Find the exact account, inquiry, or personal detail that is wrong. Write down what the report says, what the records show instead, and which document proves the difference. Dispute the item with every credit bureau that displays it. If a lender, collector, utility, landlord, or other company supplied the wrong information, send that company a separate direct dispute.

The letters below are examples for U.S. consumers. They don't guarantee deletion. Accurate, complete, and legally reportable information generally may remain on a credit report. This is general consumer information, not legal advice.

The rules that matter

The Fair Credit Reporting Act gives you the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information with a consumer reporting agency. For a credit bureau dispute, the main provision is FCRA §611, also known as 15 U.S.C. §1681i.

A bureau generally has 30 days after receiving a dispute to investigate. In some circumstances, the period can extend to 45 days, including when you provide additional relevant information during the initial investigation period. The bureau should send the investigation result in writing.

The result may be a correction, deletion, confirmation that the information remains unchanged, or a request for more information. A bureau may decline to investigate a dispute it considers frivolous or irrelevant, but it must notify you and explain why.

Other FCRA provisions can matter too:

• FCRA §611: Addresses disputes about the accuracy or completeness of information in a consumer report.
• FCRA §604: Limits when a company may obtain a consumer report. An inquiry you don't recognize isn't automatically unlawful; the company may have a permissible purpose unrelated to a new credit application.
• FCRA §605B: Provides a process for blocking information that resulted from identity theft when the consumer supplies the required identity and identity-theft documentation.
• FCRA §623: Covers duties of companies that furnish information to credit bureaus, including investigating certain disputes.

A statute citation won't make a vague letter effective. The account, field, date, error, and supporting record still matter. A negative entry can't generally be removed just because it hurts your score or makes a loan more expensive.

Pick the right route

A dispute sent only to a lender doesn't necessarily start the bureau's reinvestigation process. When the error appears on a credit report, dispute it with that bureau as well.

Prepare the dispute

Get all three reports

Request your reports through AnnualCreditReport.com or use the FTC guide to disputing credit report errors. Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion may not show the same accounts or reporting details, so check each report.

A credit score isn't a credit report. The report contains the account, payment, inquiry, and personal information that you need to identify and challenge.

Narrow the issue

Make a separate record for each disputed item:

• Bureau reporting the item
• Furnisher's name
• Account number or last four digits
• Date or reporting period
• Exact field that is wrong
• Information that should appear instead
• Document supporting the correction

“ This account is wrong” is difficult to investigate. A more useful statement is: “The report shows a 60-day late payment for [month and year]. The attached statement shows a payment posted on [date], and the account was not 60 days past due.”

Gather copies of relevant records

Possible attachments include:

• The report page with the item highlighted
• Account statements
• Payment confirmations or canceled-check records
• A creditor letter confirming a correction
• Settlement or payoff documents
• An insurance explanation of benefits for a medical account
• Proof of identity and current address
• A qualifying identity-theft report
• Records showing that an inquiry wasn't connected to an application or existing account

Send copies rather than originals. The Experian dispute instructions also advise consumers who mail a dispute to send copies of supporting documents.

Include enough personal information to identify you and the account, but no more than necessary. Don't send a full Social Security number unless the official instructions specifically require it.

Confirm the submission method and address

Use the current dispute address printed on your report or listed in the bureau's official instructions. A payment address, customer-service address, or address copied from an old website may not handle credit-report disputes. The FTC's guidance includes bureau mailing instructions, and companies can use different addresses for different requests.

For an online dispute, save the confirmation number, submitted wording, uploaded files, and screenshots. For a mailed dispute, keep a complete copy and proof of delivery. Certified mail with tracking or a return receipt can help establish when the bureau received the letter, but it isn't the only valid submission method and doesn't guarantee a faster investigation.

Copy-ready dispute templates

Replace bracketed text with facts that apply to your situation. Edit each version for the specific bureau and report. Don't include accusations you can't support.

1. General credit report dispute

[Your full name]
[Mailing address]
[City, State ZIP]
[Date]

[Credit bureau name]
[Current dispute address]

Re: Dispute of inaccurate information under FCRA §611

Dear [Credit bureau]:

I dispute the completeness and accuracy of information in my consumer report. Please investigate this item:

• Furnisher: [Company name]
• Account number: [Last four digits or account reference]
• Report section and date: [Section and date]
• Information reported: [Exact entry]
• Why it is inaccurate or incomplete: [Specific explanation]
• Correct information: [What the report should state]

Please conduct a reasonable reinvestigation under FCRA §611. If the information is inaccurate, incomplete, or cannot be verified, please correct or delete it as appropriate and send me written results. Please provide an updated report if the item changes.

Enclosed are copies of my identification, the relevant report page, and documents supporting this dispute.

Sincerely,
[Your full name]
[Phone number or email, optional]

2. Direct dispute to the furnisher

Use this letter for the lender, collector, utility, landlord, or other company that supplied the information. Send it to the company's designated address for credit-report disputes, not automatically to its payment address.

[Your full name]
[Mailing address]
[City, State ZIP]
[Date]

[Furnisher name]
[Credit-report dispute address]

Re: Direct dispute of information furnished to consumer reporting agencies

Dear [Company]:

I dispute information your company furnished about this account:

• Account number: [Last four digits]
• Bureau or bureaus showing the information: [Names]
• Reported information: [Balance, status, payment, date, or other field]
• Why it is inaccurate: [Specific facts]
• Correct information: [Correct balance, status, date, or other fact]

Please investigate this direct dispute and review the enclosed records. If the information is inaccurate or incomplete, please correct your records and notify each consumer reporting agency to which you furnished the inaccurate information.

Please send me the investigation result in writing. Enclosed are copies of documents supporting my position.

Sincerely,
[Your full name]

3. Identity-theft account or inquiry block request

Use this request only when the account or inquiry actually resulted from identity theft. A qualifying identity-theft report, proof of identity, identification of the disputed information, and a written statement are generally needed for an FCRA §605B block request.

[Your full name]
[Mailing address]
[City, State ZIP]
[Date]

[Credit bureau name]
[Current dispute address]

Re: Request to block identity-theft information under FCRA §605B

Dear [Credit bureau]:

I am a victim of identity theft. The following account or inquiry does not relate to a transaction I made or authorized:

• Company: [Company name]
• Account or inquiry reference: [Last four digits or reference]
• Date reported: [Date or period]

I request that this information be blocked from my consumer report under FCRA §605B because it resulted from identity theft.

Enclosed are copies of my proof of identity, a qualifying identity-theft report, the relevant report page, and a written statement identifying the fraudulent information. Please send written confirmation of the result and tell me if additional documentation is needed.

Sincerely,
[Your full name]

Contact the creditor's fraud department too. You can also consider a free credit freeze or fraud alert. The FTC's credit freeze and fraud alert guidance explains what each option does and how to request one.

4. Unrecognized or unauthorized inquiry

An unfamiliar inquiry isn't automatically unauthorized. A company may have a permissible purpose because of an existing account, a firm offer, or another legally recognized reason. Use the wording below when the facts support it.

[Your full name]
[Mailing address]
[City, State ZIP]
[Date]

[Credit bureau name]
[Current dispute address]

Re: Dispute of inquiry under FCRA §604

Dear [Credit bureau]:

My report lists an inquiry from [Company] dated [Date]. To the best of my knowledge, I did not apply for credit with this company, authorize this inquiry, or have an existing relationship that would give the company a permissible purpose to access my report.

Please investigate the basis for this inquiry under FCRA §604. If the company cannot establish a permissible purpose, please remove the inquiry and send me written results.

Enclosed is a copy of the report page showing the inquiry and [any supporting records].

Sincerely,
[Your full name]

You can send a copy to the company named in the inquiry and ask it to identify the application or other basis for accessing your report.

5. Medical account accuracy dispute

A medical account isn't automatically illegal or removable simply because it's medical. Focus on a concrete reporting error: the wrong patient, amount, date, insurance adjustment, payment status, or duplicate entry. Unnecessary diagnoses and treatment records usually don't help establish the reporting error.

[Your full name]
[Mailing address]
[City, State ZIP]
[Date]

[Credit bureau name]
[Current dispute address]

Re: Dispute of inaccurate medical account information

Dear [Credit bureau]:

I dispute the following medical account because the reported information is inaccurate or incomplete:

• Furnisher: [Provider or collector]
• Account number: [Last four digits]
• Reported amount and status: [Amount and status]
• Error: [Wrong patient, amount, date, insurance adjustment, payment status, or other specific error]
• Correct information: [Correct facts]

Please verify the consumer's identity, account dates, amount, payments, insurance adjustments, and reporting status. If the information is inaccurate, incomplete, or cannot be verified, please correct or delete the entry as appropriate.

Enclosed are copies of the relevant report page, billing or insurance records, and payment evidence. I have not enclosed unnecessary medical details.

Sincerely,
[Your full name]

Medical-reporting policies and legal requirements can change. Check current official guidance before relying on a particular age threshold or a claim that all medical debt is barred from credit reports.

6. Incorrect late payment

Use this version when the account belongs to you but the payment history is wrong. Include the due date, payment date, posting or receipt date, and reported status when your records show them.

[Your full name]
[Mailing address]
[City, State ZIP]
[Date]

[Credit bureau name]
[Current dispute address]

Re: Dispute of inaccurate late payment

Dear [Credit bureau]:

I dispute the late-payment notation on the [Furnisher] account ending in [Last four digits]. The report shows a [30-day, 60-day, or other status] late payment for [Month and year].

The correct facts are:

• Payment due date: [Date]
• Payment made: [Date]
• Payment received or posted: [Date, if known]
• Correct account status: [Status]

The attached statements and payment records support these facts. Please conduct a reasonable reinvestigation and correct or delete the inaccurate late-payment notation. Please send written results and an updated report if the information changes.

Sincerely,
[Your full name]

An accuracy dispute isn't the same as a goodwill request. When a late payment is accurate, a creditor may decide whether to consider a goodwill adjustment, but FCRA dispute language doesn't require accurate information to be removed.

7. Wrong balance, status, or account dates

Add this paragraph to the general dispute letter when the account is yours but a balance, credit limit, past-due amount, open or closed status, or date is wrong.

I dispute the [balance, past-due amount, account status, credit limit, date opened, date closed, or other field] reported for the [Company] account ending in [Last four digits].

The report states [Reported information]. The correct information is [Correct information], as shown by the enclosed [statement, payoff letter, settlement document, or other record] dated [Date].

Please investigate this specific field and correct the report. I am not asking you to remove accurate information merely because the account is paid, settled, or closed; I am asking for the reported facts to be corrected.

8. Duplicate account

An original creditor entry and a collection entry can sometimes refer to the same obligation without being identical reporting errors. Compare the dates, balances, original creditor, account references, and status before calling an entry duplicative.

The following entries appear to describe the same obligation:

• Entry one: [Company, account reference, balance, dates]
• Entry two: [Company, account reference, balance, dates]

Both entries show [matching original creditor, amount, dates, or other evidence]. Please investigate whether the same obligation is being reported twice. If one entry is duplicative or inaccurate, remove or correct the duplicate while leaving any accurate, properly reported information unchanged.

Enclosed are copies of the report pages with the matching information highlighted.

9. Mixed file or incorrect personal information

Use this wording for information belonging to another person or for a name, address, employer, or other detail that isn't yours. An accurate former address shouldn't be removed merely because it's old.

My report contains the following personal information that does not belong to me:

• Name, address, employer, or other detail: [Incorrect information]
• Why it is not mine: [Specific facts]

The following account also appears to be connected to that information and is not attributable to me:

• Furnisher: [Company]
• Account reference: [Last four digits]

Please investigate whether my file has been mixed with another consumer's file. Correct the inaccurate personal information and investigate the account separately. If the account cannot be matched to my identity, please remove it from my report.

Enclosed are copies of identification, proof of address, and the relevant report pages.

When the account resulted from fraud rather than a mixed file, use the identity-theft block request as well.

10. Reinsertion of previously removed information

Save the report showing the deletion or correction and the later report showing that the item came back. Those documents make the timeline easier to follow.

I disputed the following item on [Date]. It was removed or corrected on the report dated [Date], but it appeared again on the report dated [Date].

• Furnisher: [Company]
• Account reference: [Last four digits]
• Reappeared information: [Exact entry]

Please investigate the reinserted item. Please also review whether the information was properly certified and whether any required notice was provided. If the current entry is inaccurate or the required reinsertion process was not followed, please correct or delete it and send written results.

Enclosed are copies of the earlier and later reports, my prior dispute, and delivery records.

11. Follow-up after a bureau says “verified”

A follow-up should identify a specific problem with the first investigation or include relevant evidence that wasn't previously reviewed. Repeating the same unsupported wording can lead to the dispute being treated as frivolous or irrelevant.

I am following up on my dispute dated [Date], which was reported as verified on [Date]. The item remains inaccurate because [specific reason].

Your result does not address [missing payment, wrong date, identity mismatch, duplicate entry, incorrect balance, or other issue]. I have enclosed new or clearer evidence: [List documents].

Please conduct another reasonable review of this specific information and correct or delete it if it is inaccurate, incomplete, or cannot be verified. If you continue to report it unchanged, please provide a description of the procedure used to determine its accuracy and completeness, along with the furnisher's contact information where applicable.

Please send written results and an updated report if the information changes.

12. CFPB complaint narrative

Use the CFPB complaint portal after giving the bureau or furnisher a clear opportunity to address the problem. Attach the original dispute and response instead of submitting only a general accusation.

Company involved: [Bureau or furnisher]

Problem: [One-sentence description of the inaccurate information]

What happened: On [Date], I reviewed my report and found [specific entry]. I disputed it with [company] on [Date] and provided [documents]. The company [did not respond, verified the item without addressing the evidence, corrected only part of the error, or reinserted the item].

Why the information is inaccurate: [Specific facts and supporting records]

Resolution requested: Please investigate the company's handling of the dispute and ask it to [correct the field, delete an unverified item, block identity-theft information, or provide the required explanation].

Documents attached: [Report, dispute, proof of delivery, response, and evidence]

A CFPB complaint can bring an unresolved reporting problem to the company's attention, but it doesn't guarantee a correction or decide legal liability. The company may respond, request more information, or disagree with the resolution you want.

After sending the dispute

Keep a simple timeline:

1. Date you submitted the dispute
2. Date the bureau or furnisher received it
3. Confirmation or tracking number
4. Date you supplied additional documents
5. Date the investigation result arrived
6. Date you checked the updated report

The investigation period generally starts when the bureau receives the dispute. If you provide additional relevant information during the initial period, record when you sent it because the applicable time period may be longer.

Read the result alongside the report. “Verified” usually means the furnisher confirmed the reported data; it doesn't necessarily mean the bureau accepted every part of your explanation.

When an item is corrected or deleted, save the result and check later reports from each bureau that displayed it. A corrected report may not produce an immediate score change because credit scores also use other information.

If the bureau leaves the item unchanged, consider these next steps:

1. Send a focused dispute to the furnisher if you haven't already.
2. Ask the bureau for a description of the procedure used in its reinvestigation.
3. Provide new, relevant evidence rather than sending identical boilerplate.
4. Ask whether you can add a brief consumer statement explaining the dispute.
5. Use the CFPB complaint route and attach your prior correspondence.
6. Keep records of a credit denial, higher borrowing cost, housing problem, or other measurable consequence.

A credit-report dispute and a debt-validation request are separate processes. If a debt collector is involved, disputing its reporting doesn't automatically erase the underlying debt or resolve every collection issue.

Freeze or fraud alert?

A dispute addresses information already appearing on a report. A credit freeze or fraud alert can help limit new fraudulent accounts and inquiries.

Several unfamiliar accounts, addresses, or inquiries may justify prompt action. Contact the affected creditor, preserve fraud records, and review all three bureau reports. The FTC explains the difference between a freeze and a fraud alert in its consumer guidance.

A freeze doesn't correct an existing error, and a fraud alert doesn't prove that a listed account is fraudulent. Use the identity-theft template when you have a factual basis and the required documentation.

Mistakes that weaken a dispute

• Demanding deletion of every negative item: Accurate negative information isn't automatically an error.
• Using a vague template: Identify the account, field, date, reason, and requested correction.
• Sending one unchanged letter to every bureau: Each letter should describe the item on that bureau's report.
• Calling an unknown inquiry automatically illegal: Ask whether the company had a permissible purpose.
• Calling a medical debt a HIPAA violation without facts: Point to the patient, amount, insurance adjustment, payment, date, or reporting error.
• Mailing original documents: Keep the originals and send copies.
• Using an unverified address: Follow the bureau's current dispute instructions.
• Relying only on a score-monitoring app: Review the actual reports.
• Treating a CFPB or FTC complaint as a substitute for a dispute: Start with the bureau and furnisher.
• Submitting repeated boilerplate: Add relevant evidence or explain a specific defect in the earlier investigation.

Official places to start

• FTC guidance on disputing credit report errors
• USA.gov guidance on correcting credit report errors
• Experian's official dispute process
• FTC guidance on credit freezes and fraud alerts
• CFPB complaint portal

Start with the report page that shows the error. Highlight the entry, write down the exact correction, attach copies of the records that support it, and send the dispute to each bureau reporting that information.