How to verify a New York City debt collection agency license
By Kai Greenspan, Founding Editor · Last updated: August 5, 2026
How often New York City refreshes its public license records. Every agency collecting personal or household debts from city residents must hold a Debt Collection Agency license, and checking one takes under five minutes and costs nothing.
Source: portal.311.nyc.gov · Last checked: August 5, 2026
What brings you here?
Two of the most common reasons people check a collector. Pick whichever fits.
Run a collection agency?See how we rank agencies, and how to get listed.
The four steps
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1. Open New York City's public license records | Go to the official register: https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/w7w3-xahh, the Issued Licenses dataset published by the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection on the city's open data portal. It is official, free, needs no account, and is refreshed daily. It is the public record of every Debt Collection Agency license the city has issued. |
| 2. Search the agency name | Use the search box on the dataset page and type the agency name as it appears on its letters or website. Try shorter versions of the name too, since companies sometimes hold the license under a legal or parent name that differs from their trading name. Debt Collection Agency license numbers end in -DCA or -DCWP. |
| 3. Check the license status and dates | A row showing License Status of Active means the agency currently holds the city license. Statuses like Surrendered or Expired mean it does not. Do not be alarmed that the expiration date is the same on every current license: the whole industry renews on a shared two-year term, and the current term runs to January 31, 2027. Note the license number for your records. |
| 4. If there is no result, ask before engaging | Any agency collecting personal or household debts from New York City residents must hold this license, wherever the agency itself is based. If no version of the name returns an active license, ask the company directly for its Debt Collection Agency license number and check that number in the dataset. Attorneys collecting as part of a law practice can be exempt, so a law firm may legitimately be absent. For anyone else, an unverifiable license claim is a red flag worth resolving before you engage, and you can confirm with the city by calling 311. |
Source: portal.311.nyc.gov · Last checked: August 5, 2026
Common questions about license checks
Is New York City's license lookup free to use?
Yes. The Issued Licenses dataset is published by the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection on the city's open data portal, is free to search without an account, and is refreshed daily. It is the same official source Debt Collection Index checks and links for every licensed agency it lists.
Why does every license show the same expiration date?
Because Debt Collection Agency licenses run on a shared two-year term rather than each license having its own anniversary. Every current license shows the term end, January 31, 2027, and the whole industry renews together. An Active license showing that date is completely normal; it does not mean the license is individually about to lapse.
The agency is not based in New York. Does it still need the license?
Yes, if it collects personal or household debts from New York City residents. The requirement follows the consumer, not the collector, so an agency in Texas, Minnesota or anywhere else needs the city license to collect from NYC residents. That is why many of the largest national agencies appear on the register with addresses far from New York.
What if an agency says it is licensed but I cannot find it?
Ask the agency for its Debt Collection Agency license number (the format looks like 1234567-DCA) and search that number in the dataset directly. Companies sometimes hold the license under a legal or parent-company name that differs from their trading name; the number resolves that. If it still cannot be verified, treat the claim as unproven. One legitimate exception: attorneys collecting as part of a law practice can be exempt from the city license.
Does the license mean an agency is good at collecting?
No. The license is a legal permission, not a quality mark. It tells you the agency may lawfully collect from New York City residents. Performance is a separate question, which is why our rankings weigh years continuously licensed and verified certifications, always from public records.
What about the rest of New York State?
New York has no statewide debt collector license, which is why the city register is the record that matters and the one this site verifies against. Some other localities, including Buffalo and Yonkers, have their own licensing rules. Statewide, collectors must still follow New York and federal debt collection law, and the state attorney general takes complaints.
Related pages
New York rules and rankings
The city license rule and the verified New York agencies.
New York debt collection laws
The three-year rule, required disclosures and license rules, quoted from the statutes.
Verify a Texas bond
The same five-minute check against the Texas register.
How to choose an agency
What to verify, how fees work, and the questions worth asking.