What Is Title 15 of the U.S. Code?
Title 15 of the United States Code — "Commerce and Trade" — is the body of federal law governing commerce, trade regulation, and consumer protection. It is a sprawling title that houses many of the statutes businesses and consumers encounter most often, administered largely by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other federal agencies.
What Title 15 Covers
- The FTC Act — prohibiting unfair or deceptive acts and practices in commerce
- Consumer credit laws — including the Truth in Lending Act and the Fair Credit Reporting Act
- Antitrust laws — such as the Sherman and Clayton Acts protecting competition
- Trademark law — the Lanham Act
Why It Matters in Florida
Because Title 15 is federal, it applies to Florida businesses and consumers alongside state law — for example, Florida's own Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (FDUTPA) operates in parallel with the federal FTC Act. Title 15 shapes how companies advertise, extend credit, report consumer information, and compete. Many real estate finance protections, including the disclosures behind the three-day rescission right, trace to consumer-credit provisions within Title 15.
Related Terms
- 3-Day Right of Rescission — Rooted in Title 15 consumer-credit law
- Title 26 U.S.C. — The federal tax code, a related federal title
- Title 11 U.S.C. — The federal Bankruptcy Code
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Federal Law Reference
15 U.S.C. (Commerce and Trade)
The federal title covering trade regulation and consumer protection — including the FTC Act, Truth in Lending Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, antitrust laws, and the Lanham Act.
Reviewed by the attorneys at Barnes Walker, Goethe, Shea & Robinson, PLLC