Under 15 USC 1692g(a), a debt collector must send the debtor a debt validation notice within five days after “the initial communication with the debtor in connection with collection of any debt.” The notice must disclose the amount due, the creditor to which it is owed, and notices that the consumer may dispute the debt within 30 days. This decision holds that the debt validation notice requirement applies not only to the first debt collector attempting to collect a particular debt, but also to each later debt collector who attempts to collect the same debt. If there are multiple debt collectors that try to collect a debt, each one must send the required notice after its first communication with the alleged debtor about the debt.
The federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act’s five-day debt validation notice requirement applies not only to the first debt collector attempting to collect a given debt, but also to each later debt collector attempting to collect that same debt.