State/Territory Debt Collection Litigation Laws

Debt collection lawsuits have increased dramatically over the past few decades, now accounting for about a quarter of all cases on civil court dockets. These lawsuits — which can include civil lawsuits to recover student loan debt, medical debt, car loan debt, credit card debt, and more — are overwhelmingly resolved in favor of the debt collector. Debt and debt collection judgments can have severe and far-reaching consequences, including wage garnishment, bank account seizure, and inability to secure housing, employment, or medical care. Further, Black, Indigenous, and Latinx communities are disproportionately impacted by debt, contributing to the perpetuation of intergenerational and structural inequity.

This longitudinal dataset provides a comprehensive overview of state statutes, state regulations, and court rules governing debt collection lawsuits from January 1, 2023, through December 1, 2023, in all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Research Protocol includes details about the convention for determining which laws were used as the basis for coding, and specific information on the coding scheme and inclusion criteria; however, some key scoping and coding criteria are described below.

The dataset spans the entire lawsuit process, including statutes of limitation, notice, service, answer, default judgment, and judgment enforcement requirements. This dataset captures laws specific to debt collection lawsuits. Where no such law exists, the dataset captures laws governing civil proceedings generally (including debt claims), except for Questions 5, 6, 23, 24, and 25, which only capture provisions that specifically apply to debt collection lawsuits and do not include general requirements.

The dataset focuses on lawsuits involving lower dollar amounts heard in small claims or limited jurisdiction courts but also identifies key differences in the litigation process between courts. Question 9 in the dataset identifies which laws were used to code Questions 10-35 (i.e., laws governing actions in a general jurisdiction court, laws governing actions in a limited jurisdiction court, or laws governing small claims actions).

Where the information a plaintiff must provide to obtain a judgment in a debt collection lawsuit (Question 23) differs based on the type of debt, all required information was coded, and a caution note indicates which requirements correspond to which types of debt. If the required information applies only to certain types of debt, that was indicated in a caution note also.

This dataset was created in collaboration with The Pew Charitable Trusts. Any views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of The Pew Charitable Trusts. Please note: the information contained herein does not constitute legal advice. If you have questions regarding your legal rights or obligations, contact an attorney in your jurisdiction.

近数十年来，债务追偿诉讼数量急剧攀升，目前已占民事法院案卷的四分之一左右。此类诉讼涵盖追偿助学贷款、医疗债务、汽车贷款、信用卡债务等各类民事追偿案件，其判决结果几乎均有利于债务追偿方。债务及债务追偿判决会带来严重且影响深远的后果，包括工资扣押（wage garnishment）、银行账户查封，以及无法获得住房、就业机会或医疗服务。此外，黑人、原住民与拉丁裔群体受债务问题的影响远超其人口比例，进一步加剧了代际与结构性不平等的存续。

本纵向数据集（longitudinal dataset）全面梳理了2023年1月1日至2023年12月1日期间，美国全境50个州、哥伦比亚特区、美属萨摩亚、关岛、北马里亚纳群岛、波多黎各以及美属维尔京群岛中，规范债务追偿诉讼的州级成文法、州级行政法规与法院规则。

本研究方案（Research Protocol）详细说明了用于确定编码依据的法律选取惯例，以及编码规则与纳入标准的具体信息；不过下文将介绍部分核心范围界定与编码标准。

本数据集覆盖诉讼全流程，包括诉讼时效（statutes of limitation）、告知程序、文书送达（service）、答辩、缺席判决（default judgment）以及判决执行相关的法律要求。本数据集收录专门针对债务追偿诉讼的法律规范。若无此类专项法律，则收录适用于一般民事诉讼（包括债权主张）的通用法律，但第5、6、23、24及25题除外——这些题目仅收录专门适用于债务追偿诉讼的条款，不包含通用要求。

本数据集聚焦小额索赔法院或有限管辖权法院审理的低标的额诉讼，同时明确了不同法院间诉讼流程的关键差异。数据集中的第9题用于说明第10至35题的编码依据法律，即管辖一般诉讼的法律、管辖有限管辖权诉讼的法律，以及管辖小额索赔诉讼的法律。

若债务追偿诉讼中原告为获得判决所需提供的信息（第23题）因债务类型不同而存在差异，则将对所有要求提供的信息进行编码，并通过备注说明各项要求对应的债务类型；若某项要求仅适用于特定类型的债务，也将通过备注予以标注。

本数据集与皮尤慈善信托基金（The Pew Charitable Trusts）合作编制。本文所载观点未必代表皮尤慈善信托基金的立场。请注意：本数据集包含的信息不构成法律建议。若您对自身的法定权利或义务存在疑问，请联系您所在辖区的律师。