1. 1. “Account” means a contractual arrangement between a client and a collection agency that obligates the collection agency to attempt to collect one or more debts on the client’s behalf.
2. 2. “Active Manager” means the person who is in active management of the conduct of the collection agency’s business, and who meets the qualifications listed in A.R.S. § 32-1023(A).
3. 3. “Client” means a person who has hired a collection agency to collect a debt.
4. 4. “Collection agency” has the meaning in A.R.S. § 32-1001(2).
5. 5. “Contact” means to communicate with, and includes attempted communications.
6. 6. “Credit bureau” or “credit reporting agency” means any person engaged exclusively in the business of gathering, recording, and disseminating information about the credit-worthiness, financial responsibility, paying habits, and character of persons being considered for credit extension.
7. 7. “Creditor” means a person who offers or extends credit creating a debt, or to whom a debt is owed. The term does not include a person that receives an assignment or transfer of a defaulted debt solely for use in collecting the debt for someone else.
8. 8. “Debt” means a debtor’s actual or claimed obligation to pay money, whether or not the obligation has been reduced to judgment.
9. 9. “Debtor” means a person obligated to pay a debt. The term also means a person claimed to be obligated to pay a debt.
10. 10. “Director” has the meaning stated at A.R.S. § 20-102.

In this Article, unless the context otherwise requires:

Historical Note

Adopted as an emergency effective September 6, 1978, pursuant to A.R.S. § 41-1003, valid for only 90 days (Supp. 78-5). Adopted effective December 6, 1978 (Supp. 78-6). R20-4-1501 recodified from R4-4-1501 (Supp. 95-1). Amended by final rulemaking at 12 A.A.R. 1331, effective June 4, 2006 (Supp. 06-2). Amended by final rulemaking at 29 A.A.R. 1961 (September 1, 2023), effective October 2, 2023 (Supp. 23-3).