Credit Repair Business Requirements in Virginia (2026): Registration, Bond & Ch. 25.1

Last Updated: August 16, 2026

Virginia regulates credit repair under the Virginia Credit Services Businesses Act, Va. Code §§ 59.1-335.1 through 59.1-335.12. Before serving Virginia consumers, a credit repair business must satisfy every duty that law imposes — and the federal Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA) on top. This guide answers every Virginia-specific question first, then links the full launch sequence.

Do I need a license to start a credit repair business in Virginia?

Virginia does not issue a “credit repair license,” but a credit services business must file a registration statement with the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services before it enters into a contract with a Virginia consumer. The governing law is Va. Code § 59.1-335.3, which applies on top of the federal CROA.

The registration must give the name and address of the business and of a registered agent authorized to accept service of process, identify anyone owning a ten percent or greater interest, name the surety company or bank that issued your bond or letter of credit, disclose litigation and unresolved complaints from the preceding five years (or carry a notarized statement that there are none), and attach copies of your information statement, consumer contract, and evidence of the bond. The Commissioner may charge a filing fee not exceeding $100, and you must update the statement within ninety days of any change. In practice the filing runs through the VDACS Office of Charitable and Regulatory Programs.

Does Virginia require a surety bond for credit repair?

Yes — and Virginia is unusual in that your own price list sets the bond amount. Va. Code § 59.1-335.4 requires every credit services business, before it enters into a contract with a consumer, to file and maintain a corporate surety bond — or a letter of credit from an FDIC-insured bank — equal to 100 times the standard fee you charge, but never less than $5,000 and never more than $50,000.

So a $150 standard fee implies a $15,000 bond, and any standard fee at or above $500 pins you at the $50,000 ceiling. The bond runs in favor of the Commonwealth for the benefit of anyone damaged by a violation, the surety or bank is liable only for actual damages and attorney fees (not penalties or punitive damages), and the security must be maintained for two years after you stop operating. Raise your standard fee and you may owe a larger bond — confirm the current amount, forms, and procedure with VDACS before you file.

What is the Virginia Credit Services Businesses Act?

The Virginia Credit Services Businesses Act (Va. Code tit. 59.1, ch. 25.1) covers anyone who, for payment, sells or performs services to improve a consumer’s credit record, history, or rating, or to obtain an extension of credit. It sets registration and fees (§ 59.1-335.3), the bond or letter of credit (§ 59.1-335.4), prohibited practices (§ 59.1-335.5), the information statement (§§ 59.1-335.6 and 59.1-335.7), contract contents (§ 59.1-335.8), and voidness for breach (§ 59.1-335.9) — all on top of federal CROA.

Read the statute itself before you launch — credit services acts are short, and the contract and cancellation sections translate directly into your paperwork. Where this page and the statute ever disagree, the statute in force wins.

What must a Virginia credit repair contract include?

Start with the CROA baseline that applies everywhere: the services to be performed, the timeframe, the total cost, your business name and address, and a conspicuous three-business-day cancellation notice — plus the separate written consumer-rights disclosure delivered before signing. Then add every contract element Va. Code ch. 25.1 requires on top.

Virginia § 59.1-335.8 requires the contract to carry a conspicuous cancellation statement — “You, the buyer, may cancel this contract at any time prior to midnight of the third business day after the date of the transaction” — and § 59.1-335.5 separately bars charging or receiving any money or other valuable consideration prior to full and complete performance of the services. Section 59.1-335.9 makes a contract that does not comply void and unenforceable, and §§ 59.1-335.6 and 59.1-335.7 require a written information statement delivered before signing.

A contract missing a required element is void under CROA — which means unrecoverable fees and liability exposure. Our guide to credit repair contracts under CROA walks through each required clause; read it alongside the statute’s own contract section.

Do federal CROA and TSR rules still apply in Virginia?

Yes — always. The federal Credit Repair Organizations Act applies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia: written contract with required contents, a three-business-day cancellation right, no fees before services are performed, no guaranteed outcomes, and a mandatory consumer-rights disclosure. The Telemarketing Sales Rule adds an advance-fee ban when you sell credit repair by phone.

State statutes layer on top of this federal floor; they never replace it. When a state rule and a federal rule differ, follow the stricter one. The full federal picture is covered in credit repair laws every business owner must know and our practical CROA compliance guide.

What is the safest launch checklist for Virginia?

Read the statute and CROA, register your entity, complete any state licensing, registration, and bond filing, adopt contracts satisfying both state and federal requirements, set a fees-after-performance billing model, and only then market to Virginia consumers. Sequence matters: filings and contracts come before your first client, not after.

Read Va. Code §§ 59.1-335.1 to 59.1-335.12 and the federal CROA together.
Register your entity and get an EIN — the full sequence is in our hub on how to start a credit repair business.
File the § 59.1-335.3 registration statement with the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services and put the § 59.1-335.4 bond or letter of credit in place — sized at 100 times your standard fee — before your first Virginia contract.
Adopt CROA-plus-state compliant contracts and disclosures.
Set up billing that charges only after work is performed — see how to charge credit repair fees legally.
Run disputes, tracking, and billing on one system so compliance is enforced by workflow, not memory — Metro 2–aware dispute letters make each challenge specific enough to defend if a client or a regulator asks.

What if my clients live outside Virginia?

State credit services statutes protect that state’s residents — so the rules that matter are set by where your client lives, not where your desk sits. A Virginia-based business serving a client in another state should expect that state’s licensing, registration, bond, and contract rules to apply to the engagement.

Multi-state businesses typically satisfy the strictest state they serve or decline clients from states where they are not registered. CROA applies everywhere regardless. Check each state before you take the client in our credit repair business license, bond, and registration requirements by state hub.

Credit repair business requirements in other states

Every state sets its own registration, bond, and contract rules. The complete 50-state reference is the credit repair business license, bond, and registration requirements by state hub; the other deep-dive state guides are:

Virginia Credit Repair Business FAQ

Do I need a license to start a credit repair business in Virginia?

Virginia does not issue a dedicated credit repair license, but Va. Code § 59.1-335.3 requires a credit services business to file a registration statement with the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services before entering into a contract with a consumer. The filing fee may not exceed $100. Federal CROA rules apply on top. Confirm current forms with VDACS.

How much is the Virginia credit services bond?

Va. Code § 59.1-335.4 sets the bond or letter of credit at 100 times the standard fee charged by the credit services business, with a floor of $5,000 and a ceiling of $50,000. A $150 standard fee implies a $15,000 bond; any standard fee of $500 or more reaches the $50,000 maximum. The security must be maintained for two years after the business ceases operation.

Can I charge Virginia clients before doing the work?

No. Va. Code § 59.1-335.5 makes it a prohibited practice to charge or receive any money or other valuable consideration prior to full and complete performance of the services, and the federal Credit Repair Organizations Act imposes the same ban nationwide. Compliant models bill monthly for completed work or per deletion after the result.

How long does a Virginia client have to cancel?

Va. Code § 59.1-335.8 requires the contract to state conspicuously that the buyer may cancel at any time prior to midnight of the third business day after the date of the transaction. Federal CROA independently gives three business days. A contract that does not comply is void and unenforceable under § 59.1-335.9.

Where do I check the current Virginia requirements?

Read Va. Code ch. 25.1 of title 59.1 on the Virginia Law Library site and confirm the current registration form, filing fee, and bond or letter of credit templates with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Requirements change, so verify against the state source rather than a third-party summary before you launch.

Official Virginia sources

Verify every requirement on this page against the jurisdiction’s own publications before you launch:

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This guide is educational information, not legal advice. Statutes, bond amounts, and filing procedures change; verify current requirements with the jurisdiction before launching, and consult a qualified attorney for guidance on your specific business.