Pennsylvania · Debt collection rights · Updated Oct 2026

Debt collectors in Pennsylvania: your rights

What debt collectors can and can't do in Pennsylvania, 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.

4 yearsto sue on a written contract
Not for most consumer debtswage garnishment limit
No statewide licensecollector license required
Yesstate debt collection law
20 daysto answer a debt lawsuit

Your federal rights

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

Pennsylvania law and extra protections

State law
Fair Credit Extension Uniformity Act (FCEUA)
Law
Act of Mar. 28, 2000, P.L. 23, No. 7; 73 P.S. § 2270.1 et seq.
Covers original creditors
Yes
Extra protections
  • Original creditors collecting their own debts must follow FDCPA-style rules too (FCEUA § 4(b)).
  • Unless you agree otherwise, a creditor may contact you only between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. your local time, not at work if your employer forbids it, and not directly if it knows you have a lawyer (FCEUA § 4(b)(2)).
  • A creditor may not tell other people about your debt, except as the law allows, and may not harass or abuse you (FCEUA § 4(b)(3)-(4)).
  • Any FDCPA violation by a debt collector is also a violation of Pennsylvania law (FCEUA § 4(a)).
Can you sue under it?
Yes, through Pennsylvania's Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law: a violation of the FCEUA counts as a violation of that law (FCEUA § 5(a)). You must sue within 2 years of the violation (§ 5(b)). You cannot collect double penalties under both the FCEUA and the federal FDCPA (§ 5(c)).
Official text
Read the law

Old debts in Pennsylvania

Written contracts
4 years
Open accounts and unwritten agreements
4 years
Law
42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5525(a) (4 years: contracts, written or not, notes and other written obligations)
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 Pennsylvania'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.

Pennsylvania: 4 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 Pennsylvania

Wage limit
Stricter than federal: your wages generally cannot be garnished for ordinary consumer debts like credit cards or medical bills. State-law exceptions include support, some residential lease judgments, board for four weeks or less, PHEAA student loans and court-ordered restitution. Federal debts, such as federal student loans and federal taxes, can be taken from wages under federal law.
Bank account
$300 of any property, including money in a bank account, is exempt from execution (general monetary exemption). Wages stay protected only while held by your employer.
Law
42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 8127; § 8123

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 Pennsylvania

Besides the $300 general exemption (42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 8123), Pennsylvania protects wages in the hands of the employer from most creditors (§ 8127). Pennsylvania has no general homestead exemption amount in these sections.

Collector licensing in Pennsylvania

License required
No statewide license

If you are sued in Pennsylvania

Time to answer
Court of Common Pleas: 20 days after you are served with a complaint that has a Notice to Defend (Pa. R.C.P. 1026(a)). Magisterial District Court (claims up to $12,000, 42 Pa.C.S. § 1515(a)(3)): you usually do not file a written answer; go to the hearing on the date in the complaint.
If you don't answer
If you do not respond or do not appear, the court can enter a default judgment. With a judgment, a creditor can try to levy bank accounts, though most wages stay protected.
Court self-help
Pennsylvania court self-help (official)

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

Where to complain in Pennsylvania

Free help in Pennsylvania

Good to know in Pennsylvania

  • Pennsylvania is one of the few states that bars wage garnishment for most consumer debts (42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 8127).
  • The FCEUA applies to original creditors, not only to collection agencies (FCEUA § 4(b)).

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 Pennsylvania

What is the statute of limitations on debt in Pennsylvania?

4 years for written contracts and 4 years for open accounts and unwritten agreements (42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5525(a) (4 years: contracts, written or not, notes and other written obligations)).

How much of my paycheck can be garnished in Pennsylvania?

Stricter than federal: your wages generally cannot be garnished for ordinary consumer debts like credit cards or medical bills. State-law exceptions include support, some residential lease judgments, board for four weeks or less, PHEAA student loans and court-ordered restitution. Federal debts, such as federal student loans and federal taxes, can be taken from wages under federal law.

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

$300 of any property, including money in a bank account, is exempt from execution (general monetary exemption). Wages stay protected only while held by your employer.

Does Pennsylvania have its own debt collection law?

Yes: the Fair Credit Extension Uniformity Act (FCEUA) (Act of Mar. 28, 2000, P.L. 23, No. 7; 73 P.S. § 2270.1 et seq.). It also covers original creditors collecting their own debts.

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

Court of Common Pleas: 20 days after you are served with a complaint that has a Notice to Defend (Pa. R.C.P. 1026(a)). Magisterial District Court (claims up to $12,000, 42 Pa.C.S. § 1515(a)(3)): you usually do not file a written answer; go to the hearing on the date in the complaint.

Where can I complain about a debt collector in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection: https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/submit-a-complaint/consumer-en/ · 1-800-441-2555

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources

Other states