Oregon Debt Collection Laws | Debt Collector Map

Your federal rights

These federal rules apply in Oregon and every other state. Oregon'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.

Oregon law and extra protections

State law: Oregon Unlawful Debt Collection Practices Act
Law: ORS 646.639-646.643
Covers original creditors: Yes
Extra protections: The law covers anyone collecting a consumer debt, including the original creditor. (ORS 646.639(1)(h))
A collector cannot contact your employer about the debt, and can call you at work only in limited cases and no more than once each business week. (ORS 646.639(2)(f)-(g))
A collector cannot file a lawsuit on a debt it knows, or with reasonable care would know, is too old under the statute of limitations. (ORS 646.639(2)(r), (4)(a))
A debt buyer cannot sue without records proving the debt and its ownership, and must give you those documents within 30 days if you ask. (ORS 646.639(2)(t), (4)(b))
A collector cannot collect a debt for medical care that qualifies for the Oregon Health Plan or Medicaid. (ORS 646.639(2)(q))
Can you sue under it?: Yes. If a collector willfully breaks this law, you can sue for your actual damages or $1,000, whichever is more. The court can add punitive damages and order the collector to stop, and can award attorney fees if you win. You must sue within 3 years. (ORS 646.641)
Official text: Read the law

Old debts in Oregon

Written contracts: 6 years
Open accounts and unwritten agreements: 6 years
Does a payment restart the clock?: Yes for most creditors. A payment restarts the 6-year clock from the date of the last payment (ORS 12.240). A promise or acknowledgment restarts it only if it is in writing and signed by you (ORS 12.230).
Law: ORS 12.080(1); ORS 12.230; ORS 12.240; ORS 646.639(2)(r)
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 Oregon'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.

Wage garnishment and bank accounts in Oregon

Wage limit: Stricter than federal. 75% of your disposable earnings are protected, and you always keep at least $400 a week for wages paid July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. The law sets a separate amount for each longer pay period: $832 for two weeks, $912 for a half month and $1,792 for a month (ORS 18.385(2)). From July 1, 2027, the amounts are tied to the Oregon minimum wage (30 times the hourly minimum wage for a week), and the Oregon Judicial Department publishes them each year.
Bank account: When a bank gets a garnishment, it must leave you full access to a base amount in all your accounts combined, starting at $2,500 and adjusted each July 1 for inflation (the current figure is posted by the Oregon Judicial Department). Exempt money such as wages (up to $7,500) and federal benefits stays protected in the account if it can be identified. (ORS 18.785(2)(j); ORS 18.348)
Law: ORS 18.385; ORS 18.785; ORS 18.348

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 Oregon

Home: up to $150,000 of equity ($300,000 for two or more household members who owe the debt), adjusted yearly for inflation (ORS 18.395). Vehicle: up to $10,000 (ORS 18.345(1)(d)). Household goods up to $3,000 (ORS 18.345(1)(f)).

Collector licensing in Oregon

License required: Yes
Who licenses: Oregon Division of Financial Regulation (Department of Consumer and Business Services). Collection agencies must register (ORS 697.015); debt buyers need a separate debt buyer license (ORS 646A.640-646A.673).
Check a license: Official license lookup

Medical debt in Oregon

Hospitals and nonprofit hospital clinics must screen you for financial assistance and give you the policy before sending a bill to collections. If you qualify for assistance, no interest may be charged; otherwise interest before judgment is tied to the 1-year Treasury rate, with a floor of 2% and a cap of 5% a year. Collectors cannot collect from your children or other relatives who are not legally responsible. A 2025 law bans anyone from reporting medical debt to credit bureaus and bars credit bureaus from including it; a court may declare the debt void if this is violated. (ORS 646A.677, as amended by Or. Laws 2025 ch. 343) 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.

If you are sued in Oregon

Time to answer: Circuit court: you must file an answer or motion within 30 days after you are served (ORCP 7 C(2)). Small claims: within 30 days after you get the notice you must pay, ask for a hearing, or ask for a jury trial (ORS 46.445).
If you don't answer: If you don't respond in time, the court can enter judgment against you for the amount claimed plus fees.
Court self-help: Oregon court self-help (official)

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

Where to complain in Oregon

Oregon: Oregon Department of Justice, Consumer Protection (for how a collector treats you); Division of Financial Regulation (for unregistered collectors) · 1-877-877-9392
Federal: the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau takes complaints about debt collectors at consumerfinance.gov/complaint · (855) 411-2372.
You can also report a collector to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Free help in Oregon

Good to know in Oregon

Oregon's damages for a willful collection violation are the greater of actual damages or $1,000 (ORS 646.641(1)).
Oregon protects a base amount in bank accounts automatically when a garnishment arrives (ORS 18.785).

Changes in 2024–2026

2024 (Or. Laws 2024 ch. 100): garnishment reform, including the automatic bank account protection (ORS 18.785) and higher wage floors (ORS 18.385). 2025 (Or. Laws 2025 ch. 343): ban on medical debt in credit reports (ORS 646A.677(11)-(12)).

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 Oregon

What is the statute of limitations on debt in Oregon?

6 years for written contracts and 6 years for open accounts and unwritten agreements (ORS 12.080(1); ORS 12.230; ORS 12.240; ORS 646.639(2)(r)).

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

Yes for most creditors. A payment restarts the 6-year clock from the date of the last payment (ORS 12.240). A promise or acknowledgment restarts it only if it is in writing and signed by you (ORS 12.230).

How much of my paycheck can be garnished in Oregon?

Stricter than federal. 75% of your disposable earnings are protected, and you always keep at least $400 a week for wages paid July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. The law sets a separate amount for each longer pay period: $832 for two weeks, $912 for a half month and $1,792 for a month (ORS 18.385(2)). From July 1, 2027, the amounts are tied to the Oregon minimum wage (30 times the hourly minimum wage for a week), and the Oregon Judicial Department publishes them each year.

How much money in a bank account is protected in Oregon?

When a bank gets a garnishment, it must leave you full access to a base amount in all your accounts combined, starting at $2,500 and adjusted each July 1 for inflation (the current figure is posted by the Oregon Judicial Department). Exempt money such as wages (up to $7,500) and federal benefits stays protected in the account if it can be identified. (ORS 18.785(2)(j); ORS 18.348)

Do debt collectors need a license in Oregon?

Yes. Oregon Division of Financial Regulation (Department of Consumer and Business Services). Collection agencies must register (ORS 697.015); debt buyers need a separate debt buyer license (ORS 646A.640-646A.673).

Does Oregon have its own debt collection law?

Yes: the Oregon Unlawful Debt Collection Practices Act (ORS 646.639-646.643). It also covers original creditors collecting their own debts.

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

Circuit court: you must file an answer or motion within 30 days after you are served (ORCP 7 C(2)). Small claims: within 30 days after you get the notice you must pay, ask for a hearing, or ask for a jury trial (ORS 46.445).

Does Oregon protect people with medical debt?

Hospitals and nonprofit hospital clinics must screen you for financial assistance and give you the policy before sending a bill to collections. If you qualify for assistance, no interest may be charged; otherwise interest before judgment is tied to the 1-year Treasury rate, with a floor of 2% and a cap of 5% a year. Collectors cannot collect from your children or other relatives who are not legally responsible. A 2025 law bans anyone from reporting medical debt to credit bureaus and bars credit bureaus from including it; a court may declare the debt void if this is violated. (ORS 646A.677, as amended by Or. Laws 2025 ch. 343) 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.

Where can I complain about a debt collector in Oregon?

Oregon Department of Justice, Consumer Protection (for how a collector treats you); Division of Financial Regulation (for unregistered collectors): https://justice.oregon.gov/consumercomplaints/ · 1-877-877-9392

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources

Debt collectors in Oregon: your rights