Kansas · Debt collection rights · Updated Oct 2026

Debt collectors in Kansas: your rights

What debt collectors can and can't do in Kansas, how long they have to sue, how much of your pay and bank account is protected, collector licensing, where to complain and what to do if you are sued, in plain English from official sources.

5 yearsto sue on a written contract
25% (federal limit)wage garnishment limit
Not confirmedcollector license required
Yesstate debt collection law
Date on the summonsto answer a debt lawsuit

Your federal rights

These federal rules apply in Kansas and every other state. Kansas's own law, below, can add more.

  • Who the federal law covers. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) covers debt collectors who collect for someone else and companies that buy debts, not usually the original creditor collecting its own debt (15 U.S.C. 1692a(6)). Some state laws also cover original creditors.
  • A validation notice. A collector must give you a validation notice, in its first message or within 5 days after it, with the amount, the creditor and how to dispute (15 U.S.C. 1692g(a); 12 CFR 1006.34).
  • Your right to dispute. If you dispute the debt in writing within the validation period (30 days after you get the notice), the collector must stop collecting until it mails you verification (15 U.S.C. 1692g(b); 12 CFR 1006.38).
  • When collectors can contact you. No calls before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. your time, or at work if your employer doesn't allow it (15 U.S.C. 1692c(a)). More than 7 calls in 7 days about one debt is presumed to break the law (12 CFR 1006.14(b)(2)).
  • Telling a collector to stop. If you tell a collector in writing to stop contacting you, it must stop, except to tell you it is ending collection or will take a specific step such as a lawsuit (15 U.S.C. 1692c(c)).
  • What collectors can't do. No threats, obscene language, false statements (for example pretending to be a lawyer or the government, or threatening arrest) and no unfair practices such as collecting fees your contract doesn't allow (15 U.S.C. 1692d, 1692e, 1692f). A collector generally can't discuss your debt with your family, neighbors or employer (15 U.S.C. 1692c(b)).

Read how to dispute a debt or stop collector calls.

Kansas law and extra protections

State law
Kansas Consumer Protection Act (no separate debt collection act)
Law
K.S.A. 50-623 et seq.
Covers original creditors
Yes
Extra protections
  • The Consumer Protection Act defines a "supplier" as anyone who "solicits, engages in or enforces consumer transactions, whether or not dealing directly with the consumer" (K.S.A. 50-624). This wording can reach businesses that collect consumer debts, including their own.
Can you sue under it?
Yes, under the Consumer Protection Act. A consumer harmed by a violation can sue for actual damages or a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation, whichever is greater (K.S.A. 50-634(b), 50-636(a)). You can also ask a court to declare a practice illegal or to stop it (K.S.A. 50-634(a)).
Official text
Read the law

Old debts in Kansas

Written contracts
5 years
Open accounts and unwritten agreements
3 years
Does a payment restart the clock?
Yes. If you make any payment on the principal or interest, the full limitation period starts over from that payment. A written, signed acknowledgment or promise to pay also restarts it. A spoken promise does not (K.S.A. 60-520(a)).
Law
K.S.A. 60-511(1) (written contracts, 5 years); K.S.A. 60-512(1) (contracts not in writing, 3 years); K.S.A. 60-520
Official text
Read the law

The time limit is the statute of limitations. Once it runs out, the debt is “time-barred”: a collector must not sue or threaten to sue you, but the debt still exists. Read more about time-barred debt.

Is my debt too old? Check Kansas's time limit

Every state limits how long a creditor or collector has to sue you over a debt. This is the statute of limitations. Choose your state, the type of debt and the date of your last payment to see the limit and an estimated end date. Nothing you type here is sent anywhere.

Credit cards count as written contracts in some states and as open accounts in others. If you are not sure, try both.

Or the date you first missed a payment, if you never paid.

Kansas: 5 years for a written contractEnter the date of your last payment to see when the time limit ends.

An estimate from our state data, not legal advice. Your state's law and your account records decide the exact start date and the type of debt.

Wage garnishment and bank accounts in Kansas

Wage limit
Federal limit applies to the amount. A creditor can take the lesser of 25% of your weekly disposable earnings, the amount above 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage, or the amount of the claim. One creditor can't start more than one wage garnishment against you in any 30-day period. Kansas adds one big protection: if the original creditor sold or assigned your account to someone else or to a collection agency, that buyer or agency can't garnish your wages at all (except for child support, state debt-setoff and court-debt collections) (K.S.A. 60-2310(d)).
Law
K.S.A. 60-2310(b), (d)

Federal benefits such as Social Security, SSI and VA benefits that were directly deposited are protected in your bank account up to two months' worth (31 CFR 212.6). A creditor usually needs a court judgment before it can garnish your wages or bank account.

Property you can keep in Kansas

Homestead: your home is protected with no dollar cap, up to 160 acres of farmland or 1 acre in a city (or a mobile or manufactured home you live in). It is not protected from a mortgage or a tax debt on it (K.S.A. 60-2301). Vehicle: up to $20,000 of value in one vehicle you use for transportation or to get to work (K.S.A. 60-2304(c)).

Collector licensing in Kansas

License required
Not confirmed
Who licenses
No general collection agency license found. But a company that takes assignments of certain consumer loans ('supervised loans') and collects them or enforces them must hold a supervised lender license from the Office of the State Bank Commissioner (K.S.A. 16a-2-301(1)(b)).

If you are sued in Kansas

Time to answer
Limited actions (most debt cases in district court): you must appear or file an answer by the date on the summons. The court sets that date 14 to 50 days after the summons is issued (K.S.A. 61-3002). Regular civil cases (Chapter 60): 21 days after you are served (K.S.A. 60-212(a)).
If you don't answer
If you don't appear or answer by the deadline, the court will enter a default judgment against you for what the creditor asked for (K.S.A. 61-3002(a)).
Court self-help
Kansas court self-help (official)

Don't ignore court papers. Read what to do if a debt collector sues you.

Where to complain in Kansas

Free help in Kansas

Good to know in Kansas

  • In Kansas, a payment on an old debt can restart the 5-year clock (K.S.A. 60-520(a)).
  • Kansas protects your home with no dollar cap, within the acreage limits (K.S.A. 60-2301).
  • If your account was sold or assigned to a debt buyer or collection agency, Kansas law says that company can't use wage garnishment against you (K.S.A. 60-2310(d)).

Free letters to send a collector

Dispute a debt and ask for proof (validation letter)

Within 30 days of the collector's validation notice.

Tell a collector to stop or limit contact

Stop all contact, writing only, or no calls at work.

Questions about debt collection in Kansas

What is the statute of limitations on debt in Kansas?

5 years for written contracts and 3 years for open accounts and unwritten agreements (K.S.A. 60-511(1) (written contracts, 5 years); K.S.A. 60-512(1) (contracts not in writing, 3 years); K.S.A. 60-520).

Does paying on an old debt restart the clock in Kansas?

Yes. If you make any payment on the principal or interest, the full limitation period starts over from that payment. A written, signed acknowledgment or promise to pay also restarts it. A spoken promise does not (K.S.A. 60-520(a)).

How much of my paycheck can be garnished in Kansas?

Federal limit applies to the amount. A creditor can take the lesser of 25% of your weekly disposable earnings, the amount above 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage, or the amount of the claim. One creditor can't start more than one wage garnishment against you in any 30-day period. Kansas adds one big protection: if the original creditor sold or assigned your account to someone else or to a collection agency, that buyer or agency can't garnish your wages at all (except for child support, state debt-setoff and court-debt collections) (K.S.A. 60-2310(d)).

Does Kansas have its own debt collection law?

Yes: the Kansas Consumer Protection Act (no separate debt collection act) (K.S.A. 50-623 et seq.). It also covers original creditors collecting their own debts.

How long do I have to answer a debt lawsuit in Kansas?

Limited actions (most debt cases in district court): you must appear or file an answer by the date on the summons. The court sets that date 14 to 50 days after the summons is issued (K.S.A. 61-3002). Regular civil cases (Chapter 60): 21 days after you are served (K.S.A. 60-212(a)).

Where can I complain about a debt collector in Kansas?

Kansas Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division: https://ag.ks.gov/divisions/consumer-protection

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources

Other states