Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act: Privacy-Related Prohibited Practices
FCCPA
Financial · Communications
Florida's debt collection law, which covers creditors as well as collection agencies. Several of its rules protect debtor privacy: limits on contacting employers, on disclosing debts to third parties, on publishing 'deadbeat lists' or using embarrassing envelopes, and a ban on contacting debtors between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. without consent (revised in 2025 to exempt e-mails that otherwise comply).
- Where
- Florida
- Citation
- Fla. Stat. 559.55-559.785 (privacy provisions in 559.72)
- Status
- In force
- Last amended
- 2025-05-16
- Enforced by
- Florida Office of Financial Regulation; private plaintiffs
- People can sue
- Yes
- Penalties
- Actual damages plus up to $1,000 in statutory damages, costs, and attorney's fees; in class actions, aggregate statutory damages up to the lesser of $500,000 or 1% of net worth; punitive damages and equitable relief available (559.77(2)).
- Applies to
- Any person collecting consumer debts in Florida, including original creditors, not only third-party collectors (559.72)
Practices it requires
- Do not contact or threaten to contact a debtor's employer before final judgment unless the debtor gives written permission or acknowledges the debt in writing after placement for collection.Fla. Stat. 559.72(4)
- Do not disclose information affecting the debtor's reputation to anyone other than the debtor or family who lacks a legitimate business need, or disclose a disputed debt without noting the dispute.Fla. Stat. 559.72(5)-(6)
- Do not publish or post lists of debtors, or mail communications with embarrassing words on the envelope or postcard.Fla. Stat. 559.72(14), (16)
- Do not communicate with a debtor between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. in the debtor's time zone without prior consent; compliant e-mails are excepted.Fla. Stat. 559.72(17) · From 2025-05-16
- Do not communicate directly with a debtor known to be represented by an attorney on the debt, except as allowed.Fla. Stat. 559.72(18)
Sources
- Official text
- Fla. Stat. 559.72 (2026 Florida Statutes, Online Sunshine)
- Fla. Stat. 559.77 (civil remedies)
- Laws of Florida ch. 2025-23 (CS/CS/SB 232), effective on becoming law, approved May 16, 2025
Checked against these sources on 2026-09-25 by research agent (Claude), primary sources.
Unverified: The e-mail carve-out in s. 559.72(17) is attributed to ch. 2025-23 based on the act's title and the 2026 text; a line-by-line comparison with the prior text was not done.
Research reference, not legal advice.