Last verified: 2026-08-29 · Source: primary legislation and official status tables

Recovering a debt from a debtor in United States

What applies, what it realistically takes, and where the limits are.

Confirmed parameters

Only values checked against a primary source appear here. Where a parameter has not been confirmed, it is left out rather than estimated.

Parameter: Involuntary petition: aggregate unsecured claim threshold
Value: USD 21,050
Source: 11 U.S.C. Sec. 303; indexed under Sec. 104, in effect from 1 April 2025
Last verified: 2026-08-29

Parameter: Involuntary petition: number of petitioning creditors
Value: 3, or 1 where the debtor has fewer than 12 creditors
Source: 11 U.S.C. Sec. 303(b)
Last verified: 2026-08-29

Parameter: FDCPA and Regulation F apply to consumer debt only; B2B debt is outside their scope
Value: consumer only
Source: 12 CFR Part 1006, effective 30 November 2021
Last verified: 2026-08-29

Parameter: Limitation periods for contract claims are set at state level and vary widely
Source: Cal. CCP 337(a), 339(1); NY CPLR 213(2); Tex. CPRC 16.004, 16.051; Fla. Stat. 95.11(2)(b), 95.11(3)(j); 735 ILCS 5/13-205, 5/13-206
Last verified: 2026-08-30

Parameter: Definition of debt under Regulation F
Value: an obligation of a consumer arising from a transaction primarily for personal, family or household purposes
Source: 12 CFR 1006.2(h)
Last verified: 2026-08-30

Limitation periods are set at state level and the spread is wide. We confirm the period that applies to your claim before advising on the route.

Enforcement route

The applicable route for this jurisdiction is recorded as reciprocity. The New York Convention applies to arbitral awards.

Practical constraints

FDCPA/Reg F does not apply to B2B. Involuntary petition 11 U.S.C. §303. §1782 discovery. Collector licensing varies by state

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