Debt collectors cannot call you on Sunday under federal law
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) sets strict rules about when debt collectors can contact you by phone. They are prohibited from calling before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. in your time zone. More importantly, they cannot call you on Sundays at all — only Monday through Saturday are permitted calling days.
This rule applies to all debt collectors working under federal law, whether they work for a collection agency, a law firm, or directly for a creditor. The restriction exists to protect you from harassment and to give you predictable times when you will not be contacted about a debt.
If a debt collector has called you on a Sunday, that call violated federal law. You have the right to document it and take action, which is covered in the sections below.
Key Takeaways
- Debt collectors cannot call you on any Sunday, and they cannot call before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. on any other day.
- These rules come from the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, a federal law that applies to most collection agencies and debt collection law firms.
- If a collector calls you on Sunday or outside permitted hours, write down the date, time, phone number, and the collector's name and company.
- You can send a written request asking the collector to stop calling, and they must honor it within five business days.
- Repeated violations of calling time rules may give you grounds to file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau or pursue a lawsuit.
What the federal calling hours rule actually covers
The FDCPA allows debt collectors to call you Monday through Saturday between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in your local time zone. The time zone rule matters: if you live in Pacific time and a collector calls at 10 a.m. Pacific, that is legal even if it is 1 p.m. Eastern. The collector must use your time zone, not theirs.
Sunday is a complete no-call day. There is no time of day on Sunday when a debt collector can legally call you. This applies whether the debt is real, disputed, or already paid. The day itself is off-limits.
The rule covers phone calls only. Text messages, emails, and letters are not restricted by the same time rules, though they are restricted by other parts of the FDCPA — for example, a collector cannot contact you at work if your employer forbids it, and they cannot contact you if you have asked them in writing to stop.
How to document a Sunday call or out-of-hours call
If a debt collector calls you on Sunday or outside the 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. window, save every detail. Write down the date, the exact time the call came in, the phone number it came from, the caller's name, the company name, and what they said. If you have caller ID, take a screenshot. If the call went to voicemail, save the message.
Do not delete the voicemail or text. These records are evidence that the collector violated the law. Keep them in a folder or document where you can find them again if you need to file a complaint or pursue legal action.
If the same collector calls multiple times outside permitted hours, document each call separately with the same information. A pattern of violations is stronger evidence than a single call and may increase the amount you could recover if you pursue a claim.
How to tell a debt collector to stop calling
You have the right to send a written request asking a debt collector to stop contacting you. The request must be in writing — a phone call does not count. Send it by certified mail with return receipt so you have proof the collector received it. Keep a copy for your records.
Once the collector receives your written request, they must stop calling within five business days. After that, they can only contact you to tell you they are taking a specific action, such as filing a lawsuit. They cannot call to ask for payment or to discuss the debt.
This right applies even if you owe the debt. You can exercise it at any time, and the collector cannot retaliate or threaten you for using it. If they continue calling after receiving your written request, that is another violation of the FDCPA.
What happens if a collector violates the calling time rules
A single out-of-hours call is a violation, but it does not automatically may have access to you to money. However, if the violations are repeated or part of a pattern of harassment, you may have grounds to file a complaint or pursue a lawsuit.
You can file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) at consumerfinance.gov. The CFPB investigates complaints about debt collection practices and can take action against collectors who repeatedly break the law. Filing a complaint does not cost you anything and does not require a lawyer.
You also have the right to sue a debt collector in small claims court or in regular court for violations of the FDCPA. If you win, the collector must pay you up to $1,000 per case, plus your actual damages (such as phone bills if they called repeatedly), court costs, and attorney fees. You do not have to prove you suffered financial harm — the violation itself is enough.
State laws that may give you additional protection
Some states have their own debt collection laws that are stricter than the federal FDCPA. For example, some states do not allow calls on Saturdays either, or they set different time windows. A few states require collectors to identify themselves and the debt within the first sentence of the call.
If you live in a state with stricter rules, those rules explore instead of the federal ones. You would need to know your state's specific law to know whether a particular call was illegal. Contact your state's attorney general's office or consumer protection agency to find out what rules explore where you live.
Even if your state does not have stricter rules, the federal FDCPA still protects you. The Sunday no-call rule is federal and applies everywhere in the United States.
What debt collectors are covered by these rules
The FDCPA applies to third-party debt collectors — companies hired to collect a debt on behalf of the original creditor. It also applies to debt collection law firms and to some creditors who collect their own debts using a different business name.
The FDCPA does not explore to the original creditor if they are collecting the debt themselves under their own name. For example, if your bank is calling about a past-due credit card, the bank may not be covered by the FDCPA's calling time rules. However, most states have their own laws that restrict when creditors can call, so you may still have protection.
If you are not sure whether the person calling you is a debt collector covered by the FDCPA, ask them directly. They are required to tell you their name, the name of the company they work for, and whether they are a debt collector. If they refuse to answer, that is itself a violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a debt collector call me on Saturday?
Yes. The FDCPA allows calls Monday through Saturday between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in your time zone. Saturday is a permitted calling day. However, some states have stricter rules that may prohibit Saturday calls, so check your state's consumer protection laws.
What if a debt collector calls me at 7:59 a.m.?
That is a violation. The earliest permitted time is 8 a.m. If the call came in at 7:59 a.m., document it with the exact time and add it to your record. A single early call may not lead to a lawsuit, but repeated violations strengthen your case.
Can a debt collector leave a voicemail on Sunday?
Technically, leaving a voicemail is the act of calling, so it violates the rule. However, enforcement is harder because you may not know when the voicemail was left. If you can see the timestamp on the voicemail, save it as evidence.
What if the debt collector says they are calling from a different time zone?
It does not matter. The FDCPA requires them to use your time zone, not theirs. If you are in Pacific time and they call at 10 a.m. Pacific on a Sunday, that is illegal even if it is 1 p.m. Eastern where they are located.
Can I sue a debt collector for one Sunday call?
You have the legal right to sue for a single violation, but whether it is worth the effort depends on your situation. Small claims court has lower filing fees and does not require a lawyer. If you have multiple violations or a pattern of harassment, a lawsuit is more likely to succeed and recover money.