, court form categories and legal-aid screening. Keep a collection dispute separate from responding to an actual court case.

• Connecticut (CT)

  Find Connecticut complaint intake, court form categories and legal-aid screening. Keep a collection dispute separate from responding to an actual court case.

• Delaware (DE)

  Find Delaware complaint intake, court form categories and legal-aid screening. Keep a collection dispute separate from responding to an actual court case.

• District of Columbia (DC)

  Find Washington, DC complaint intake, court form categories and legal-aid screening. Keep a collection dispute separate from responding to an actual court case.

• Florida

  Chapter 395 facility medical debt has a separate three-year rule measured from collection referral.

• Georgia

  A missing handwritten signature does not establish a shorter credit-card deadline; identify the source of garnished funds.

• Hawaii (HI)

  Find Hawaii complaint intake, court form categories and legal-aid screening. Keep a collection dispute separate from responding to an actual court case.

• Idaho (ID)

  Find Idaho complaint intake, court form categories and legal-aid screening. Keep a collection dispute separate from responding to an actual court case.

• Illinois

  Claim classification needs the full record; the 2026 homestead amounts changed.

• Indiana

  Judgment satisfaction, property liens and execution must be checked separately.

• Iowa (IA)

  Find Iowa complaint intake, court form categories and legal-aid screening. Keep a collection dispute separate from responding to an actual court case.

• Kansas (KS)

  Find Kansas complaint intake, court form categories and legal-aid screening. Keep a collection dispute separate from responding to an actual court case.

• Kentucky (KY)

  Find Kentucky legal aid by county and match court papers to the Self-Help Portal. Distinguish a debt response from a Small Claims counterclaim.

• Louisiana (LA)

  Use Louisiana’s Consumer Dispute route and identify the court on your papers. Find St. Tammany and Washington parish resources for 22nd District cases.

• Maine (ME)

  For a Maine debt case, identify small claims, ordinary civil litigation or judgment collection before following court instructions or choosing forms.

• Maryland

  Section 5-1202 addresses time-barred consumer actions and later activity.

• Massachusetts

  State earnings protection is not a flat federal 25% withholding rule.

• Michigan

  Collector conduct and original-creditor conduct use different statutory definitions.

• Minnesota (MN)

  Find Minnesota collector-complaint routes and check whether your papers name Conciliation Court. Match the case type before choosing forms or Guide & File.

• Mississippi (MS)

  For Mississippi debt papers, identify the court and summons type. Review Rule 4, Rule 81 and fee-waiver resources before asking which procedure applies.

• Missouri (MO)

  Keep Missouri complaint evidence separate from court records. Use Jackson County examples to distinguish payment receipts, dismissal and judgment satisfaction.

• Montana (MT)

  Match Montana debt papers to the correct Civil Forms court section. Distinguish an initial answer from judgment enforcement and find local Court Help.

• Nebraska (NE)

  Check whether Nebraska debt papers concern County Court small claims. Choose guidance by case stage and distinguish legal advice from hearing participation.

• Nevada (NV)

  Find Nevada FID complaint routes and Clark County answer packets. Match the court and debt type, and confirm local requirements for cases elsewhere.

• New Hampshire (NH)

  Find 603 Legal Aid’s guided collector letters in New Hampshire. A letter is not a lawsuit answer; ask the named court to confirm current forms and steps.

• New Jersey

  Consumer-law damages require their own claim elements; a clause does not automatically produce $100.

• New Mexico (NM)

  Use New Mexico DOJ Guided Help for complaints. For Bernalillo Metro Court cases, distinguish civil and medical-debt answers from judgment collection.

• New York

  The court and method of service affect the required response; other claims can use different periods.

• North Carolina

  Wage protection and an order from another jurisdiction need separate checks.

• North Dakota (ND)

  Find North Dakota response forms, verify the DFI complaint route and prepare records for Legal Services of North Dakota.

• Ohio

  Transition rules and the operative statutory version matter; judgment enforcement is separate.

• Oklahoma (OK)

  Prepare an Oklahoma consumer complaint, complete LASO’s two-step online intake and check the issuing county’s court instructions.

• Oregon (OR)

  Use Oregon court form categories, DFR financial-services complaints and the county legal-aid directory to prepare your next step.

• Pennsylvania

  Execution and revival of a judgment lien are separate questions.

• Rhode Island (RI)

  Find Rhode Island’s small-claims Answer, prepare an Attorney General complaint and request consumer-debt help from RILS.

• South Carolina (SC)

  Identify the proper South Carolina court form, prepare a DCA narrative and apply through the SCLS intake channel.

• South Dakota (SD)

  Locate UJS-278, separate form help from legal advice and prepare a South Dakota complaint with the right supporting documents.

• Tennessee

  The wage formula and available dependent allowance require actual pay and household records.

• Texas

  The no-revival provision has a defined debt-buyer scope; current wages and deposited funds differ.

• Utah (UT)

  Find Utah’s debt Answer, identify later Requests for Admission and choose a complaint or limited legal-help route.

• Vermont (VT)

  Locate Vermont’s small-claims response documents, contact CAP and check current legal-aid intake limits.

• Virginia

  Medical debt has its own three-year framework; judgment date and court matter.

• Washington

  The accounts-receivable exception matters; hospital charity care and consumer wage protections are distinct.

• West Virginia (WV)

  Match West Virginia magistrate forms, prepare an AG complaint and request attorney or advocate assistance.

• Wisconsin (WI)

  Separate Wisconsin debt answers from garnishment forms and send a complete DFI complaint through the appropriate channel.

• Wyoming (WY)

  Locate Wyoming small-claims documents, distinguish judgment amounts and request legal help while preparing an AG complaint.

Directory expanded on September 15, 2026. Each state guide keeps its own factual review date. US territories are not covered in this directory.