Debt validation letters: what to send a collector, and when

A collector must send you a written validation notice within five days of first contacting you. From the day you receive it, you have 30 days to dispute the debt in writing.

Send the request inside that window and the collector must stop collection activity until it provides validation. Requests sent later are still worth making, but the automatic pause no longer applies.

The amount claimed and an itemized breakdown of principal, interest and fees.

The name of the original creditor and the original account number.

Proof the collector owns the debt or is authorized to collect it — the assignment or purchase documentation.

The date of first delinquency, which controls when the item must fall off your credit report.

Confirmation the collector is licensed to collect in your state.

Mail it certified with return receipt requested and keep a copy. The receipt is your proof of the date, which is the whole point if this ever gets contested.

Do not acknowledge that the debt is yours anywhere in the letter, and do not make a partial payment before validating. In some states a payment can restart the statute of limitations.

"To Whom It May Concern: I am responding to your notice dated [date] regarding account [reference number]. I dispute this debt and request validation under 15 U.S.C. 1692g. Please provide an itemized statement of the amount claimed, the name and address of the original creditor, the original account number, documentation establishing your authority to collect this debt, and the date of first delinquency. Until validation is provided, please cease collection activity and report this account as disputed to the credit bureaus. All future communication should be in writing to the address below. Sincerely, [name, address, date]"

If the collector cannot validate, it should stop collecting and the item may be removable from your reports. If it does validate, you at least know exactly what you owe and to whom.