Jefferson Capital Systems is a Minnesota-based debt buyer, owned by the Nasdaq-listed Jefferson Capital, Inc., that purchases charged-off and bankrupt consumer accounts. If it writes to you, it usually claims to own an old account you once had with a card issuer, lender, phone or utility company.
- Type
- Debt buyer
- Also known as
- CL Holdings, LLC; Jefferson Capital Systems, LLC; Jefferson Capital, Inc.
- Headquarters
- Sartell, MN
- Collects
- credit card accounts, auto loan deficiencies, personal and installment loans, telecom accounts, utility accounts, healthcare accounts, bankruptcy accounts
- Phone numbers it lists
- (833) 851-5552
- Website
- jcap.com
41,522 debt collection complaints were sent to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau about CL Holdings LLC from November 13, 2023 to November 12, 2026. A complaint is a consumer's account, not a finding that the company broke the law. Read the complaints in the CFPB database.
Who Is Jefferson Capital Systems?
Jefferson Capital Systems, LLC buys consumer accounts that the original lender has charged off or that are in bankruptcy, then works to collect them. According to the company's SEC prospectus, its chief executive founded Jefferson Capital in 2002, and the business now operates in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Its parent, Jefferson Capital, Inc., trades on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol JCAP.
The CFPB complaint database files complaints about this business under "CL Holdings LLC." The prospectus explains why: CL Holdings, LLC, a Georgia limited liability company, is one of the group's operating subsidiaries, and its U.S. operating companies include Jefferson Capital Systems, LLC. The company's website lists its address as 200 14th Ave E, Sartell, Minnesota; the prospectus also lists offices in Minneapolis, Denver and San Antonio.
Why Jefferson Capital May Be Contacting You
Jefferson Capital's website says it buys charge-offs and bankruptcies across a wide range of products: credit cards, auto loan deficiencies and repossession balances, retail and fintech installment loans, telecommunications and utility accounts, healthcare accounts, powersports loans and bank overdrafts. A letter from Jefferson Capital usually means it says it bought one of those accounts from the company you originally dealt with.
The prospectus says Jefferson Capital relies on outside collection agencies and law firms more than some other large debt buyers. So the first contact may come from an agency or a law firm acting for Jefferson Capital rather than from Jefferson Capital itself. The company tells account holders to call (833) 851-5552 or use its consumer portal.
How to Check a Debt Jefferson Capital Says You Owe
Because Jefferson Capital buys accounts from so many kinds of creditors, start by working out which old account this is.
- Match the notice to a real account. The validation notice must name the original creditor, give an itemization date, and show how the balance changed since then (15 U.S.C. § 1692g; 12 C.F.R. § 1006.34). Compare that with your own statements, payoff letters or repossession paperwork.
- Dispute in writing before the deadline on the notice. If you dispute within the validation period, the collector must pause collection until it sends verification. Ask for the bill of sale that covers your account and the last statement from the original creditor. Our page on how to dispute a debt with a collector walks through the letter.
- Ask about bankruptcy. Jefferson Capital buys bankruptcy accounts. If the debt was discharged in your bankruptcy, say so in writing and keep a copy of your discharge order.
- Check the age of the debt. Texas generally allows four years to sue on a consumer debt (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004), and a debt buyer may not sue on a time-barred consumer debt in Texas (Tex. Fin. Code § 392.307). Other states set different periods. See whether a debt buyer can sue on a time-barred debt.
If you have already been served, our guide to being sued by Jefferson Capital Systems in Texas covers the answer deadline and common defenses.
What Jefferson Capital Can and Can't Do
A company whose principal purpose is collecting debts is a "debt collector" under the FDCPA even when it owns the accounts it collects (15 U.S.C. § 1692a(6)). The Supreme Court held in Henson v. Santander Consumer USA Inc. (2017) that a buyer collecting for itself is not covered by the "regularly collects debts owed to another" prong, so coverage of a buyer like Jefferson Capital turns on the principal-purpose prong. The outside agencies and law firms it uses are covered in their own right.
- It may not misstate the amount owed or who owns the debt (15 U.S.C. § 1692e(2)).
- It may not sue or threaten to sue on a time-barred debt (12 C.F.R. § 1006.26(b)).
- It may not try to collect a debt that was discharged in bankruptcy; that can also violate the discharge injunction.
- It may not call more than seven times in seven days about one debt (12 C.F.R. § 1006.14(b)(2)).
- It may not report the account to a credit bureau before it has communicated with you about the debt (12 C.F.R. § 1006.30(a)).
If a Jefferson Capital collection crossed these lines, see our Texas FDCPA attorneys page.
Government Actions on the Public Record
Being sued by Jefferson Capital Systems? Read our full lawsuit guide →
We Sue Debt Collectors That Break the FDCPA
Texas Debt Law files Fair Debt Collection Practices Act lawsuits against debt collectors in federal court for consumers in Texas, California, Illinois, Georgia and Colorado. If Jefferson Capital Systems or anyone collecting for it harassed you, misstated what you owe, threatened action it could not take, or told others about your debt, you may have a claim. A court can order a collector that violated the FDCPA to pay your actual damages, up to $1,000 in additional statutory damages, and your attorney's fees and costs (15 U.S.C. § 1692k(a)). An FDCPA claim generally must be filed within one year of the violation (§ 1692k(d)), so keep your letters, call logs, voicemails and screenshots, and talk to us early. Texas residents may also have claims under the Texas Debt Collection Act. Learn more from our FDCPA attorneys.
Free FDCPA Case Review(214) 851-2250
Or start your free case evaluation online. No lawyer can promise a result; every claim depends on its facts and proof.
Sources
- Jefferson Capital: home page (asset classes purchased)
- Jefferson Capital: Contact us
- Jefferson Capital, Inc. prospectus (Form 424B4), SEC, June 2025
- Jefferson Capital, Inc. prospectus (Form 424B4), SEC, January 2026
- FTC press release, Dec. 19, 2008: CompuCredit and Jefferson Capital Systems settlement
- CFPB enforcement actions search
- CFPB Consumer Complaint Database: CL Holdings LLC, debt collection
This profile is general information compiled from public sources, not legal advice, and it does not state or imply that Jefferson Capital Systems has violated any law. Company details change; tell us if something here is out of date. Lea este perfil en español.