C.F.R. » Title 12 » CHAPTER X—CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU › PART 1002—EQUAL CREDIT OPPORTUNITY ACT (REGULATION B) › Subpart A—General

12 C.F.R. § 1002.4

General rules

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(a) Discrimination. A creditor shall not discriminate against an applicant on a prohibited basis regarding any aspect of a credit transaction.

(b) Discouragement. A creditor shall not make any oral or written statement, in advertising or otherwise, directed at applicants or prospective applicants that the creditor knows or should know would cause a reasonable person to believe that the creditor would deny, or would grant on less favorable terms, a credit application by the applicant or prospective applicant because of the applicant or prospective applicant's prohibited basis characteristic(s). For purposes of this paragraph (b), oral or written statements are spoken or written words, or visual images such as symbols, photographs, or videos.

(c) Written applications. A creditor shall take written applications for the dwelling-related types of credit covered by § 1002.13(a).

(d) Form of disclosures—(1) General rule. A creditor that provides in writing any disclosures or information required by this part must provide the disclosures in a clear and conspicuous manner and, except for the disclosures required by §§ 1002.5 and 1002.13, in a form the applicant may retain.

(2) Disclosures in electronic form. The disclosures required by this part that are required to be given in writing may be provided to the applicant in electronic form, subject to compliance with the consumer consent and other applicable provisions of the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-Sign Act) (15 U.S.C. 7001 et seq.). Where the disclosures under §§ 1002.5(b)(1), 1002.5(b)(2), 1002.5(d)(1), 1002.5(d)(2), 1002.13, and 1002.14(a)(2) accompany an application accessed by the applicant in electronic form, these disclosures may be provided to the applicant in electronic form on or with the application form, without regard to the consumer consent or other provisions of the E-Sign Act.

(e) Foreign-language disclosures. Disclosures may be made in languages other than English, provided they are available in English upon request.

[76 FR 79445, Dec. 21, 2011, as amended at 78 FR 7248, Jan. 31, 2013; 91 FR 21668, Apr. 22, 2026]
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 7 cases (6 in the last 5 years), 2017–2025 · leading case: CFPB v. Townstone Fin., Inc., 107 F.4th 768 (7th Cir. 2024).
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CFPB v. Townstone Fin., Inc., 107 F.4th 768 (7th Cir. 2024). “§ 1691 (a)(1), and one of its regulations, Regulation B, see 12 C.F.R. § 1002.4 (b); one count of violating the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010, see 12 U.”
Gray v. Seterus, Inc., 233 F. Supp. 3d 865 (D. Or. 2017). “9 ), the discouragement regulation ( 12 C.F.R. § 1002.4 (b)), the inquiry regulation ( 12 C.”
Bureau of Consum. Fin. Prot. v. Townstone Fin., Inc. (N.D. Ill. 2023). · cites it 4× “” 12 C.F.R. § 1002.4 (b). The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (CFPB) filed this lawsuit against Townstone Financial, Inc.”
Ripley v. Pentagon Fed. Credit Union (D. Maryland 2024). · cites it 3× “§ 1691 (a)(1), and its implementing regulation, Regulation B, 12 C.F.R. § 1002.4 . ECF 1, at 4, 6– 7. She requests return of the vehicle, including her personal items inside it; the vehicle’s title; a return of the amount financed, $49,452.”
Goodrich v. Cross River Bank (N.D. Cal. 2023). · cites it 2× “§ 1691 (a)(3)) 16 and Regulation B ( 12 C.F.R. § 1002.4 (a))," Greenfield alleges that CRB's Counterclaims 17 were, in violation of 15 U.”
Wilson v. Cmty. Powered Fed. Credit Union (D. Del. 2021). “Granted, 12 C.F.R. § 1002.4 (b), promulgated by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) pursuant to the ECOA, prohibits a creditor from making any statement “to applicants or prospective applicants that would discourage on a prohibited basis a reasonable person from…”
Smith v. Enter. Holdings, Inc. (E.D. Mo. 2025). “” 12 C.F.R. § 1002.4 (b). Plaintiff has not alleged that Enterprise discouraged her from applying for credit because of her protected traits, and there is no other evidence that the text discouraged Plaintiff on a prohibited basis.”
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