Privacy Law Library

Consumer Reporting Agencies (security freezes; medical debt reporting ban)

VA credit freeze

Credit reporting · Financial · Children · Health

Lets Virginia consumers freeze their credit reports free of charge, with deadlines for placing and temporarily lifting freezes, and lets parents or guardians freeze or create a record for children under 16 and incapacitated adults. Since 2024 it also bars health care providers and collectors from reporting medical debt to credit bureaus.

Where

Virginia

Citation

Va. Code §§ 59.1-444.1 to 59.1-444.4 (Title 59.1, Chapter 35.1)

Status

In force

In force since

2008-07-01

Last amended

2024-07-01

Enforced by

Consumers by private action; Attorney General exclusively for electronic-lift timing and protected-consumer placement violations (59.1-444.2(U), 59.1-444.3(M)); medical debt reporting through the VCPA (59.1-444.4(C))

People can sue

Yes

Penalties

Willful violations: actual damages or $100 to $1,000, punitive damages, fees and costs; negligent violations: actual damages plus fees (59.1-444.2(Q), (S)). Attorney General civil penalty up to $1,000 per willful violation (59.1-444.2(U)).

Applies to

• Consumer reporting agencies holding credit files on Virginia consumers (59.1-444.2)
• Parents, guardians, and representatives of protected consumers under 16 or incapacitated (59.1-444.3)
• Medical care facilities, licensed health professionals, EMS agencies, and medical debt collectors (59.1-444.4)