Part of the Debt collection playbook.
Debt validation letter — the CFPB's published sample
A debt validation request asks a collector for more information about a debt before the conversation continues. The CFPB publishes sample letters for exactly this purpose, free to use, with no signup. The sample below is the agency's own language with attribution.
Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau published sample letter — Sample letter: I want the debt collector to send more information about the debt. Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau published sample letter — public-domain U.S. government work, reproduced with attribution. Retrieved July 29, 2026.
How this sample is used
Fill in the bracketed placeholders with the specifics of the situation — the collector's name and address, the account reference from the collection notice, and the sender's contact information. The letter asks for information; it does not admit that the debt is valid or make any promise to pay.
The sample letter
[Date] [Collector name] [Collector address] Re: [Account reference from the collection notice] To whom it may concern: I am responding to your contact about a debt you are trying to collect. Please supply the information listed below so that I can be fully informed: - Why you think I owe the debt, and to whom, including the name of the original creditor; - The amount and age of the debt, including an itemization; - Details about your authority to collect this debt. I have asked for this information because I want to be fully informed before continuing this conversation. Please treat this debt as being in dispute until you have provided the information requested above. Thank you for your cooperation. Sincerely, [Name] [Mailing address]
What the law says
In general: the federal consumer-protection agency publishes ready-to-use sample letters for debt-collection situations, including an information request.
This describes the existence of published sample letters. It does not establish what response any particular collector owes in any particular situation.
Common questions
Can the sample letter be edited?
The CFPB's samples are written to be filled in with the specifics of a situation — the account reference, the collector's name, and the sender's contact details. The structure of the letter is designed to stay intact.
How is a letter like this usually sent?
Consumer-education materials commonly suggest a method that produces a record of the date it was sent and received, and keeping a copy of the letter itself.