How long does it take?

Typical end-to-end: 11.6 to 24.200000000000003 weeks. Our team works ahead of every preconditional step (entity, fingerprints, bond) so the application opens on day one.

State Laws

Massachusetts debt collection licensing laws

What Massachusetts requires to run a debt collection business: licensing, bonding, timelines, and renewals.

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Reviewed by Cornerstone Staff28 years of financial services state licensing experience

Do you need a debt collection license in Massachusetts?

Yes. Massachusetts requires a debt collection license before you operate. A surety bond of $25,000 is typically required.

Ready to file? Cornerstone handles the whole process through our third-party collection agency license service.

Quick answers for Massachusetts

Do I need a license to operate a debt collection business in Massachusetts?: Yes. Comprehensive guide to debt collection licensing requirements, regulations, and filing obligations in Massachusetts.
Is a surety bond required?: Bond required: $25,000.
How long does it take?: Typical end-to-end: 11.6 to 24.200000000000003 weeks. Our team works ahead of every preconditional step (entity, fingerprints, bond) so the application opens on day one.
What about renewals?: Renews annually.

This guide covers 1 regulated activity in Massachusetts: Massachusetts Debt Collection Laws & Regulations. For each one, the summary below names the state agency in charge. It shows whether a license or registration is required. It also shows whether Massachusetts calls for a surety bond before you can operate.

Oversight in Massachusetts runs through Massachusetts Division of Banks. This filing needs a surety bond before you can operate. The bond protects the state and your customers if you break the rules tied to your license.

States change their statutes and fee schedules often. Treat the details below as a starting point. Confirm the current rule with the regulator before you file. When you are ready, Cornerstone Licensing can prepare and submit the Massachusetts filings for you. We track every renewal date and keep your license in good standing year after year.

How Massachusetts compares across states

US jurisdictions we track require a debt collection license: 38 of 52 US jurisdictions we track require a debt collection license Source: state regulator statutes compiled in our state-law index, verified August 2026. Collection agency license state laws
median statutory surety bond across the 38 states that set one: $10,000 median statutory surety bond across the 38 states that set one Source: state regulator statutes compiled in our state-law index, verified August 2026. Collection agency license state laws
Massachusetts statutory bond, higher than 27 of the 38 bonding states: $25,000 Massachusetts statutory bond, higher than 27 of the 38 bonding states Source: state regulator statutes compiled in our state-law index, verified August 2026. Collection agency license state laws

debt collection

Massachusetts Debt Collection Laws & Regulations

Comprehensive guide to debt collection licensing requirements, regulations, and filing obligations in Massachusetts. Learn about licensing fees, bond requirements, key statutes, and regulatory bodies governing third-party debt collectors in Massachusetts.

Application process

To obtain a debt collection license in Massachusetts, applicants generally need to submit a completed application to the Massachusetts Division of Banks, provide a surety bond of $25,000, pass background checks for all control persons, and meet net worth or financial requirements. The application review typically takes 30-90 days.

Renewals

Debt collection licenses in Massachusetts generally require annual renewal. Renewal generally involves submission of a renewal application, payment of renewal fees, updated surety bond confirmation, and any required annual reports. Late renewals may incur additional penalties.

Third-party debt collectors operating in Massachusetts are also generally expected to comply with the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). Massachusetts may impose additional requirements beyond federal standards, including restrictions on communication methods, required disclosures, and limitations on fees that may be collected.

Key statutes

Massachusetts Debt Collection Regulations (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 93 § 24A) . Debt collection practices regulation

Massachusetts Debt Collector Licensing and Time Limits

Massachusetts licenses third-party debt collectors through the Division of Banks, with a $25,000 surety bond and applications through NMLS. Massachusetts layers two conduct regimes on top of the federal rules: the Division of Banks' debt collection regulations and the Attorney General's regulations under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 93 Section 24A, which include the state's own contact-frequency limit of two collection calls per seven-day period per debt, stricter than Regulation F's federal call-frequency presumptions.

The Massachusetts limitations period for contract actions is generally six years under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260 Section 2. Massachusetts regulations also restrict suits and threats of suit on time-barred debt and generally call for disclosures on out-of-statute accounts, so the limitations status of each account feeds directly into which letters and scripts an agency can use.

Debt Settlement and Debt Adjuster Licensing in Massachusetts

Massachusetts classification: no dedicated debt-settlement license, under the Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 93A (consumer protection); Attorney General regulations. The relevant authority is the Massachusetts Attorney General. Massachusetts runs no dedicated debt-settlement licensing program; oversight is conduct-based through chapter 93A enforcement.

Massachusetts runs no dedicated debt-settlement licensing program. Oversight is conduct-based: the Attorney General enforces Chapter 93A against unfair or deceptive practices in debt relief, and the Division of Banks' third-party debt collector license described above does not authorize or cover settlement activity. The absence of a license application does not mean an absence of scrutiny; Massachusetts enforcement activity against debt-relief providers is real.

Providers enrolling Massachusetts consumers should build their compliance posture around Chapter 93A and the federal rules rather than waiting for a licensing trigger. Whatever the state regime, the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule bars charging advance fees for debt settlement services marketed through telemarketing, so the federal fee-timing rules apply on top of any state license.

Where to go next

Other licences Massachusetts issues

Most operators end up holding more than one of these. Same state, same regulator landscape, different licence.

Massachusetts mortgage lawsLicence trigger, bond and regulator for Massachusetts.
Massachusetts money transmitter lawsLicence trigger, bond and regulator for Massachusetts.
Every Massachusetts licensing requirementThe full state resource hub: licences, bonds, tools, regulator contacts.

States bordering Massachusetts

The debt collection laws an operator crossing the Massachusetts line runs into next.

Browse a different state

The same guide, written for all 50 states plus DC and Puerto Rico.

Need help meeting requirements in Massachusetts?

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State Laws

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