Directory / Collection / ARM
Accounts receivable management
State collection board, banking department, or NMLS — plus city licenses in NYC and Chicago.
A company that collects consumer debts owed to someone else — a third-party collection agency, many debt buyers, and some first-party shops that collect under their own name — generally needs a state collection-agency, debt-collector, or collection-service license in each state where the debtor lives. In-house recovery of a company’s own receivables is licensed in fewer states, but that list is growing. Attorneys collecting in the ordinary practice of law are often exempt; confirm the exemption before relying on it.
Identify every state where you will contact debtors. In licensing states, file a company application with the collection board, banking department, or secretary of state — through NMLS where that state has moved the license onto the system, otherwise through the state portal. Expect control-person disclosures, a surety bond where the statute requires one, and a registered agent in states that demand one. New York City and Chicago add municipal licenses on top of (or instead of) a statewide license.
State licensing does not replace the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, CFPB Regulation F, or the TCPA. Those rules apply whether or not a state issues a license.
Open a state page for the agency name, the usual license title, and whether a statewide license exists. We omit fees, bond amounts, and processing times unless a statute is cited on that page.
50 states. Required means a statewide license, permit, or registration of this type is the usual rule — not that every business model is in scope.
| State | Statewide license | Agency | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | State license generally required | Alabama Collection Service Board | File through the state portal or board |
| Alaska | State license generally required | Alaska Division of Banking and Securities | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| Arizona | State license generally required | Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| Arkansas | State license generally required | Arkansas State Board of Collection Agencies | File through the state portal or board |
| California | State license generally required | California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation | File through NMLS |
| Colorado | State license generally required | Colorado Attorney General, Collection Agency Board | File through the state portal or board |
| Connecticut | State license generally required | Connecticut Department of Banking | File through NMLS |
| Delaware | State license generally required | Delaware Office of the State Bank Commissioner | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| Florida | State license generally required | Florida Office of Financial Regulation | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| Georgia | No statewide license of this type | Georgia Attorney General | No statewide license application |
| Hawaii | State license generally required | Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs | File through the state portal or board |
| Idaho | State license generally required | Idaho Department of Finance | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| Illinois | State license generally required | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation | File through NMLS |
| Indiana | State license generally required | Indiana Secretary of State | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| Iowa | Confirm with the agency | Iowa Attorney General | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| Kansas | No statewide license of this type | Kansas Attorney General | No statewide license application |
| Kentucky | No statewide license of this type | Kentucky Attorney General | No statewide license application |
| Louisiana | State license generally required | Louisiana Office of Financial Institutions | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| Maine | State license generally required | Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| Maryland | State license generally required | Maryland Office of the Commissioner of Financial Regulation | File through NMLS |
| Massachusetts | State license generally required | Massachusetts Division of Banks | File through NMLS |
| Michigan | State license generally required | Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services | File through NMLS |
| Minnesota | State license generally required | Minnesota Department of Commerce | File through NMLS |
| Mississippi | No statewide license of this type | Mississippi Attorney General | No statewide license application |
| Missouri | No statewide license of this type | Missouri Attorney General | No statewide license application |
| Montana | No statewide license of this type | Montana Attorney General | No statewide license application |
| Nebraska | State license generally required | Nebraska Secretary of State | File through the state portal or board |
| Nevada | State license generally required | Nevada Financial Institutions Division | File through NMLS |
| New Hampshire | No statewide license of this type | New Hampshire Attorney General | No statewide license application |
| New Jersey | State license generally required | New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance | File through NMLS |
| New Mexico | State license generally required | New Mexico Financial Institutions Division | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| New York | State license generally required | NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection | State and/or city filing |
| North Carolina | State license generally required | North Carolina Department of Insurance | File through the state portal or board |
| North Dakota | State license generally required | North Dakota Department of Financial Institutions | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| Ohio | No statewide license of this type | Ohio Attorney General | No statewide license application |
| Oklahoma | No statewide license of this type | Oklahoma Attorney General | No statewide license application |
| Oregon | State license generally required | Oregon Division of Financial Regulation | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| Pennsylvania | No statewide license of this type | Pennsylvania Attorney General | No statewide license application |
| Rhode Island | State license generally required | Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| South Carolina | No statewide license of this type | South Carolina Attorney General | No statewide license application |
| South Dakota | No statewide license of this type | South Dakota Attorney General | No statewide license application |
| Tennessee | State license generally required | Tennessee Collection Service Board | File through the state portal or board |
| Texas | State license generally required | Texas Secretary of State | File through the state portal or board |
| Utah | No statewide license of this type | Utah Attorney General | No statewide license application |
| Vermont | No statewide license of this type | Vermont Attorney General | No statewide license application |
| Virginia | No statewide license of this type | Virginia Attorney General | No statewide license application |
| Washington | State license generally required | Washington Department of Financial Institutions | File through NMLS |
| West Virginia | State license generally required | West Virginia Division of Financial Institutions | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| Wisconsin | State license generally required | Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions | File through NMLS |
| Wyoming | State license generally required | Wyoming Collection Agency Board | File through the state portal or board |
Cornerstone’s collection / arm desk · How NMLS filings work · All states
Agency names and filing paths are public facts from state regulator sites, the NMLS / CSBS agency directory, and published statutes. License categories and exemptions change. Confirm the current checklist on the official site before you apply. This is not legal advice and not a fee schedule.