Rhode Island Debt Collection Laws

Rhode Island guides by topic

Wage garnishment in Rhode Island

Wage and bank account limits, exemptions and how to claim them.

Sued by a debt collector in Rhode Island

Your answer deadline, default, defenses and steps.

Debt collector laws in Rhode Island

State act, extra protections, licensing and complaints.

Your federal rights

These federal rules apply in Rhode Island and every other state. Rhode Island'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.

Rhode Island law and extra protections

State law: Rhode Island Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
Law: R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 19-14.9-1 to 19-14.9-14
Covers original creditors: No
Extra protections: Debt collectors must register with the state banking regulator each year before collecting in Rhode Island (R.I. Gen. Laws § 19-14.9-12).
Credit bureaus may not report medical debt in any way, and every letter from a creditor or collector about medical debt must say so (R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 6-60-3, 6-60-4(b)).
If a creditor or collector knows (or should know) of an insurance review or appeal that is pending, it may not report the medical bill to a credit bureau, contact you to collect it, or sue you over it (R.I. Gen. Laws § 6-60-4(c)).
Interest on new medical debt (incurred after June 26, 2025) is capped at a Treasury-based rate between 1.5% and 4% a year (R.I. Gen. Laws § 6-26-11).
Can you sue under it?: Yes. You can sue for actual damages, extra damages of up to $1,000, and attorney's fees, within 1 year. You can't recover twice for the same violation under state and federal law, and a collector can avoid liability by curing a fixable violation within 15 days (R.I. Gen. Laws § 19-14.9-13).
Official text: Read the law

Debt collector laws in Rhode Island: the full guide

Old debts in Rhode Island

Written contracts: 10 years
Open accounts and unwritten agreements: 10 years
Must collectors say a debt is too old?: No Rhode Island rule found. Under federal Regulation F, a debt collector may not sue you or threaten to sue you on a time-barred debt (12 C.F.R. § 1006.26(b)).
Law: R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-13(a) (most civil actions: 10 years)
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 Rhode Island'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 Rhode Island

Wage limit: federal limit applies: up to 25% of disposable earnings, or the amount above $217.50 a week (30 times the federal minimum wage), whichever is less. Rhode Island fully protects wages of someone who received public relief, for one year after the relief ends.
Bank account: $500 in savings or other deposits (R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-26-4(18)).
Law: 15 U.S.C. § 1673; R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-26-4(8), (18)

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.

Wage garnishment in Rhode Island: the full guide

Property you can keep in Rhode Island

Homestead up to $500,000 in your principal residence, automatic (R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-26-4.1). Motor vehicles up to $12,000 total and household goods up to $9,600 (R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-26-4(3), (13)).

Collector licensing in Rhode Island

License required: Yes
Who licenses: Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation, Division of Banking (debt collector registration)

Medical debt in Rhode Island

Since Jan. 1, 2025, credit bureaus may not report medical debt, and collector letters must include a notice saying so; collection must pause during insurance appeals (R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 6-60, P.L. 2024 ch. 224/225). Since June 26, 2025, interest on new medical debt is capped at 1.5%–4% a year (§ 6-26-11, P.L. 2025 ch. 302/303). Noncompliance after 30 days' notice: $10 a day plus fees (§ 6-60-5). 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 Rhode Island

Time to answer: District Court civil case: serve your answer within 20 days after you are served (R.I. Dist. Ct. Civ. R. 12(a)). District Court small claims: serve the Defendant's Answer to Small Claims Notice of Suit within 20 days after service; the clerk then sets a trial date (R.I. Dist. Ct. Small Claims R. 2.05).
If you don't answer: If you don't answer in time, the court can enter a default judgment against you for what the plaintiff asked for (the District Court summons must warn you of this, R.I. Dist. Ct. Civ. R. 4(a)).
Court self-help: Rhode Island court self-help (official)

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

Sued by a debt collector in Rhode Island: the full guide

Where to complain in Rhode Island

Rhode Island: Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation, Division of Banking; or the Rhode Island Attorney General, Consumer Protection Unit
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 Rhode Island

Good to know in Rhode Island

Rhode Island's 10-year limit for suing on most debts is among the longest in the country (R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-13(a)).
Collectors are told by law to assume the convenient time to contact you is after 8 a.m. and before 9 p.m. your local time (R.I. Gen. Laws § 19-14.9-5(1)(a)).

Changes in 2024–2026

2024: medical debt credit reporting ban (ch. 6-60, effective Jan. 1, 2025). 2025: medical debt interest cap (§ 6-26-11, effective June 26, 2025); § 9-26-4 amended to protect 529 college savings plans (P.L. 2025 ch. 26/27). A 2025 bill to bar liens on homes for medical debt (S 0169 / H 5184) passed the Senate but has not become law: the statute it would change (R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-25-3) is unchanged.

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 Rhode Island

What is the statute of limitations on debt in Rhode Island?

10 years for written contracts and 10 years for open accounts and unwritten agreements (R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-13(a) (most civil actions: 10 years)).

Must a collector tell me a debt is too old to sue on in Rhode Island?

No Rhode Island rule found. Under federal Regulation F, a debt collector may not sue you or threaten to sue you on a time-barred debt (12 C.F.R. § 1006.26(b)).

How much of my paycheck can be garnished in Rhode Island?

federal limit applies: up to 25% of disposable earnings, or the amount above $217.50 a week (30 times the federal minimum wage), whichever is less. Rhode Island fully protects wages of someone who received public relief, for one year after the relief ends.

How much money in a bank account is protected in Rhode Island?

$500 in savings or other deposits (R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-26-4(18)).

Do debt collectors need a license in Rhode Island?

Yes. Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation, Division of Banking (debt collector registration)

Does Rhode Island have its own debt collection law?

Yes: the Rhode Island Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 19-14.9-1 to 19-14.9-14). It does not cover original creditors collecting their own debts.

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

District Court civil case: serve your answer within 20 days after you are served (R.I. Dist. Ct. Civ. R. 12(a)). District Court small claims: serve the Defendant's Answer to Small Claims Notice of Suit within 20 days after service; the clerk then sets a trial date (R.I. Dist. Ct. Small Claims R. 2.05).

Does Rhode Island protect people with medical debt?

Since Jan. 1, 2025, credit bureaus may not report medical debt, and collector letters must include a notice saying so; collection must pause during insurance appeals (R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 6-60, P.L. 2024 ch. 224/225). Since June 26, 2025, interest on new medical debt is capped at 1.5%–4% a year (§ 6-26-11, P.L. 2025 ch. 302/303). Noncompliance after 30 days' notice: $10 a day plus fees (§ 6-60-5). 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.

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources

Debt collectors in Rhode Island: your rights