The State Board of Collection Agencies (SBCA) was created by the General Assembly in 1965 to regulate collection agency activities in Arkansas. Collection agencies must be licensed if: (1) they are located in Arkansas or (2) they contact debtors in Arkansas. The mission of the SBCA is to protect debtors who are being contacted by collection agencies from unfair debt collection practices, as well as creditors who entrust or transfer their delinquent accounts to collection agencies. It is our goal to prevent unethical collection activities, to ensure compliance with Arkansas debt collection laws, and to educate Arkansans regarding their rights when dealing with a collection agency.  The SBCA investigates complaints of unethical collection practices, prohibited collection charges, and unlicensed activity.

In 2009, the General Assembly passed the Arkansas Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) to provide additional protections to consumers. 

In 2019, the State Board of Collection Agencies joined the Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing.

The Board does not receive any general funding from the state.  Its operations are supported entirely by licensing fees received from collection agencies.  In 2005, the General Assembly approved the Board to distribute surplus revenue to several higher education institutions in Arkansas, according to a statutory formula.  Since then, the Board has granted:

$13 million to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, for its colleges of Pharmacy and Nursing;

$4.8 million to Arkansas State University – Mountain Home, for its home nursing program;

$1.7 million to the University of Central Arkansas School of Nursing;

$1.5 million to Southern Arkansas University;

$1.3 million to Henderson State University; 

$700,000 to Arkansas Tech University for nursing programs;

$350,000 to Northwest Arkansas Community College for nursing programs; and

$125,000 to Arkansas Northeast College for nursing programs.

Finally, the Board is proud to have granted, to date, $2.4 million to the Barbara Broyles Alzheimer’s and Dementia Training program, administered by the Arkansas Department of Human Services.