Title 15 — Commerce and TradeRelease 119-73

§1692i Legal actions by debt collectors

Title 15 › Chapter CHAPTER 41— - CONSUMER CREDIT PROTECTION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER V— - DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES › § 1692i

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Debt collectors who sue a consumer over a debt must file the case in the right court. If the suit is about property that secures the debt, the collector must sue where that property is located. For other debt cases, the collector must sue where the consumer signed the contract or where the consumer lives when the case starts. Those rules do not give a debt collector the right to start a lawsuit if they do not already have the authority to do so.

Full Legal Text

Title 15, §1692i

Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Any debt collector who brings any legal action on a debt against any consumer shall—

(1)in the case of an action to enforce an interest in real property securing the consumer’s obligation, bring such action only in a judicial district or similar legal entity in which such real property is located; or

(2)in the case of an action not described in paragraph (1), bring such action only in the judicial district or similar legal entity—

(A)in which such consumer signed the contract sued upon; or

(B)in which such consumer resides at the commencement of the action.

(b)Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to authorize the bringing of legal actions by debt collectors.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective upon the expiration of six months after Sept. 20, 1977, see section 819 of Pub. L. 90–321, as added by Pub. L. 95–109, set out as a note under section 1692 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

15 U.S.C. § 1692i

Title 15 — Commerce and Trade

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73