Dealing With Debt Collectors in Oregon (2026)
Reviewed by DocDraft Legal Team · Oregon · Last updated August 13, 2026
This page covers dealing with debt collectors in Oregon and the state-specific rules that layer on top of the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Oregon's statute of limitations on most consumer debt is six years under ORS 12.080, which sets the window a creditor has to sue you. Oregon also has its own Unlawful Debt Collection Practices Act (ORS 646.639) that reaches original creditors, not just third-party agencies, and Oregon requires collection agencies to register with the state Division of Financial Regulation under ORS 697.031. Oregon further protects 75 percent of your disposable wages and other property from garnishment, and the Oregon Department of Justice and Division of Financial Regulation both take consumer complaints.
What is the statute of limitations on debt in Oregon?
Under ORS 12.080, most contract debt in Oregon, including written and oral contracts and open accounts such as credit cards, has a six-year statute of limitations. That is the window a creditor or collector has to sue you. After six years the debt is generally time-barred, though the debt itself does not disappear.
Can a debt collector garnish my wages in Oregon for consumer debt?
Yes, but only after suing you and getting a judgment, and Oregon caps what it can take. Under ORS 18.385, 75 percent of your disposable earnings is exempt, and a weekly minimum of $254 is protected regardless of the percentage. Wage garnishment for consumer debt requires a court judgment first.
How do I stop a debt collector from contacting me in Oregon?
Send a written cease-communication letter. Under the federal FDCPA (15 U.S.C. 1692c(c)), a collector must stop contacting you once it receives your letter, except to confirm it is stopping or to name a specific remedy. Oregon's own collection law (ORS 646.639) also bars harassing and repeated contact meant to annoy you.
What can a debt collector not do to me in Oregon?
Under Oregon's Unlawful Debt Collection Practices Act (ORS 646.639), a collector cannot use threats, obscene language, repeated calls to harass, or false or misleading claims about the debt. Unlike the FDCPA, Oregon's statute also reaches original creditors collecting their own consumer debts, not just outside collection agencies.
How Oregon regulates debt collectors
Oregon gives consumers protection beyond the federal FDCPA. The Oregon Unlawful Debt Collection Practices Act (ORS 646.639) prohibits harassment, threats, false representations, and unfair collection tactics, and importantly it defines a covered debt collector broadly enough to reach original creditors enforcing their own consumer obligations, not just third-party agencies and debt buyers. Third-party collection agencies must register with the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services through its Division of Financial Regulation under ORS 697.031, and the Division verifies registration and investigates unregistered or abusive collectors. On collection itself, Oregon is a wage-garnishment state, but ORS 18.385 shields 75 percent of disposable earnings with a protected weekly floor, and ORS 18.345 exempts a range of personal property from seizure. Consumers can complain to the Oregon Department of Justice Consumer Protection unit at 1-877-877-9392 or through the Division of Financial Regulation.
Relevant Laws
Oregon Statute of Limitations on Contracts, ORS 12.080
Sets a six-year limitations period for actions on a contract or liability, express or implied, which covers written contracts, oral contracts, and open accounts such as credit cards. This is the window a creditor or collector has to file suit on most Oregon consumer debt.
Oregon Unlawful Debt Collection Practices Act, ORS 646.639
Oregon's state fair-debt statute. It prohibits harassment, threats, false or misleading representations, and unfair collection practices, and it reaches original creditors collecting their own consumer debts, not only third-party collection agencies and debt buyers.
Oregon Wage Exemption, ORS 18.385
Exempts 75 percent of a debtor's disposable earnings from garnishment and sets a protected weekly minimum (a $254 floor for a one-week pay period), giving Oregon workers a substantial shield against wage garnishment for consumer debt after a judgment.
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), 15 U.S.C. 1692
The federal baseline for third-party debt collectors. It creates the debt validation right (1692g), the cease-communication right (1692c(c)), and bars harassment (1692d) and false representations (1692e), with a one-year window to sue under 1692k. Oregon law adds protections on top of it.
Regional Variances
Oregon statute of limitations by debt type (ORS 12.080)
Written contract
Six years. ORS 12.080 requires an action on a written contract to be commenced within six years of the breach or last payment. This covers most signed consumer loan and financing agreements in Oregon.
Oral contract
Six years. ORS 12.080 applies the same six-year period to a contract or liability, express or implied, so oral agreements share the written-contract limitations period in Oregon rather than a shorter one.
Open account / credit card
Six years. Open accounts, including most credit card debt, are treated as contract or account obligations under ORS 12.080 and carry the six-year limitations period, generally measured from the last payment or default.: confirm the precise accrual/last-payment rule for open accounts on a.gov code page.
Promissory note
Six years. A promissory note is a written contract for the payment of money, so under ORS 12.080 it carries the six-year limitations period.: verify whether any Oregon UCC provision (ORS Chapter 73/73.0118) sets a different period for negotiable instruments before relying on this.
Suggested Compliance Checklist
Confirm the Oregon statute of limitations on your debt
Before you pay, settle, or promise anything days after startingFind the date of your last payment or default and compare it to the six-year period in ORS 12.080. If more than six years has passed, the debt may be time-barred, and making a payment or written acknowledgment could restart the clock. Do not act until you understand the limitations status.
Send a written debt validation letter
Within 30 days of the collector's 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 FDCPA window. This forces the collector to stop collecting until it mails you proof, and it creates a record you can use in an Oregon DOJ or DFR complaint.
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 name a specific remedy. Oregon's ORS 646.639 separately bars repeated contact meant to harass. Keep proof of mailing.
Identify and protect your Oregon wage and property exemptions
Before or immediately after any garnishment days after startingConfirm that 75 percent of your disposable wages and the $254 weekly minimum are protected under ORS 18.385, and review the personal property exemptions in ORS 18.345. Keep exempt funds identifiable in your bank account so you can claim the exemption if a collector garnishes it.
File a complaint with the Oregon DOJ or Division of Financial Regulation
Within 1 year of any FDCPA violation days after startingReport abusive or unregistered collectors to the Oregon Department of Justice Consumer Protection unit at 1-877-877-9392 or justice.oregon.gov/consumercomplaints, and to the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation. Because 15 U.S.C. 1692k generally requires suit within one year, consult an attorney promptly about damages and fees.
| Task | Description | Document | Days after starting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confirm the Oregon statute of limitations on your debt | Find the date of your last payment or default and compare it to the six-year period in ORS 12.080. If more than six years has passed, the debt may be time-barred, and making a payment or written acknowledgment could restart the clock. Do not act until you understand the limitations status. | - | Before you pay, settle, or promise anything |
| 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 FDCPA window. This forces the collector to stop collecting until it mails you proof, and it creates a record you can use in an Oregon DOJ or DFR complaint. | debt-validation-letter | Within 30 days of the collector's 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 name a specific remedy. Oregon's ORS 646.639 separately bars repeated contact meant to harass. Keep proof of mailing. | cease-and-desist-letter | As soon as you decide to stop contact |
| Identify and protect your Oregon wage and property exemptions | Confirm that 75 percent of your disposable wages and the $254 weekly minimum are protected under ORS 18.385, and review the personal property exemptions in ORS 18.345. Keep exempt funds identifiable in your bank account so you can claim the exemption if a collector garnishes it. | - | Before or immediately after any garnishment |
| File a complaint with the Oregon DOJ or Division of Financial Regulation | Report abusive or unregistered collectors to the Oregon Department of Justice Consumer Protection unit at 1-877-877-9392 or justice.oregon.gov/consumercomplaints, and to the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation. Because 15 U.S.C. 1692k generally requires suit within one year, consult an attorney promptly about damages and fees. | - | Within 1 year of any FDCPA violation |
Frequently Asked Questions
Credit card debt is generally treated as an open account or contract, so it falls under Oregon's six-year statute of limitations in ORS 12.080. The clock usually runs from your last payment or default. Once six years pass, a collector can no longer win a lawsuit on the debt if you raise the limitations defense, though the debt is not erased.
Yes, and this is a key difference from the federal FDCPA. The Oregon Unlawful Debt Collection Practices Act (ORS 646.639) defines a debt collector broadly and reaches original creditors enforcing their own consumer debts, along with third-party agencies and debt buyers. So an Oregon creditor collecting its own account can still be liable for harassment or false statements under state law.
Yes. Third-party collection agencies operating in Oregon must register with the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services through its Division of Financial Regulation under ORS 697.031. The Division verifies registration and investigates collectors that operate without it. If a collector contacting you is unregistered, you can report it to the Division of Financial Regulation.
Under ORS 18.385, 75 percent of your disposable earnings is exempt from garnishment, and a minimum of $254 per week is protected regardless of the percentage calculation. A consumer creditor can only garnish wages after suing you and obtaining a judgment. The protected weekly and monthly minimums are adjusted over time, so confirm the current figure before responding to a garnishment.
Yes. Under the federal FDCPA (15 U.S.C. 1692k) you generally have one year to sue for actual damages, statutory damages up to $1,000, and attorney fees. Oregon's Unlawful Debt Collection Practices Act (ORS 646.639) also provides a private right of action against collectors and covered creditors. An attorney can help you evaluate which claims apply.
Other Oregon guides
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