State guides
Debt laws and debt relief by state
Debt laws differ from state to state, and so does where a debt settlement company may work. Here is where we enroll clients today, where we do not, and the free help available everywhere.
All 50 states and DC
Where we enroll, state by state.
Each state sets its own rules for debt relief companies, so we list every state honestly: where we enroll, where our counsel is still reviewing the rules, and where we do not work at all.
1 state where we enroll · 3 pending counsel review · 47 not available
| State | Status | What you can do here |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Alaska | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Arizona | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Arkansas | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| California | Pending counsel review | State guide: debt laws, lawsuits, bankruptcy |
| Colorado | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Connecticut | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Delaware | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| District of Columbia | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Florida | We enroll here | State guide: debt laws, lawsuits, bankruptcy |
| Georgia | Pending counsel review | Our counsel is reviewing Georgia's rules for debt relief companies before we enroll Georgia residents |
| Hawaii | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Idaho | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Illinois | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Indiana | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Iowa | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Kansas | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Kentucky | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Louisiana | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Maine | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Maryland | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Massachusetts | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Michigan | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Minnesota | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Mississippi | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Missouri | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Montana | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Nebraska | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Nevada | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| New Hampshire | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| New Jersey | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| New Mexico | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| New York | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| North Carolina | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| North Dakota | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Ohio | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Oklahoma | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Oregon | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Pennsylvania | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Rhode Island | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| South Carolina | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| South Dakota | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Tennessee | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Texas | Pending counsel review | State guide: debt laws, lawsuits, bankruptcy |
| Utah | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Vermont | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Virginia | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Washington | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| West Virginia | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Wisconsin | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
| Wyoming | Not available | Free nonprofit help below |
Not in a state we serve? Free help is still close.
A nonprofit credit counselor can review your budget for free and tell you whether a debt management plan fits. The CFPB (CFPB, opens in a new tab) explains what credit counselors do and what to ask them. We do not take applications from states where we do not enroll, and we will not ask for your phone number.
Find a nonprofit credit counselor (NFCC) (opens in a new tab)
What do the three labels mean?
- We enroll here: we accept clients who live in this state. Our license or registration details are listed on our licensing page once counsel confirms them.
- Pending counsel review: this state is on our list, but our counsel is reviewing its rules before we enroll anyone there.
- Not available: we do not enroll clients in this state. Nonprofit credit counseling is a good first call.
Why can't a debt settlement company work in every state?
Federal rules apply everywhere: the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule (FTC, opens in a new tab) bans fees before a debt is settled, for example. Many states add their own licensing, fee limits and consumer protections on top.
So the list can change. When it does, the table changes with it: it reads the same list of states the rest of our site uses.
Where do the state guides come from?
Every fact in a state guide cites the statute text or a government page we opened, with the date we checked it. Each guide shows that date near the top, and counsel reviews the guides before they are final.
The guides are legal information, not legal advice. If you have been sued or your pay is being garnished, the guide for your state lists free legal help.
Sources
Where the facts on this page come from. Each link opens the original in a new tab.
Next step
Check your state, then see the numbers.
Pick your state below. If we enroll there, you will see an illustrative estimate with the fee as its own line. If we do not, we will point you to free nonprofit help instead.
Four short steps
Your estimate first. Contact details last.
- 1How much you owea close guess is fine
- 2What kinds of debtpick all that apply
- 3Which state you live inchecked before anything else
- 4Your estimate, then a real person if you want one