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Title 15, Commerce and TradeRelease 119-110

§1612 Effect on Government Agencies

Title 15 › CHAPTER 41 — CONSUMER CREDIT PROTECTION › SUBCHAPTER I — CONSUMER CREDIT COST DISCLOSURE › Part A — General Provisions › § 1612

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Agencies that run, insure, or guarantee consumer credit programs must consult with the Bureau before they start or keep using any credit forms that include the required disclosures. They need to make sure those forms follow the rules. The United States and any federal, state, or local agency cannot be fined or criminally punished under this law. A creditor taking part in a federal credit program also won’t be fined or criminally punished under this law if the problem comes from using a form the government required. The creditor is also protected from state fines for minor technical errors caused by using a government-required form, except for state laws found inconsistent under section 1610.

Full Legal Text

Title 15, §1612

Commerce and Trade, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Consultation requirements respecting compliance of credit instruments issued to participating creditor (b) Inapplicability of Federal civil or criminal penalties to Federal, State, and local agencies
Any department or agency of the United States which administers a credit program in which it extends, insures, or guarantees consumer credit and in which it provides instruments to a creditor which contain any disclosures required by this subchapter shall, prior to the issuance or continued use of such instruments, consult with the Bureau to assure that such instruments comply with this subchapter.
(c)Inapplicability of Federal civil or criminal penalties to participating creditor where violating instrument issued by United States
A creditor participating in a credit program administered, insured, or guaranteed by any department or agency or the United States shall not be held liable for a civil or criminal penalty under this subchapter in any case in which the violation results from the use of an instrument required by any such department or agency.
(d)Applicability of State penalties to violations by participating creditor
A creditor participating in a credit program administered, insured, or guaranteed by any department or agency of the United States shall not be held liable for a civil or criminal penalty under the laws of any State (other than laws determined under section 1610 of this title to be inconsistent with this subchapter) for any technical or procedural failure, such as a failure to use a specific form, to make information available at a specific place on an instrument, or to use a specific typeface, as required by State law, which is caused by the use of an instrument required to be used by such department or agency.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2010—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 111–203 substituted “Bureau” for “Board”. 1980—Pub. L. 96–221 amended section generally, designating existing provisions as subsec. (b) and adding subsecs. (a), (c), and (d).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2010 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 111–203 effective on the designated transfer date, see section 1100H of Pub. L. 111–203, set out as a note under section 552a of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

Effective Date

of 1980 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 96–221 effective on expiration of two years and six months after Mar. 31, 1980, with all

Regulations

, forms, and clauses required to be prescribed to be promulgated at least one year prior to such

Effective Date

, and allowing any creditor to comply with any

Amendments

, in accordance with the

Regulations

, forms, and clauses prescribed by the Board prior to such

Effective Date

, see section 625 of Pub. L. 96–221, set out as a note under section 1602 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

15 U.S.C. § 1612

Title 15, Commerce and Trade

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110