---
kind: "section"
citation: "12 U.S.C. § 5536"
title: "12"
title_heading: "Banks and Banking"
number: "5536"
heading: "Prohibited acts"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/12/5536"
units:
  - "Chapter 53 — Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection"
  - "Subchapter V — Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection"
  - "Part C — Specific Bureau Authorities"
---

# §5536. Prohibited acts

- (a) **In general—** It shall be unlawful for—
  - (1) any [covered person](/usc/12/5481.md?p=6) or [service provider](/usc/12/5481.md?p=26-A)—
    - (A) to offer or provide to a [consumer](/usc/12/5481.md?p=4) any [financial product or service](/usc/12/5481.md?p=15-A) not in conformity with [Federal consumer financial law](/usc/12/5481.md?p=14), or otherwise commit any act or omission in [violation](/usc/12/5561.md?p=5) of a [Federal consumer financial law](/usc/12/5481.md?p=14); or
    - (B) to engage in any unfair, deceptive, or abusive act or practice;
  - (2) any [covered person](/usc/12/5481.md?p=6) or [service provider](/usc/12/5481.md?p=26-A) to fail or refuse, as required by [Federal consumer financial law](/usc/12/5481.md?p=14), or any rule or order issued by the [Bureau](/usc/12/5301.md?p=4) thereunder—
    - (A) to permit access to or copying of records;
    - (B) to establish or maintain records; or
    - (C) to make reports or provide information to the [Bureau](/usc/12/5301.md?p=4); or
  - (3) any [person](/usc/12/5481.md?p=19) to knowingly or recklessly provide substantial assistance to a [covered person](/usc/12/5481.md?p=6) or [service provider](/usc/12/5481.md?p=26-A) in [violation](/usc/12/5561.md?p=5) of the provisions of [section 5531 of this title](/usc/12/5531.md), or any rule or order issued thereunder, and notwithstanding any provision of this title,[^1] the provider of such substantial assistance shall be deemed to be in [violation](/usc/12/5561.md?p=5) of that section to the same extent as the [person](/usc/12/5481.md?p=19) to whom such assistance is provided.
- (b) **Exception—** No [person](/usc/12/5481.md?p=19) shall be held to have violated [subsection (a)(1)](#a-1) solely by virtue of providing or selling time or space to a [covered person](/usc/12/5481.md?p=6) or [service provider](/usc/12/5481.md?p=26-A) placing an advertisement.

## Footnotes

[^1]: See References in Text note below.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 111–203, title X, § 1036, July 21, 2010, 124 Stat. 2010.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

This title, where footnoted in subsec. (a)(3), is title X of Pub. L. 111–203, July 21, 2010, 124 Stat. 1955, known as the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010, which enacted this subchapter and enacted, amended, and repealed numerous other sections and notes in the Code. For complete classification of title X to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 5301 of this title and Tables.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective on the designated transfer date, see section 1037 of Pub. L. 111–203, set out as a note under section 5531 of this title.