Validation notice — required information, timing, and the Model Form B-1 safe harbor

🚩 FLAG — model form designation. Some industry material calls the Reg F validation notice "model H-1". That is wrong. Verified against the eCFR on 2026-07-03: the safe-harbor form is Model Form B-1 in Appendix B to Part 1006 — Model Forms (appendix heading verbatim: "Appendix B to Part 1006—Model Forms" / "B-1 Model Form for Validation Notice", cite [86 FR 5856, Jan. 19, 2021]). The "H-" series model forms belong to other regulations (e.g. Regulation Z appendix H) — do not use that designation for the debt-collection model form in any notice or document.

Authority

12 CFR 1006.34 (Regulation F, Subpart B — Rules for FDCPA Debt Collectors), implementing FDCPA § 809 (15 U.S.C. 1692g). Issued and enforced by the CFPB. Source credit on the eCFR page: [86 FR 5854, Jan. 19, 2021].

Operative text

Timing — in the initial communication, within 5 days of it, or orally in it

(a) Validation information required —(1) In general. Except as provided in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, a debt collector must provide a consumer with the validation information required by paragraph (c) of this section either: (i) By sending the consumer a validation notice in the manner required by § 1006.42: (A) In the initial communication, as defined in paragraph (b)(2) of this section; or (B) Within five days of that initial communication; or (ii) By providing the validation information orally in the initial communication. — 12 CFR 1006.34(a)(1)

(2) Exception. A debt collector who otherwise would be required to send a validation notice pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)(i)(B) of this section is not required to do so if the consumer has paid the debt prior to the time that paragraph (a)(1)(i)(B) of this section would require the validation notice to be sent. — 12 CFR 1006.34(a)(2)

"Initial communication" definition

(2) Initial communication means the first time that, in connection with the collection of a debt, a debt collector conveys information, directly or indirectly, regarding the debt to the consumer, other than a communication in the form of a formal pleading in a civil action, or any form or notice that does not relate to the collection of the debt and is expressly required by: (i) The Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 1 et seq.); (ii) Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (15 U.S.C. 6801 through 6827); or (iii) Any provision of Federal or State law or regulation mandating notice of a data security breach or privacy risk. — 12 CFR 1006.34(b)(2)

"Itemization date" — the five reference-date options

(3) Itemization date means any one of the following five reference dates for which a debt collector can ascertain the amount of the debt: (i) The last statement date, which is the date of the last periodic statement or written account statement or invoice provided to the consumer by a creditor; (ii) The charge-off date, which is the date the debt was charged off; (iii) The last payment date, which is the date the last payment was applied to the debt; (iv) The transaction date, which is the date of the transaction that gave rise to the debt; or (v) The judgment date, which is the date of a final court judgment that determines the amount of the debt owed by the consumer. — 12 CFR 1006.34(b)(3)

"Validation period" — the 30-day computation (with the 5-business-day receipt assumption)

(5) Validation period means the period starting on the date that a debt collector provides the validation information required by paragraph (c) of this section and ending 30 days after the consumer receives or is assumed to receive the validation information. For purposes of determining the end of the validation period, the debt collector may assume that a consumer receives the validation information on any date that is at least five days (excluding legal public holidays identified in 5 U.S.C. 6103(a), Saturdays, and Sundays) after the debt collector provides it. — 12 CFR 1006.34(b)(5)

Required validation information — information about the debt

(1) Debt collector communication disclosure. The statement required by § 1006.18(e). — 12 CFR 1006.34(c)(1)

(2) Information about the debt. Except as provided in paragraph (c)(5) of this section: (i) The debt collector's name and the mailing address at which the debt collector accepts disputes and requests for original-creditor information. (ii) The consumer's name and mailing address. (iii) If the debt collector is collecting a debt related to a consumer financial product or service as defined in § 1006.2(f), the name of the creditor to whom the debt was owed on the itemization date. (iv) The account number, if any, associated with the debt on the itemization date, or a truncated version of that number. (v) The name of the creditor to whom the debt currently is owed. (vi) The itemization date. (vii) The amount of the debt on the itemization date. (viii) An itemization of the current amount of the debt reflecting interest, fees, payments, and credits since the itemization date. A debt collector may disclose the itemization on a separate page provided in the same communication with a validation notice, if the debt collector includes on the validation notice, where the itemization would have appeared, a statement referring to that separate page. (ix) The current amount of the debt. — 12 CFR 1006.34(c)(2)

Required validation information — consumer-protection statements

(3) Information about consumer protections. (i) The date that the debt collector will consider the end date of the validation period and a statement that, if the consumer notifies the debt collector in writing on or before that date that the debt, or any portion of the debt, is disputed, the debt collector must cease collection of the debt, or the disputed portion of the debt, until the debt collector sends the consumer either verification of the debt or a copy of a judgment. (ii) The date that the debt collector will consider the end date of the validation period and a statement that, if the consumer requests in writing on or before that date the name and address of the original creditor, the debt collector must cease collection of the debt until the debt collector sends the consumer the name and address of the original creditor, if different from the current creditor. (iii) The date that the debt collector will consider the end date of the validation period and a statement that, unless the consumer contacts the debt collector to dispute the validity of the debt, or any portion of the debt, on or before that date, the debt collector will assume that the debt is valid. (iv) If the debt collector is collecting debt related to a consumer financial product or service as defined in § 1006.2(f), a statement that informs the consumer that additional information regarding consumer protections in debt collection is available on the Bureau's website at www.cfpb.gov/debt-collection. (v) If the debt collector sends the validation notice electronically, a statement explaining how a consumer can, as described in paragraphs (c)(4)(i) and (ii) of this section, dispute the debt or request original-creditor information electronically. — 12 CFR 1006.34(c)(3)

The tear-off — consumer-response information

(4) Consumer-response information. The following information, segregated from the validation information required by paragraphs (c)(1) through (3) of this section and from any optional information included pursuant to paragraphs (d)(3)(i) and (ii), (d)(3)(iii)(A), (d)(3)(iv) and (v), (d)(3)(vi)(A), and (d)(3)(vii) and (viii) of this section, and, if provided on a validation notice, located at the bottom of the notice under the headings, "How do you want to respond?" and "Check all that apply:": (i) Dispute prompts. The following statements, listed in the following order, and using the following phrasing or substantially similar phrasing, each next to a prompt: (A) "I want to dispute the debt because I think:"; (B) "This is not my debt."; (C) "The amount is wrong."; and (D) "Other (please describe on reverse or attach additional information)." (ii) Original-creditor information prompt. The statement, "I want you to send me the name and address of the original creditor.", using that phrase or a substantially similar phrase, next to a prompt. (iii) Mailing addresses. Mailing addresses for the consumer and the debt collector, which are the debt collector's and the consumer's names and mailing addresses as disclosed pursuant to § 1006.34(c)(2)(i) and (ii). — 12 CFR 1006.34(c)(4)

Safe harbor — Model Form B-1

(2) Safe harbor —(i) In general. Model Form B-1 in appendix B to this part contains the validation information required by paragraph (c) of this section and certain optional disclosures permitted by paragraph (d)(3) of this section. A debt collector who uses Model Form B-1 complies with the information and form requirements of paragraphs (c) and (d)(1) of this section, including if the debt collector: (A) Omits any or all of the optional disclosures shown on Model Form B-1; or (B) Adds any or all of the optional disclosures described in paragraph (d)(3) of this section that are not shown on Model Form B-1, provided that any such optional disclosures are no more prominent than any of the validation information required by paragraph (c) of this section. — 12 CFR 1006.34(d)(2)(i)

(iii) Substantially similar form. A debt collector who uses Model Form B-1 as described in paragraph (d)(2)(i) or (ii) of this section may make changes to the form and retain a safe harbor for compliance with the information and form requirements of paragraphs (c) and (d)(1) of this section provided that the form remains substantially similar to Model Form B-1. — 12 CFR 1006.34(d)(2)(iii)

Appendix B heading and form title, verbatim from the eCFR:

Appendix B to Part 1006—Model Forms B-1 Model Form for Validation Notice — Appendix B to Part 1006 [86 FR 5856, Jan. 19, 2021]

(The form itself is published as an image on the eCFR; render from the official graphic, not a re-typed layout.)

Spanish-language optional disclosures

(vi) Spanish-language translation disclosures. Either or both of the following disclosures regarding a consumer's ability to request a Spanish-language translation of a validation notice: (A) The statement, "Póngase en contacto con nosotros para solicitar una copia de este formulario en español" (which means "Contact us to request a copy of this form in Spanish"), using that phrase or a substantially similar phrase in Spanish. If providing this optional disclosure, a debt collector may include supplemental information in Spanish that specifies how a consumer may request a Spanish-language validation notice. (B) With the consumer-response information required by paragraph (c)(4) of this section, the statement "Quiero este formulario en español" (which means "I want this form in Spanish"), using that phrase or a substantially similar phrase in Spanish, next to a prompt. — 12 CFR 1006.34(d)(3)(vi)

Translation into other languages — and the mandatory Spanish follow-through

(e) Translation into other languages —(1) In general. A debt collector may send a consumer a validation notice completely and accurately translated into any language if the debt collector: (i) Sends the consumer an English-language validation notice in the same communication as the translated validation notice; or (ii) Previously provided the consumer an English-language validation notice, in which case the debt collector need not send the consumer an English-language validation notice in the same communication as the translated validation notice. (2) Spanish-language validation notice—requirement to provide after optional disclosure. A debt collector who includes in the validation information either or both of the optional disclosures described in paragraph (d)(3)(vi) of this section, and who thereafter receives a request from the consumer for a Spanish-language validation notice, must provide the consumer a validation notice completely and accurately translated into Spanish. — 12 CFR 1006.34(e)

Electronic formatting options (fillable fields, hyperlinks)

(4) Validation notices delivered electronically. If a debt collector delivers a validation notice electronically, a debt collector may, at its option, format the validation notice as follows: (i) Prompts. Any prompt required by paragraph (c)(4)(i) or (ii) or paragraph (d)(3)(iii)(B) or (d)(3)(vi)(B) of this section may be displayed electronically as a fillable field. (ii) Hyperlinks. Hyperlinks may be embedded that, when clicked: (A) Connect a consumer to the debt collector's website; (B) Connect a consumer to the Bureau's debt collection website as disclosed pursuant to paragraph (c)(3)(iv) of this section; or (C) Permit a consumer to respond to the dispute and original-creditor information prompts required by paragraphs (c)(4)(i) and (ii) of this section. — 12 CFR 1006.34(d)(4)

Plain English

Interpretation — the quotes above win on any conflict.

• Every consumer debt needs validation information delivered either in the initial communication (written, electronic, or spoken orally during it) or by a validation notice sent within 5 days after it. If the consumer pays the debt before the 5-day deadline, the notice is excused.
• The notice is built from four blocks: (1) the §1006.18(e) mini-Miranda, (2) debt-specific fields anchored to one of five allowed itemization dates, (3) three dated consumer-protection statements (dispute / original-creditor request / assumption of validity — each keyed to the stated end of the validation period), and (4) the segregated tear-off at the bottom ("How do you want to respond?" with the exact dispute prompts).
• The validation period ends 30 days after receipt. A collector may assume receipt 5 business days (excluding federal holidays, Saturdays, Sundays) after providing the information — so the printed "respond by" end date is effectively provide-date + 5 business days + 30 calendar days when using the assumption.
• Model Form B-1 (Appendix B) is the safe harbor; "substantially similar" variants keep it.
• Spanish: offering the (d)(3)(vi) optional statements is voluntary, but once offered, a consumer request obligates the collector to send a complete, accurate Spanish translation. Any-language translations are allowed if an English notice accompanies or preceded them.

Traps / edge cases

• "Within five days" in (a)(1)(i)(B) is the send deadline; the separate 5-day figure in (b)(5) is a receipt assumption (business days) used to compute the validation-period end date. Do not conflate the two.
• The validation period runs from when the information is provided, but ends 30 days after receipt (actual or assumed) — the period is therefore longer than 30 days from send.
• The three (c)(3) statements each must carry the date the collector will treat as the validation-period end — a concrete date, not "30 days."
• The tear-off must be segregated from the rest, and on a paper/notice format it sits at the bottom under the exact headings quoted above; the dispute prompts must appear in the listed order.
• Itemization on a separate page is allowed only with an on-notice cross-reference ((c)(2)(viii)); same pattern for the residential-mortgage periodic-statement substitution ((c)(5)).
• Optional disclosures added beyond those shown on B-1 must be no more prominent than the required information, or the safe harbor is lost ((d)(2)(i)(B)).
• (c)(2)(iii) (creditor as of itemization date) and (c)(3)(iv) (cfpb.gov/debt-collection statement) are only required for debt related to a consumer financial product or service (§ 1006.2(f)) — optional for other debt via (d)(3)(viii). (Reg F and the FDCPA reach consumer debt only.)
• Electronic delivery of the (a)(1)(i)(B) five-day notice has its own delivery rules — see ./required-disclosures-delivery.md (§ 1006.42, E-SIGN).

Related

• ../fdcpa/validation.md — FDCPA § 809 statutory layer
• ./disputes-original-creditor.md — what happens when the consumer uses the tear-off (§ 1006.38)
• ./required-disclosures-delivery.md — how the notice must be sent (§ 1006.42)
• ./electronic-communications.md — email/SMS delivery synthesis
• ./communications-opt-outs.md
• ./overview.md
• ../cfpb-guidance/debt-collection-faqs.md