Dealing With Debt Collectors in Indiana (2026)
Reviewed by DocDraft Legal Team · Indiana · Last updated August 13, 2026
This guide covers dealing with debt collectors in Indiana. On top of the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA, 15 U.S.C. 1692), Indiana law sets the statute of limitations on debt, generally six years for both written contracts (Ind. Code 34-11-2-9) and open or unwritten accounts such as credit cards (Ind. Code 34-11-2-7). The Indiana Uniform Consumer Credit Code (Ind. Code 24-4.5) caps most consumer-debt wage garnishment at 25 percent of disposable earnings (Ind. Code 24-4.5-5-105), and Ind. Code 34-55-10-2 shields a portion of your home, property, and bank funds. The Indiana Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division enforces the Deceptive Consumer Sales Act and takes complaints against collectors.
What is the statute of limitations on debt in Indiana?
In Indiana most consumer debt has a six-year limitations period. Written contracts and promissory notes fall under Ind. Code 34-11-2-9 (six years), and open accounts, credit cards, and unwritten contracts fall under Ind. Code 34-11-2-7 (six years). Once that period runs, a collector can no longer win a lawsuit to force payment.
Can my wages be garnished for consumer debt in Indiana?
Yes, but only after a creditor gets a court judgment. Under the Indiana Uniform Consumer Credit Code (Ind. Code 24-4.5-5-105), garnishment cannot exceed 25 percent of your disposable weekly earnings, and no garnishment is allowed on the amount at or below 30 times the federal minimum wage.
How do I stop a debt collector from contacting me in Indiana?
Send the collector a written cease-communication letter under 15 U.S.C. 1692c(c). Once it receives your letter, it must stop contacting you except to confirm it is stopping or to say it may pursue a specific remedy such as a lawsuit. Keep proof of mailing. Stopping contact does not erase the debt.
What can a debt collector not do to me in Indiana?
Under the FDCPA a collector cannot harass, threaten, or use obscene language (15 U.S.C. 1692d) or lie about the amount or legal status of a debt (15 U.S.C. 1692e). Indiana's Deceptive Consumer Sales Act (Ind. Code 24-5-0.5) also lets the Attorney General pursue deceptive collection practices.
How Indiana law shapes debt collection
Indiana does not have a standalone fair-debt-collection statute that mirrors the FDCPA, so the federal FDCPA (15 U.S.C. 1692) is the primary rulebook for third-party collectors here. Indiana adds two layers of protection. First, the Indiana Uniform Consumer Credit Code (Ind. Code 24-4.5) governs consumer credit transactions and, at Ind. Code 24-4.5-5-105, limits wage garnishment on consumer debt to 25 percent of disposable weekly earnings, with a floor tied to 30 times the federal minimum wage below which no wages can be taken. Second, the Deceptive Consumer Sales Act (Ind. Code 24-5-0.5) lets the Indiana Attorney General investigate and sue over deceptive or abusive collection conduct. Debt collection agencies generally must be properly authorized to collect in Indiana, and the Attorney General has taken action against firms collecting without a license. Property is protected by Ind. Code 34-55-10-2, which as of 2026 exempts up to $22,750 of home equity, $8,000 of other tangible property, and $300 of intangible personal property such as bank funds. Consumers can complain to the Indiana Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division.: confirm the exact Indiana collection-agency licensing statute and licensing agency.
Relevant Laws
Indiana Statute of Limitations, Ind. Code 34-11-2-9 and 34-11-2-7
Ind. Code 34-11-2-9 sets a six-year limit on promissory notes and written contracts for the payment of money executed after August 31, 1982. Ind. Code 34-11-2-7 sets a six-year limit on open accounts and contracts not in writing, which covers most credit-card debt in Indiana.
Indiana Uniform Consumer Credit Code, Ind. Code 24-4.5-5-105
Part of Indiana's Uniform Consumer Credit Code, this section limits garnishment on consumer debt to 25 percent of an individual's disposable weekly earnings and bars garnishment of the amount at or below 30 times the federal minimum wage.
Indiana Property Exemptions, Ind. Code 34-55-10-2
Lists the exemptions a debtor can claim against execution and garnishment, including, as of 2026, up to $22,750 of home equity, $8,000 of other real or tangible personal property, and $300 of intangible personal property such as deposit accounts and cash.
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), 15 U.S.C. 1692-1692p
The federal statute governing third-party debt collectors. It bars harassment (1692d), false or misleading representations (1692e), and unfair practices (1692f), restricts contact (1692c), and creates the 30-day debt validation right (1692g). It applies fully in Indiana.
Regional Variances
Indiana statute of limitations by debt type
Written contract
Six years under Ind. Code 34-11-2-9 for written contracts and promissory notes for the payment of money executed after August 31, 1982. The clock generally runs from default or the last payment. Contracts executed before September 1, 1982 carried a longer ten-year period under the same section.
Oral or unwritten contract
Six years under Ind. Code 34-11-2-7 for contracts not in writing and open accounts. Indiana does not use a shorter period for oral agreements, so most non-written consumer obligations share the same six-year window as written ones.
Open account or credit card
Six years under Ind. Code 34-11-2-7. Indiana case law treats credit-card accounts as unwritten or open accounts, so the six-year clock generally runs from the last payment or last activity on the account.
Promissory note
Six years under Ind. Code 34-11-2-9, the same section that governs written contracts for the payment of money, for notes executed after August 31, 1982.
Suggested Compliance Checklist
Confirm the validation notice and diary the 30-day deadline
Within 5 days of first contact days after startingConfirm the collector sent the Regulation F validation notice (12 CFR 1006.34) identifying the creditor, amount, and your dispute rights. Note the date you received it and calendar the 30-day window to dispute in writing under 15 U.S.C. 1692g.
Check the Indiana six-year statute of limitations
Before making any payment or promise days after startingFind your last payment or last activity date and compare it against the six-year limits in Ind. Code 34-11-2-7 (open accounts and credit cards) and Ind. Code 34-11-2-9 (written contracts and notes). A payment or written acknowledgment can restart the clock, so verify before you act.
Send a written debt validation letter
Within 30 days of receiving the validation notice days after startingIf you do not recognize the debt or the amount looks wrong, mail a written dispute and request for verification within the 30-day window. This forces an Indiana collector to stop collecting until it mails you proof of the debt.
Send a cease-and-desist letter if you want contact to stop
As soon as you decide to stop contact days after startingUnder 15 U.S.C. 1692c(c), a written cease-communication letter requires the collector to stop contacting you once received, except to confirm it is stopping or to state it may pursue a specific remedy. Keep proof of mailing.
File a complaint with the Indiana Attorney General and CFPB
Within 1 year of any FDCPA violation days after startingSubmit a complaint to the Indiana Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division at in.gov/attorneygeneral/consumer-protection-division/file-a-complaint or 1-800-382-5516, and to the CFPB at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. Because 15 U.S.C. 1692k generally requires suit within one year, consult an attorney promptly.
| Task | Description | Document | Days after starting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confirm the validation notice and diary the 30-day deadline | Confirm the collector sent the Regulation F validation notice (12 CFR 1006.34) identifying the creditor, amount, and your dispute rights. Note the date you received it and calendar the 30-day window to dispute in writing under 15 U.S.C. 1692g. | - | Within 5 days of first contact |
| Check the Indiana six-year statute of limitations | Find your last payment or last activity date and compare it against the six-year limits in Ind. Code 34-11-2-7 (open accounts and credit cards) and Ind. Code 34-11-2-9 (written contracts and notes). A payment or written acknowledgment can restart the clock, so verify before you act. | - | Before making any payment or promise |
| Send a written debt validation letter | If you do not recognize the debt or the amount looks wrong, mail a written dispute and request for verification within the 30-day window. This forces an Indiana collector to stop collecting until it mails you proof of the debt. | debt-validation-letter | Within 30 days of receiving the validation notice |
| Send a cease-and-desist letter if you want contact to stop | Under 15 U.S.C. 1692c(c), a written cease-communication letter requires the collector to stop contacting you once received, except to confirm it is stopping or to state it may pursue a specific remedy. Keep proof of mailing. | cease-and-desist-letter | As soon as you decide to stop contact |
| File a complaint with the Indiana Attorney General and CFPB | Submit a complaint to the Indiana Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division at in.gov/attorneygeneral/consumer-protection-division/file-a-complaint or 1-800-382-5516, and to the CFPB at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. Because 15 U.S.C. 1692k generally requires suit within one year, consult an attorney promptly. | - | Within 1 year of any FDCPA violation |
Frequently Asked Questions
Indiana treats credit cards as unwritten or open accounts, so they fall under the six-year limitations period in Ind. Code 34-11-2-7. That period generally runs from your last payment or last activity on the account. After six years a collector can still ask you to pay, but it can no longer win a lawsuit to force payment on a time-barred debt.
Only after suing you and obtaining a court judgment. Wage garnishment is capped at 25 percent of your disposable weekly earnings under Ind. Code 24-4.5-5-105, with a floor tied to 30 times the federal minimum wage. Bank funds get limited protection through the intangible-property exemption in Ind. Code 34-55-10-2, currently $300, which you must claim.
It often can. In Indiana a partial payment or a written acknowledgment of an old debt can restart the six-year limitations clock under Ind. Code 34-11-2-7 or 34-11-2-9. Before you pay even a small amount on an old debt, confirm the last activity date, because restarting the clock can revive a collector's ability to sue you.
Indiana has no standalone state fair-debt-collection statute mirroring the FDCPA, so the federal FDCPA (15 U.S.C. 1692) is the main protection. However, the Deceptive Consumer Sales Act (Ind. Code 24-5-0.5) lets the Indiana Attorney General act against deceptive collection practices, and the Uniform Consumer Credit Code (Ind. Code 24-4.5) governs consumer credit and garnishment.
Yes. Under 15 U.S.C. 1692k you can sue a collector that violates the FDCPA, generally within one year of the violation, and recover actual damages, statutory damages up to $1,000, and attorney's fees. You can also report deceptive conduct to the Indiana Attorney General. An attorney can help you evaluate whether you have a claim.
Other Indiana guides
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