There is no single number that makes every extra call illegal — but federal rules draw a clear line where ordinary collection ends and presumed harassment begins. If a collector is calling you several times a day, the law is almost certainly on your side, and you have specific tools to make it stop.
The Regulation F call-frequency limit
The clearest rule comes from the CFPB's Regulation F, which implements the FDCPA. A debt collector is presumed to violate the law if it places a telephone call to you about a particular debt:
- more than seven times within seven consecutive days, or
- within seven days after it had a phone conversation with you about that debt.
"Presumed" matters: it means that once a collector passes those frequencies, the burden shifts — the conduct is treated as harassment unless the collector can show otherwise. The presumption is counted per debt, so a collector handling two separate accounts is measured on each one. And these frequency limits apply only to phone calls — they do not cap text messages or emails, which have their own rules.
When and where they can call
The underlying FDCPA adds limits the frequency rule doesn't cover:
- Time of day: a collector generally may not call before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. in your local time, unless you've agreed otherwise.
- At work: if you tell a collector — orally or in writing — that your employer prohibits collection calls at work, it must stop calling you there. See your rights at work.
- Repeated calls to annoy: even within the frequency numbers, calling repeatedly or continuously with intent to annoy, abuse, or harass is prohibited.
- Other people: a collector generally can't discuss your debt with family, friends, neighbors, or coworkers; it may contact them once only to find your address or phone number.
What else counts as harassment
Beyond call volume and timing, the FDCPA prohibits a range of abusive tactics: threats of violence, obscene language, calling without identifying who they are, and threatening actions the collector can't legally take or doesn't intend to take. Threatening arrest over an ordinary consumer debt, or threatening to sue on a debt that is past the statute of limitations, also crosses the line.
How to make it stop — and document it
If the calls have crossed the line, you have two moves. First, you can send a written request telling the collector to stop contacting you; once received, it generally must stop except to confirm it will stop or to notify you of a specific action like a lawsuit — here's how to send that request. Second, keep a log: dates, times, and how many calls you received, plus any voicemails. That record is your evidence if you file a complaint with the CFPB or the FTC, or consult an attorney — the FDCPA lets consumers sue collectors who violate it. Stopping the calls does not erase the debt, so if it's genuinely yours, decide separately how you want to resolve the balance.