Debt Validation Letters: What They Are And How to Send One

Few experiences are worse than checking the mail only to find a letter from a debt collection agency. It’s especially alarming if you don’t remember having the debt or if the letter refers to a really old debt. If this happens, there is something you can use to make sure the debt in question is actually yours. It’s called a debt validation letter.

Keep reading. We’ll explain what a debt validation letter is, what it should include, and how you should respond to it. We’ll also teach you how to write a debt verification letter, which legally pauses debt collection until the agency can verify that the debt is yours.

Table of Contents

1. What is a debt validation letter?
2. What does it include?
3. How to request one
4. Debt verification letter (How to dispute debt)
5. Why write a debt verification letter?
6. How to write one
7. What if you don’t get a response?

What is a debt validation letter?

A debt validation letter is the opposite of a birthday card. Instead of getting well wishes or someone sending you money for a celebration, a debt collection agency reaches out to say you owe them money.

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This is called a debt validation letter or a debt validation notice. 

Collection agencies send these validation letters because they are required to by law under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). These letters must contain all the information necessary for you to review the debt and determine whether it’s legally yours.

These letters don’t erase your debt or stop collections calls, but they serve an important purpose. Essentially, the letter gives you:

1. The right to request more information about the debt
2. The opportunity to dispute it within 30 days

What does a debt validation letter include?

Debt validation letters from debt collection companies must include the following information:

• Your name and address
• The name and address of the creditor
• All account numbers 
• The current amount due, including interest and fees
• A notice that you have 30 days to respond to dispute the debt

You’ll typically get this letter as a first point of contact from a collection agency.

How to request a debt validation letter

As we mentioned, legitimate collection agencies are required by law to send you a debt validation letter. According to the Federal Trade Commission, the agency must send you this letter within five days of first contacting you about your debt.

If you haven’t received a letter and you want more information about the debt in question, you can ask for one by mail. This is a formal way to request more information about your debt or to dispute it. This debt verification letter creates a paper trail and relieves you of the debt burden for a short period while you wait for the creditor’s response. 

How to dispute a debt with a debt verification letter

To clarify (because the names are so similar), a debt validation letter and a debt verification letter are two different things.

• The validation letter is what the credit agency is required to send you.
• A debt verification letter is what you send them if you want to dispute the debt or ask questions about it. Again, you have 30 days to send a verification letter.

It’s important to note that disputing debt doesn’t mean you’re telling a creditor you refuse to pay it. All it means is that you don’t believe the initial information the company provided about the debt is accurate, and you want to know more about it, like when it originated.

Sometimes, debt collectors make human errors. Companies buy old debt and may try to collect on it. The debt could also be evidence of identity theft or fraud. There are many reasons a debt might not be yours, and you have the right to verify it before settling or paying it off.

Reasons to write a debt verification letter

If you’re not sure whether you should send a debt verification letter, here are some legitimate scenarios when it makes sense to do so:

• You don’t recognize the debt or the lender.
• You recognize the lender, but the balance is incorrect.
• You suspect the alleged debt resulted from identity theft.
• The debt is old, and you believe it’s past the statute of limitations.
• The collector is calling you repeatedly, and you want to document it.
• You want to make sure the company is a legal debt collector.

The most recent Consumer Response Annual Report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau shows that more than 81% of consumer complaints are about credit or consumer reporting, including debt collection complaints. The report also showed that debt collection practices were the second most common CFPB complaint.

So if you get a debt validation letter and you’re confused about the listed debts, make sure to send a debt verification letter to confirm the debt is actually yours.

How to write a debt verification letter

When you write a debt verification letter, here’s what you’ll need to do:

1. Include your name, address, the account number, why you’re disputing the debt, and a written request to verify the debt. You can also ask for other information about the debt, like the name of the original lender, the date you incurred the debt, and proof that the debt is not past the statute of limitations.
2. Make sure you mail your letter (yes, the old-school way.) That way, you can send it certified mail with return receipts so you have proof of delivery. Collectors can ignore phone calls or emails, but they can’t ignore certified mail.
3. Don’t forget to ask your lender to pause collection efforts until it sends verification of the debt. Send your letter to the address of the collection agency that’s trying to collect from you.

What next?

If the debt is verified and you’re confident it’s legitimate, but the balance feels unmanageable, it may be worth exploring professional help. National Debt Relief is a for-profit debt settlement company that works with consumers who have significant unsecured debt, such as credit cards or medical bills. The company negotiates directly with creditors to try to reduce what you owe, typically in exchange for a percentage of the enrolled debt.

Debt relief (aka debt settlement) isn’t right for everyone, and it can affect your credit while negotiations are underway. But for borrowers who’ve confirmed their debts are valid and need a structured path out of large balances they can’t repay in full, companies like National Debt Relief can be an option to consider alongside alternatives such as credit counseling or bankruptcy.

Read our full National Debt Relief review, and check out our other resources:

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What happens if you don’t get a response?

Legally, a collection agency cannot try to collect on the debt until it responds to your debt verification letter. So if you keep getting phone calls about your debt without getting the information you requested, you can report it to the FTC, your state attorney general, and/or the CFPB.