Stopping Debt Collector Calls in Georgia: Your Rights

Debt collectors that pursue past-due accounts owned by someone else are third-party collectors, and their phone calls are limited by federal law that applies in every state, Georgia included. This article covers the written request that stops most contact, the federal caps on call timing and frequency, the rules for calls to a workplace, and where a Georgia resident reports a collector that ignores the rules. It is one of the procedures within Georgia’s consumer protection laws.

Who the debt collection rules cover in Georgia

Georgia does not license debt collectors under a separate state collection act. Phone-call conduct is governed by the federal FDCPA, and abusive or deceptive practices can also violate the Georgia Fair Business Practices Act, which the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division enforces.

The FDCPA reaches third-party debt collectors and debt buyers: companies collecting a debt that first belonged to someone else. Its protections are summarized in the Federal Trade Commission’s debt collection FAQs. Original creditors collecting their own accounts, a bank calling about its own credit card, for example, usually fall outside the FDCPA, though the Georgia Fair Business Practices Act and the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act can still apply to how they call.

Put your request to stop contact in writing

The most direct way to end the calls is a written cease-communication notice. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1692c(c), once a consumer notifies a debt collector in writing that they refuse to pay the debt or want the collector to stop contacting them, the collector must stop. Two narrow exceptions remain: the collector may contact the consumer once to confirm that contact is ending, and it may give notice of a specific action it intends to take, such as filing a lawsuit.

A separate written step addresses debts a consumer does not recognize. If the consumer disputes the debt in writing within 30 days of the collector’s first written notice, 15 U.S.C. § 1692g requires the collector to pause collection until it mails verification of the debt.

1. Identify the account and the collector

   Write down the collector’s name, the account or reference number from a letter or caller ID, and the amount claimed. A letter that names the specific debt is harder for a collector to ignore than a general complaint.

2. State the request plainly

   Say either that you refuse to pay and want all contact to stop, or that you dispute the debt and want verification. Keep the wording short and direct. A consumer can make both points in one letter.

3. Send it so delivery can be proven

   Mail the letter by a method that produces a receipt, such as certified mail with return receipt, and keep a copy. Proof of the date the collector received the request matters if a violation is later reported.

When and how often a collector can call

Federal rules limit both the timing and the volume of collection calls. On timing, 15 U.S.C. § 1692c(a)(1) treats any time before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. in the consumer’s local time as inconvenient, so calls in that window are generally prohibited without permission.

On volume, the CFPB’s Regulation F sets a concrete threshold. Under 12 C.F.R. § 1006.14(b), a collector is presumed to break the harassment rule if it calls a person about a particular debt more than seven times within seven consecutive days, or within seven days after having spoken with that person by phone about the debt. The same section lets a consumer bar a particular medium: once someone asks a collector not to contact them at a specific number or through email or text, the collector generally may not use it.

Calls to your job and to other people

The FDCPA also restricts where a collector can reach a consumer. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1692c(a)(3), a collector may not call a consumer at work once it knows or has reason to know the employer prohibits such calls. A short statement that personal calls are not allowed at the job is enough to trigger this limit.

Calls to third parties are limited too. A collector generally may not tell family members, neighbors, or coworkers about the debt. It may contact other people only to find out where the consumer lives or works, and even then it usually may not reveal that the call concerns a debt. The CFPB’s guidance on getting a collector to stop contacting you explains how these limits work alongside a written stop request.

Report a collector that keeps calling

A collector that keeps calling after a proper written request, or that calls at barred hours or in barred volumes, can be reported to several agencies. Complaints about a debt collector go to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at consumerfinance.gov, to the Federal Trade Commission through its debt collection FAQs and report portal, and to the Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, which explains how to file a complaint. Georgia residents can also learn the steps to file a consumer protection complaint with the state.

The FDCPA also gives consumers a private right to sue. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1692k, a consumer who brings an action within one year of a violation can recover actual damages plus additional damages up to $1,000, along with court costs and reasonable attorney’s fees.