Debt collector laws in New Jersey

The 2 protections New Jersey adds to federal collection law, collector licensing and where to complain.

Short answer

New Jersey has no general debt collection act, so the federal FDCPA does most of the work; the 2 state protections below still apply. New Jersey has no statewide license for debt collectors. Complaints go to New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs (Office of the Attorney General), and to the CFPB.

State law
No general act
License required
No statewide license
Extra protections listed
2

What New Jersey law says about collectors

New Jersey has no general debt collection act; the federal rules above still apply.

Official text
Read the law

New Jersey rules on medical debt

Louisa Carman Medical Debt Relief Act, P.L.2024, c.48 (N.J.S.A. 56:11-56 to -63), signed July 22, 2024. Providers and collectors cannot report medical debt for care on or after that date; credit bureaus cannot report paid medical debt or medical debt under $500. Since July 22, 2025: no collection action until 120 days after the first bill and a reasonable payment plan offer; 30 days' notice before collection action; interest capped at 3% a year; no wage garnishment if your income is under 600% of the federal poverty level. Medical debt reported in violation is void. Note: on October 28, 2025 the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued an interpretive rule saying that the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act generally preempts state laws that ban medical debt from credit reports (90 Fed. Reg. 48710). The state law is still on the books, but credit bureaus may argue it cannot be enforced, and courts have the final say.

Extra New Jersey protections

  • Collection agencies must have a bond on file with the state before collecting in New Jersey (N.J.S.A. 45:18-1).
  • Medical debt: no credit reporting for care on or after July 22, 2024, interest capped at 3%, and a 120-day wait plus a payment plan offer before collection action (Louisa Carman Medical Debt Relief Act, N.J.S.A. 56:11-56 to -63).

Suing a collector in New Jersey

New Jersey has no general state debt collection act. You can sue a debt collector under the federal FDCPA. The medical debt act is enforced only by the Attorney General and gives no private right to sue (N.J.S.A. 56:11-62(d)).

Federal law (15 U.S.C. 1692k) also lets you sue within 1 year for actual damages, up to $1,000 extra and attorney's fees.

Do collectors need a license in New Jersey?

License required
No statewide license
Who licenses
No license, but a collection agency bond must be on file with the state, handled by the NJ Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (N.J.S.A. 45:18-1).
Check a license
Official license lookup

12 of our 48 state guides, New Jersey included, have no statewide collector license.

In nearby states

More New Jersey rules

  • Collectors only need a bond, not a license. You can ask the Division of Revenue in writing whether an agency has one.

Reporting a collector in New Jersey

When a collector crosses the line in New Jersey

  1. Save the evidence

    Log each call (date, time, who) and keep every letter, voicemail and text.

  2. Look up the company

    No statewide license exists in New Jersey; write down the collector's full name and address.

  3. Send a letter

    Send a letter to dispute a debt or to stop collector calls. Keep a copy and proof of mailing.

  4. File a complaint

    Complain to New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs (Office of the Attorney General). You can also complain to the CFPB at consumerfinance.gov/complaint.

  5. Know your right to sue in New Jersey

    Under New Jersey law: New Jersey has no general state debt collection act. You can sue a debt collector under the federal FDCPA. The medical debt act is enforced only by the Attorney General and gives no private right to sue (N.J.S.A. 56:11-62(d)).

Questions about collector laws in New Jersey

Do debt collectors need a license in New Jersey?

No. No license, but a collection agency bond must be on file with the state, handled by the NJ Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (N.J.S.A. 45:18-1).

Are there medical debt rules in New Jersey?

Louisa Carman Medical Debt Relief Act, P.L.2024, c.48 (N.J.S.A. 56:11-56 to -63), signed July 22, 2024. Providers and collectors cannot report medical debt for care on or after that date; credit bureaus cannot report paid medical debt or medical debt under $500. Since July 22, 2025: no collection action until 120 days after the first bill and a reasonable payment plan offer; 30 days' notice before collection action; interest capped at 3% a year; no wage garnishment if your income is under 600% of the federal poverty level. Medical debt reported in violation is void. Note: on October 28, 2025 the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued an interpretive rule saying that the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act generally preempts state laws that ban medical debt from credit reports (90 Fed. Reg. 48710). The state law is still on the books, but credit bureaus may argue it cannot be enforced, and courts have the final say.

Who takes complaints about collectors in New Jersey?

New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs (Office of the Attorney General): https://www.njoag.gov/contact/file-a-complaint/

Can I sue a debt collector under New Jersey law?

New Jersey has no general state debt collection act. You can sue a debt collector under the federal FDCPA. The medical debt act is enforced only by the Attorney General and gives no private right to sue (N.J.S.A. 56:11-62(d)).

Where can I look up a collector's New Jersey license?

Use New Jersey's official license lookup: https://www.nj.gov/treasury/revenue/collagency.shtml.

How does New Jersey law go beyond the FDCPA?

Collection agencies must have a bond on file with the state before collecting in New Jersey (N.J.S.A. 45:18-1). Medical debt: no credit reporting for care on or after July 22, 2024, interest capped at 3%, and a 120-day wait plus a payment plan offer before collection action (Louisa Carman Medical Debt Relief Act, N.J.S.A. 56:11-56 to -63).

More for New Jersey

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources