A. No person shall engage in the business of providing or offering to provide a DMP to any consumer, whether or not the person has an office, facility, agent, or other physical presence in the Commonwealth, unless such person obtains from the Commission a license issued pursuant to this chapter. The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to any bank, savings institution, or credit union, or to a person licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth.

Terms Used In Virginia Code 6.2-2001

  • Agency: means any person that provides or offers to provide debt management plans for consumers. See Virginia Code 6.2-2000
  • Commission: means the State Corporation Commission. See Virginia Code 6.2-100
  • Consumer: means an individual residing in the Commonwealth who owes money to one or more creditors, for personal, family, or household purposes, including an individual who owes money jointly with one or more other individuals. See Virginia Code 6.2-2000
  • DMP: means a program whereby a person agrees to engage in debt pooling and distribution services on behalf of a consumer, or multiple consumers if a joint account. See Virginia Code 6.2-2000
  • Person: means any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or other legal or commercial entity. See Virginia Code 6.2-100

B. This chapter shall be construed by the Commission to promote sound personal financial advice and management, and protect against financial loss consumers who place money or control of their funds or credit into the custody of an agency for transmission to such consumers’ creditors.

C. A person licensed under this chapter is not required to be licensed as a money transmitter under Chapter 19 (§ 6.2-1900 et seq.), if the person’s money transmission activities are limited to providing debt pooling and distribution services in accordance with this chapter.

2004, c. 790, § 6.1-363.3; 2010, c. 794; 2019, c. 325.