[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 12, Volume 2]
[Revised as of January 1, 2006]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 12CFR202.9]

[Page 23-25]
 
                       TITLE 12--BANKS AND BANKING
 
                   CHAPTER II--FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
 
PART 202_EQUAL CREDIT OPPORTUNITY ACT (REGULATION B)--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 202.9  Notifications.

    (a) Notification of action taken, ECOA notice, and statement of 
specific reasons--(1) When notification is required. A creditor shall 
notify an applicant of action taken within:
    (i) 30 days after receiving a completed application concerning the 
creditor's approval of, counteroffer to, or adverse action on the 
application;
    (ii) 30 days after taking adverse action on an incomplete 
application, unless notice is provided in accordance with paragraph (c) 
of this section;
    (iii) 30 days after taking adverse action on an existing account; or
    (iv) 90 days after notifying the applicant of a counteroffer if the 
applicant does not expressly accept or use the credit offered.
    (2) Content of notification when adverse action is taken. A 
notification given to an applicant when adverse action is taken shall be 
in writing and shall contain a statement of the action taken; the name 
and address of the creditor; a statement of the provisions of Sec. 
701(a) of the Act; the name and address of the federal agency that 
administers compliance with respect to the creditor; and either:
    (i) A statement of specific reasons for the action taken; or
    (ii) A disclosure of the applicant's right to a statement of 
specific reasons within 30 days, if the statement is requested within 60 
days of the creditor's notification. The disclosure shall include the 
name, address, and telephone number of the person or office from which 
the statement of reasons can be obtained. If the creditor chooses to 
provide the reasons orally, the creditor shall also disclose the 
applicant's right to have them confirmed in writing within 30 days of 
receiving the applicant's written request for confirmation.
    (3) Notification to business credit applicants. For business credit, 
a creditor shall comply with the notification requirements of this 
section in the following manner:
    (i) With regard to a business that had gross revenues of $1 million 
or less in its preceding fiscal year (other than an extension of trade 
credit, credit incident to a factoring agreement, or other similar types 
of business credit), a creditor shall comply with paragraphs (a)(1) and 
(2) of this section, except that:
    (A) The statement of the action taken may be given orally or in 
writing, when adverse action is taken;
    (B) Disclosure of an applicant's right to a statement of reasons may 
be given at the time of application, instead of when adverse action is 
taken, provided the disclosure contains the information required by 
paragraph (a)(2)(ii) of this section and the ECOA notice specified in 
paragraph (b)(1) of this section;
    (C) For an application made entirely by telephone, a creditor 
satisfies the requirements of paragraph (a)(3)(i) of this section by an 
oral statement of the action taken and of the applicant's right to a 
statement of reasons for adverse action.
    (ii) With regard to a business that had gross revenues in excess of 
$1 million in its preceding fiscal year or an extension of trade credit, 
credit incident to a factoring agreement, or other similar types of 
business credit, a creditor shall:
    (A) Notify the applicant, within a reasonable time, orally or in 
writing, of the action taken; and

[[Page 24]]

    (B) Provide a written statement of the reasons for adverse action 
and the ECOA notice specified in paragraph (b)(1) of this section if the 
applicant makes a written request for the reasons within 60 days of the 
creditor's notification.
    (b) Form of ECOA notice and statement of specific reasons--(1) ECOA 
notice. To satisfy the disclosure requirements of paragraph (a)(2) of 
this section regarding section 701(a) of the Act, the creditor shall 
provide a notice that is substantially similar to the following: The 
federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits creditors from 
discriminating against credit applicants on the basis of race, color, 
religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age (provided the 
applicant has the capacity to enter into a binding contract); because 
all or part of the applicant's income derives from any public assistance 
program; or because the applicant has in good faith exercised any right 
under the Consumer Credit Protection Act. The federal agency that 
administers compliance with this law concerning this creditor is [name 
and address as specified by the appropriate agency listed in appendix A 
of this regulation].
    (2) Statement of specific reasons. The statement of reasons for 
adverse action required by paragraph (a)(2)(i) of this section must be 
specific and indicate the principal reason(s) for the adverse action. 
Statements that the adverse action was based on the creditor's internal 
standards or policies or that the applicant, joint applicant, or similar 
party failed to achieve a qualifying score on the creditor's credit 
scoring system are insufficient.
    (c) Incomplete applications--(1) Notice alternatives. Within 30 days 
after receiving an application that is incomplete regarding matters that 
an applicant can complete, the creditor shall notify the applicant 
either:
    (i) Of action taken, in accordance with paragraph (a) of this 
section; or
    (ii) Of the incompleteness, in accordance with paragraph (c)(2) of 
this section.
    (2) Notice of incompleteness. If additional information is needed 
from an applicant, the creditor shall send a written notice to the 
applicant specifying the information needed, designating a reasonable 
period of time for the applicant to provide the information, and 
informing the applicant that failure to provide the information 
requested will result in no further consideration being given to the 
application. The creditor shall have no further obligation under this 
section if the applicant fails to respond within the designated time 
period. If the applicant supplies the requested information within the 
designated time period, the creditor shall take action on the 
application and notify the applicant in accordance with paragraph (a) of 
this section.
    (3) Oral request for information. At its option, a creditor may 
inform the applicant orally of the need for additional information. If 
the application remains incomplete the creditor shall send a notice in 
accordance with paragraph (c)(1) of this section.
    (d) Oral notifications by small-volume creditors. In the case of a 
creditor that did not receive more than 150 applications during the 
preceding calendar year, the requirements of this section (including 
statements of specific reasons) are satisfied by oral notifications.
    (e) Withdrawal of approved application. When an applicant submits an 
application and the parties contemplate that the applicant will inquire 
about its status, if the creditor approves the application and the 
applicant has not inquired within 30 days after applying, the creditor 
may treat the application as withdrawn and need not comply with 
paragraph (a)(1) of this section.
    (f) Multiple applicants. When an application involves more than one 
applicant, notification need only be given to one of them but must be 
given to the primary applicant where one is readily apparent.
    (g) Applications submitted through a third party. When an 
application is made on behalf of an applicant to more than one creditor 
and the applicant expressly accepts or uses credit offered by one of the 
creditors, notification of action taken by any of the other creditors is 
not required. If no credit is offered or if the applicant does not 
expressly accept or use the credit offered, each creditor taking adverse 
action must comply with this section, directly

[[Page 25]]

or through a third party. A notice given by a third party shall disclose 
the identity of each creditor on whose behalf the notice is given.
    (h) Duties of third parties. A third party may use electronic 
communication in accordance with the requirements of Sec. 202.16, as 
applicable, to comply with the requirements of paragraph (g) of this 
section on behalf of a creditor.