State attorneys general serve as the chief legal officers of their states and handle consumer protection, fraud, and deceptive business practices. Filing a complaint with your state AG is a free way to report businesses or individuals engaged in scams, unfair practices, or violations of consumer protection laws.
9 steps across 1 sections
1. Steps Process
- Identify your state's AG office — Visit the National Association of Attorneys General (naag.org) to find your state's AG website, or search "[your state] attorney general consumer complaint."
- Determine if the AG handles your type of complaint — AG offices typically handle consumer fraud, deceptive advertising, price gouging, data breaches, and unfair business practices. They generally d...
- Gather your documentation — Collect copies of contracts, receipts, invoices, emails, text messages, advertisements, bank statements, and any correspondence with the business. Do not send originals.
- Attempt to resolve the issue directly first — Contact the business to seek resolution before filing. Document all attempts including dates, names of people spoken with, and outcomes. The AG form wi...
- Complete the complaint form — Most states offer online forms (fastest processing), but mail and phone options are available. Provide the business name, full address, phone number, your account info...
- Attach supporting documents — Upload or mail copies of relevant evidence. Organize documents chronologically and label them clearly.
- Submit the complaint — File online for fastest processing. If mailing, send to the consumer protection division of your state AG office. Keep a copy of everything you submit.
- Track your complaint — Most offices send an acknowledgment letter or email with a case number. Some states offer online status tracking.
- Respond to follow-up requests — The AG office may request additional information. Respond promptly to keep your case active.
Common Mistakes
- Filing with the wrong state
- Not providing enough detail
- Expecting individual resolution
- Waiting too long
- Not filing elsewhere too
Pro Tips
- AG consumer complaint databases are used to identify patterns; even if your i...
- Many AG offices offer consumer mediation services that attempt to resolve com...
- Check if your state AG has a specific division for your issue type (healthcar...
- Multi-state scams are often investigated jointly by multiple AG offices; fili...
- Some states have online complaint portals that allow you to check status and ...