To file a complaint with the Indiana Attorney General, submit it through the Consumer Protection Division’s online portal, by mail, or in person at the office in Indianapolis.1Indiana Attorney General. Consumer Protection Division Home Filing is free. The division reviews your complaint, contacts the business, and tries to mediate a resolution under Indiana’s Deceptive Consumer Sales Act. It cannot act as your personal attorney or guarantee an outcome for you individually, but a well-documented complaint can produce a refund, corrective action, or broader enforcement.
Complaints the Attorney General Will Take
The Consumer Protection Division investigates deceptive, unfair, or abusive business practices that violate Indiana’s Deceptive Consumer Sales Act. That covers things like misrepresenting a product’s quality, advertising a price advantage that doesn’t exist, claiming unnecessary repairs are needed, and falsely representing warranty coverage.2Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 24-5-0.5-3 – Unfair, Abusive, or Deceptive Acts The office also handles home improvement contractor disputes, telemarketing violations, and breaches of Indiana’s Do Not Call law.3Indiana Attorney General. Do Not Call/Text Complaint
You can file against any business operating in Indiana even if you live elsewhere, and Indiana residents can file against out-of-state businesses when the transaction happened in Indiana. Purely private matters like landlord-tenant conflicts and employment disputes generally don’t qualify unless clear consumer fraud is involved. If your complaint really belongs with a professional licensing board or a financial regulator, the division will usually point you elsewhere.
Ask the Business to Fix It First
Before you file, send the business a written demand describing the problem and asking for a specific resolution. Two reasons. First, it creates a paper trail showing you acted reasonably. Second, Indiana law treats a deceptive act as “uncured” only after you’ve notified the business in writing and it fails to offer a fix within 30 days.4Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 24-5-0.5-2 – Deceptive Consumer Sales Definitions That step is technically a prerequisite for a private lawsuit rather than an AG complaint, but keeping the option open costs you nothing and strengthens your file either way.
Documents to Gather Before You File
Solid documentation gets your complaint taken seriously faster. Pull together everything that shows what happened, what you were promised, and what you actually received:
- Receipts, contracts, invoices, bank statements, and credit card records showing payments and dates.
- Emails, texts, letters, and chat logs with the business. For phone calls, write down the date, who you spoke with, and what was said.
- Advertisements, brochures, website screenshots, or promotional emails that show what the business promised.
- Copies of any written demand you sent asking the business to fix the problem, along with any response.
- Warranty terms or refund policies the business failed to honor.
In fraud cases, a credit report showing unauthorized accounts or a police report can strengthen the file. Sworn statements from other people who saw the same behavior help, though they aren’t required. Send copies only. The Attorney General’s office will not return originals.
How to Submit the Complaint
You have three options.
Online
The Consumer Protection Division’s complaint portal walks you through each step: your contact information, the business’s details, a description of the problem, and document uploads.5Indiana Attorney General. File a Complaint The portal also lets you check status after submission. This is the fastest path.
By Mail
Download and print the complaint form from the Attorney General’s website, fill it out, and mail it with copies of your supporting documents to:
Office of the Indiana Attorney General
Consumer Protection Division
302 W. Washington St., 5th Floor
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Mail takes longer to process, and you’ll need to follow up by phone to check status.
In Person
You can hand-deliver the complaint to the Indianapolis office at the address above. Request language assistance or accessibility accommodations when you arrive if you need them.
What Happens After You File
The division first checks that your complaint falls within the Attorney General’s jurisdiction. If it doesn’t, or if it lacks enough detail, it may be closed or forwarded to another agency. If it clears that screen, an investigator reviews your documents and may ask for more information.
When a complaint moves forward, the division contacts the business, describes the allegations, and requests a written response. This is a mediation process that relies on voluntary cooperation. The Attorney General cannot compel a business to participate or accept a particular resolution for an individual complaint. Investigators compare the business’s response with your account to identify inconsistencies or legal violations. Multiple complaints against the same business can trigger a broader investigation with more serious consequences.
The most common outcome for individual complaints is a voluntary settlement in which the business agrees to a refund, exchange, or other corrective action. Businesses often cooperate because an unresolved complaint creates a record that can escalate. When the evidence shows a legal violation and the business refuses to settle, the Attorney General can go to court to seek an injunction, restitution for affected consumers, and civil penalties.6Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 24-5-0.5-4 – Actions and Proceedings, Damages, Injunctions, Civil Penalties
Deadlines
Don’t sit on a complaint. The Attorney General has five years to bring an enforcement action, but a private consumer lawsuit under the Deceptive Consumer Sales Act must be filed within two years of the deceptive act itself, not the date you discovered it.7Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 24-5-0.5-5 – Limitation of Actions Evidence also grows stale quickly, and businesses are harder to hold accountable the longer you wait.
Identity Theft Uses a Different Form
If someone has opened accounts in your name or stolen your personal information, don’t use the general consumer complaint portal. The Attorney General’s Identity Theft Unit has its own dedicated form and investigates cases with the goal of prosecuting identity thieves rather than mediating a business dispute.8Indiana Attorney General. ID Theft Prevention The unit also provides resources for credit freezes, data breaches, and robocalls. If you’re unsure which category your situation falls into, start with the Identity Theft Unit and let them redirect you.
When Another Agency Is a Better Fit
Some complaints belong elsewhere. Issues with banks and lenders often fall under the Indiana Department of Financial Institutions. Complaints about licensed professionals like doctors, contractors, or real estate agents may go to the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency. For credit cards, mortgages, student loans, debt collection, and credit reporting, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau accepts federal complaints and forwards cases when needed.9Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Submit a Complaint The Federal Trade Commission is another option for fraud that crosses state lines.
These paths aren’t mutually exclusive. You can file with the Attorney General, submit a CFPB complaint, and pursue small claims court at the same time.
Your Separate Right to Sue
Filing a complaint with the Attorney General does not stop you from suing the business yourself. Under the Deceptive Consumer Sales Act, a consumer harmed by an uncured or incurable deceptive act can sue for actual damages or $500, whichever is greater. For willful violations, the court can increase the award to three times actual damages or $1,000, whichever is more, and can award reasonable attorney fees to the winning party.6Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 24-5-0.5-4 – Actions and Proceedings, Damages, Injunctions, Civil Penalties If your damages are $10,000 or less, Indiana’s small claims courts can hear the case without a lawyer.10Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 33-34-3-2 – Contract and Tort Jurisdiction Just remember the 30-day written notice step before filing suit. Skipping it can undermine your case.