On February 26, the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection announced a final rule adopting the Stopping Harassment and Intimidation and Ensuring Lawful Debt (SHIELD) Collection Rule, which significantly expands the City’s debt collection regulations beyond the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Regulation F. The rule limits communication with consumers, broadens dispute and verification rights, and establishes new protections governing the collection of medical debt. The rule will take effect September 1, 2026.
The SHIELD Rule introduces several significant changes to New York City’s debt collection framework, including:
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- Caps collector communication. Debt collectors may not make more than three communications or attempted communications to a consumer regarding a debt within a seven-day period, and collectors may not contact the consumer again during that period once the consumer has responded.
- Allows consumers to…