---
type: "LegalText"
title: "15 U.S.C. § 1642"
description: "Issuance of credit cards"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 15
title_name: "COMMERCE AND TRADE"
chapter_number: "41"
chapter_name: "CONSUMER CREDIT PROTECTION"
section: "1642"
citation: "15 U.S.C. § 1642"
status: "current"
release_point: "119-100"
release_date: "2026-06-26"
source: "official"
source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc15@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t15/s1642"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-15/usc15.xml"
source_hash: "93f069180e291219290fb900485bf7a0965761f418b27f722394e3fb153c11ef"
raw_snapshot_hash: "6982338d990ef19d6b52bff6825089bdd6d0ee1233d9382673faf533decd5059"
text_hash: "7bf0751c543aa0aab0a972020d30d0977581a94cc70fd4a3c0b6389d72e3dbfe"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 15 U.S.C. § 1642 - Issuance of credit cards

## Text

No credit card shall be issued except in response to a request or application therefor. This prohibition does not apply to the issuance of a credit card in renewal of, or in substitution for, an accepted credit card.

(Pub. L. 90–321, title I, § 132, as added Pub. L. 91–508, title V, § 502(a), Oct. 26, 1970, 84 Stat. 1126.)

## Notes

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective DatePub. L. 91–508, title V, § 503(1), Oct. 26, 1970, 84 Stat. 1127, provided that: “Section 132 of such Act [this section] takes effect on date of enactment of this title [Oct. 26, 1970].”