Debt collector laws in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania regulates collectors through the Fair Credit Extension Uniformity Act (FCEUA). Here are its extra protections, licensing, complaints and medical debt rules.
Short answer
Pennsylvania has its own debt collection law: the Fair Credit Extension Uniformity Act (FCEUA). It also covers original creditors collecting their own debts. Pennsylvania has no statewide license for debt collectors. You can complain to Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection. The CFPB also takes complaints.
- State law
- Yes
- Covers original creditors
- Yes
- License required
- No statewide license
- Extra protections listed
- 4
Pennsylvania's collection law
- 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
- Official text
- Read the law
Only 22 of our 48 state guides, Pennsylvania among them, apply the state law to original creditors too.
What Pennsylvania adds to the FDCPA
- 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)).
Suing a collector in Pennsylvania
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)).
Under federal law you can also sue a collector that breaks the FDCPA within 1 year, for your actual damages, up to $1,000 more and your attorney's fees (15 U.S.C. 1692k).
Also in Pennsylvania
- The FCEUA applies to original creditors, not only to collection agencies (FCEUA § 4(b)).
Where to complain in Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection · 1-800-441-2555
- 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.
Do collectors need a license in Pennsylvania?
- License required
- No statewide license
Like Pennsylvania, 12 of the 48 states we cover don't license collectors statewide.
In nearby states
- New York: No statewide license
- New Jersey: No statewide license
- Delaware: No statewide license
- Maryland: Yes
When a collector crosses the line in Pennsylvania
Keep a record
Log each call (date, time, who) and keep every letter, voicemail and text.
Check the collector
Pennsylvania has no statewide license, so ask the collector for its full name and address and keep them with your records.
Put your request in writing
Use a letter to dispute a debt or to stop collector calls; keep a copy and the mailing receipt.
Report the collector
Complain to Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection. You can also complain to the CFPB at consumerfinance.gov/complaint.
Know your right to sue in Pennsylvania
Under Pennsylvania law: 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)).
Questions about collector laws in Pennsylvania
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 do I report 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
Can I take a collector to court under Pennsylvania law?
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)).
How does Pennsylvania law go beyond the FDCPA?
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)).
Related Pennsylvania pages
- Pennsylvania: every collection right on one page
- Wage garnishment in Pennsylvania: not for most consumer debts
- Sued by a debt collector in Pennsylvania: 20 days
- “Is my debt too old?” checker for Pennsylvania
- Dispute a debt and ask for proof (validation letter)
- Tell a collector to stop or limit contact
- Debt collector licensing by state
- Guide: how to dispute a debt
- Guide: how to stop collector calls
- Act of Mar. 28, 2000, P.L. 23, No. 7; 73 P.S. § 2270.1 et seq.
- 42 Pa.C.S. § 5525
- 42 Pa.C.S. § 8127
- 42 Pa.C.S. § 8123
- PA AG – Consumer complaint form
- Pa. R.C.P. 1026 (time for filing pleadings)
- 42 Pa.C.S. § 1515 (magisterial district judge jurisdiction, $12,000)
- PA AG – Contact (Consumer Protection 800-441-2555)
Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.