Debt Validation Letter in Missouri
Ask a debt collector to prove a debt. Under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (15 U.S.C. § 1692g), if you dispute in writing within the validation period, the collector must stop collecting until it sends verification. Send it by certified mail and keep a copy.
What Missouri law says
| Time limit to sue on a written contract | 10 years for an action on a writing that promises to pay money. 5 years for other contract actions, including oral agreements. 516.120: https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=516.120. Which period applies depends on whether the written document itself contains the promise to pay. Source: RSMo 516.110(1); RSMo 516.120(1) |
|---|---|
| Can a payment restart the clock? | For contract debts, an acknowledgment or promise extends or revives the time to sue only if it is in a writing signed by the person who owes the debt. Source: RSMo 516.320 |
Fill it in
Nothing you type leaves your browser. Replace anything still highlighted, and keep a signed copy.
[today's date]
To: [collection agency name], [collector address]
Re: Account number [account or reference number]
I am writing in response to your [letter or call] dated [date of contact]. I dispute this debt and request validation under 15 U.S.C. § 1692g.
Please send me the name of the original creditor, the amount you claim and how it was calculated, and documents showing that you own or are authorized to collect this debt.
Until you provide this verification, please stop collection activity on this account, and contact me only in writing at the address below.
[your name], [your mailing address]
Debt Validation Letter for other states · Missouri tenant rights
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.