Debt Collectors
Fla. Stat. 559.72 — no calls from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m., no threats, and up to $1,000
Florida's consumer collection practices law says what no person may do in collecting consumer debts, which reaches creditors collecting their own debts as well as collection agencies. A consumer debt is one arising from a transaction primarily for personal, family or household purposes.
- No pretending to be a law enforcement officer or a government representative.
- No contacting the debtor's employer before a final judgment, unless the debtor agrees in writing or acknowledges the debt in writing after it is placed for collection.
- No calls or contacts so frequent they can be expected to harass, and no profane, obscene or abusive language, with the debtor or the family.
- No enforcing a debt known not to be legitimate, or asserting a right known not to exist.
- No communication between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. in the debtor's time zone without prior consent, apart from a compliant e-mail.
- No contacting a debtor known to have a lawyer for the debt, unless the lawyer does not respond within 30 days or consents.
Actual damages, up to $1,000 more, and attorney's fees, within 2 years. A person who violates the section is liable for actual damages and additional statutory damages the court allows, not exceeding $1,000, with court costs and reasonable attorney's fees. The action is commenced within 2 years after the violation.
Sources for this section (3)
- Fla. Stat. 559.72 — Prohibited practices generally
- Fla. Stat. 559.77 — Civil remedies
- Fla. Stat. 559.55 — Definitions for consumer collection agencies
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Florida attorney.