Wisconsin · Debt collection rights · Updated Oct 2026

Debt collectors in Wisconsin: your rights

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

Check your stateto sue on a written contract
Up to 20%wage garnishment limit
Yescollector license required
Yesstate debt collection law
Date on the summonsto answer a debt lawsuit

Your federal rights

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

Wisconsin law and extra protections

State law
Wisconsin Consumer Act (debt collection, Wis. Stat. ch. 427)
Law
Wis. Stat. ch. 427
Covers original creditors
Yes
Extra protections
  • The law applies to everyone collecting a consumer credit debt, including a store or lender collecting its own debt. (Wis. Stat. ch. 427, per Wisconsin DFI)
  • Calls before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. Central Time, or calls so frequent they become harassing, are prohibited. (Wis. Stat. § 427.104, per Wisconsin DFI)
  • Collectors may contact your employer only in limited cases, such as to verify employment, or after a court judgment. (Wis. Stat. § 427.104(1)(d), per Wisconsin DFI)
  • Collectors cannot tell others about a debt you reasonably dispute without saying it is disputed. (Wis. Stat. § 427.104, per Wisconsin DFI)
Can you sue under it?
Yes. You can sue for actual damages (including emotional distress, without needing a physical injury), plus a penalty (DFI describes it as twice the finance charge, up to $1,000), and to recover collateral you were pressured to give up. (Wis. Stat. § 427.105, per Wisconsin DFI)
Official text
Read the law

Old debts in Wisconsin

Written contracts
Check your state
Open accounts and unwritten agreements
Check your state

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 Wisconsin'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.

Check Wisconsin's ruleWe could not confirm Wisconsin's time limit for a written contract in official sources, so we don't show a number. Check the official source below or ask a legal aid office.

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 Wisconsin

Wage limit
Stricter than federal. At least 80% of your disposable earnings are protected: the most that can be taken is 20% of your disposable earnings, or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage, whichever is less. Your earnings are fully protected if your household income is below the federal poverty level; if you get (or got in the last 6 months, or are eligible for) certain public benefits such as public assistance, food stamps, SSI or medical assistance; or if at least 25% of your pay is already assigned for support. If a garnishment would push your household below the poverty line, it is limited to the income above that line. These limits do not apply to support, taxes or certain bankruptcy orders.
Law
Wis. Stat. § 812.34 (as stated on court forms CV-423, Earnings Garnishment Exemption Notice, and CV-426, Garnishment Exemption Worksheet)

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.

Collector licensing in Wisconsin

License required
Yes
Who licenses
Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), Division of Banking, Licensed Financial Services (Wis. Stat. § 218.04)
Check a license
Official license lookup

If you are sued in Wisconsin

Time to answer
Small claims: you must appear and/or file a written answer by the date and time on the summons (court form SC-500).
If you don't answer
If you don't appear or answer, the plaintiff may win and a judgment can be entered for what they ask (SC-500).
Court self-help
Wisconsin court self-help (official)

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

Where to complain in Wisconsin

Free help in Wisconsin

Good to know in Wisconsin

  • An earnings garnishment in Wisconsin lasts 13 weeks unless you agree in writing to extend it (court form CV-423).
  • Small claims in Wisconsin cover money claims up to $10,000 (Wisconsin Court System).

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 Wisconsin

How much of my paycheck can be garnished in Wisconsin?

Stricter than federal. At least 80% of your disposable earnings are protected: the most that can be taken is 20% of your disposable earnings, or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage, whichever is less. Your earnings are fully protected if your household income is below the federal poverty level; if you get (or got in the last 6 months, or are eligible for) certain public benefits such as public assistance, food stamps, SSI or medical assistance; or if at least 25% of your pay is already assigned for support. If a garnishment would push your household below the poverty line, it is limited to the income above that line. These limits do not apply to support, taxes or certain bankruptcy orders.

Do debt collectors need a license in Wisconsin?

Yes. Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), Division of Banking, Licensed Financial Services (Wis. Stat. § 218.04)

Does Wisconsin have its own debt collection law?

Yes: the Wisconsin Consumer Act (debt collection, Wis. Stat. ch. 427) (Wis. Stat. ch. 427). It also covers original creditors collecting their own debts.

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

Small claims: you must appear and/or file a written answer by the date and time on the summons (court form SC-500).

Where can I complain about a debt collector in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Wisconsin Consumer Act unit: https://dfi.wi.gov/Pages/ConsumerServices/WisconsinConsumerAct/FileAComplaint.aspx · (800) 452-3328 (in Wisconsin); (608) 264-7969

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources

Other states