FDCPA Call Rules: The 7-in-7 Limit and Other Collector Limits

Who the FDCPA Covers: Debt Collectors vs. Original Creditors

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. 1692 and following, applies to third-party debt collectors. That includes collection agencies, debt buyers, and law firms that regularly collect consumer debts owed to someone else.

It generally does not cover an original creditor collecting its own debt. One exception: a creditor that collects under a different name can be treated as a debt collector. If your bank or card issuer is the one calling, the FDCPA may not apply, but the TCPA still can. Our page on debt collector robocalls covers that side.

Regulation F, issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) at 12 C.F.R. Part 1006, fills in the details. It is where the specific call-frequency rule lives.

The Regulation F Call Limit: What the 7-in-7 Rule Says

Section 1006.14(b)(2) sets a presumption. A debt collector is presumed to violate the ban on harassing calls if it places a telephone call to a particular person about a particular debt:

• more than seven times within seven consecutive days, or
• within seven consecutive days after having a telephone conversation with that person about the debt.

A collector that stays under both limits is presumed to comply. A collector that goes over is presumed to violate the law. Either presumption can be rebutted with other facts, such as the timing, pattern, and intent behind the calls.

What Counts Toward the Debt Collector Call Limit

The CFPB highlights three points that decide most cases:

• Voicemails count. A call that goes to voicemail is still a placed call. Unanswered calls count too.
• The limit applies per debt. A collector handling three of your accounts can, in theory, call about each one. That surprises many people. Student loans are an exception: depending on the facts, several student loans may be treated as one debt, so calls about them are counted together.
• Texts and emails do not count. The CFPB says the limits cover only phone calls the collector places to you. Texts, emails, in-person contact, and social media messages fall under other protections.

Pattern matters as well. The CFPB notes that seven calls packed into a single day could still constitute harassment, even if the total stays under seven over seven days.

Calls Excluded From the 7-Call Limit

Under 1006.14(b)(3), some calls are left out of the count:

• calls you directly agreed to within the past seven days,
• calls that never connect to the number dialed, and
• calls to certain other people, such as your attorney, the creditor, or a credit reporting agency.

Other Debt Collection Call Rules You Should Know

FDCPA Damages: What You Can Recover for Harassing Debt Collection Calls

Section 1692k lets you recover:

• Actual damages, such as lost wages, phone charges, or emotional distress backed by evidence.
• Statutory damages up to $1,000 per case, not per call. In a class action, the cap is the lesser of $500,000 or 1% of the collector’s net worth.
• Attorney’s fees and costs if you win, paid by the collector.

That fee-shifting rule is why many consumer lawyers take FDCPA cases even when the damages are modest. It cuts both ways in rare cases: a court can order a consumer to pay the collector’s fees if a suit was brought in bad faith to harass.

A collector can also avoid liability by showing the violation was unintentional and resulted from a bona fide error, despite keeping procedures reasonably adapted to prevent it.

Don’t Wait: The FDCPA Filing Deadline Is Short

FDCPA claims have a short filing window that begins on the date of the violation and is considerably shorter than the window for TCPA claims. Older calls may no longer support an FDCPA claim, so it pays to act while the calls are recent. A consumer attorney can tell you which deadlines apply to your situation.

CFPB Enforcement Example: Yorba Capital Management

A few years ago, the CFPB took action against Yorba Capital Management and its owner after finding the company had falsely threatened consumers with legal action it never intended to take. The CFPB found violations of federal debt collection and consumer protection laws, and the company and its owner were barred from the industry.

The takeaway: regulators look beyond call counts. False threats and pressure tactics can draw enforcement on their own.

When Frequent Calls Are Probably Not an FDCPA Violation

• Six calls in a week, spread out, at reasonable hours, from an agency that identifies itself. Annoying, but likely lawful.
• Calls from your original lender about its own loan. Look to the TCPA and state law instead.
• Calls about a business debt. The FDCPA covers consumer debts: personal, family, or household.

How to Document Debt Collector Harassment

• Write down every call: date, time, number, whether it connected, and what was said. Count calls per debt in any seven-day window.
• Note the date of any real conversation, then watch for calls in the next seven days.
• Send a written cease letter or a channel restriction and keep proof of mailing.
• Keep the validation notice the collector sent. It names the collector and the debt, which you need for a claim.
• Screenshot your call logs before your phone deletes older entries.

What to Do If a Debt Collector Is Calling Too Much

Because the FDCPA deadline is short, don’t wait. Pull your call log now and count calls per seven-day window. If the collector also left recorded messages on your cell phone, you may have a TCPA claim on top of the FDCPA claim, and that claim generally allows more time to file. If the calls feel threatening or personal rather than routine, read our guide to harassing phone calls as well. Then send your log for a free review.

Debt Collector Call Limits: Frequently Asked Questions

How many times can a debt collector call you in a day?

Regulation F does not set a daily number. It uses a weekly presumption: more than seven calls about one debt in seven days is presumed harassment. Several calls in one day can still be harassment depending on the pattern and intent.

Do text messages count toward the 7 calls in 7 days?

No. The CFPB says the limit applies only to phone calls. Texts and emails must include an easy opt-out, and you can tell the collector to stop using a specific channel.

Can I sue a debt collector for calling too much?

Yes. The FDCPA lets you sue for actual damages, up to $1,000 in statutory damages, and attorney’s fees. The filing deadline is short, so act soon after the violation.

Does the 7-in-7 rule apply to my credit card company?

Usually not. Regulation F applies to third-party debt collectors, not original creditors collecting their own debts. Some state laws do reach creditors, and the TCPA applies to both if robocalls are involved.

What should a cease communication letter say?

Keep it short: your name, the account or reference number, and a statement that you want the collector to stop communicating with you about the debt. Send it in a way you can prove, and keep a copy.