Start with the credit report itself, not a credit-repair company. Pull the report that shows the problem, identify the exact field that is wrong, and send a specific dispute to each bureau reporting it. You can also dispute the information directly with the creditor, collector, lender, or other company that supplied it.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) gives you the right to request a reasonable investigation of information you believe is inaccurate or incomplete. It does not require a bureau to delete accurate negative information just because it hurts your score. Even a successful correction may not increase your score if other information is affecting it.

This article covers U.S. credit reports. The Federal Trade Commission's instructions for disputing credit-report errors and USAGov's credit-report guidance are useful starting points.

The fastest way to dispute an error

1. Get all three reports. Use AnnualCreditReport.com, the official source for federally authorized credit reports. Federal law guarantees one free report from each nationwide bureau every 12 months. The bureaus have also offered free weekly online reports beyond that minimum, so check the site for the current schedule.
2. Find the item on each report. Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion don't necessarily have the same information. Note which bureau shows the error and copy the creditor name, account number, dates, balance, and status as reported.
3. Gather proof. Depending on the problem, this might be a bank record, account statement, payment confirmation, settlement letter, insurance explanation of benefits, court order, police report, or FTC Identity Theft Report.
4. Explain one problem at a time. State what the report says, why it is wrong, and what the correct information should be. Send copies, not original documents.
5. Send the dispute to the furnisher, too. Use the address designated for credit-report disputes, rather than sending it only through a credit-monitoring app.
6. Keep a file. Save the report, your letter or online submission, attachments, confirmation number, delivery record, and the bureau's response.
7. Review the result. A bureau generally has 30 days to investigate. Some investigations can take up to 45 days. If the answer doesn't address the error, follow up with the bureau, the furnisher, or a complaint.

What is a credit-report error?

A dispute needs to identify inaccurate or incomplete information. An entry isn't an error merely because it is unfavorable.

Examples of reportable errors include:

• An account that doesn't belong to you
• A mixed file caused by another person with a similar name or identifying information
• A late payment listed on the wrong date
• An incorrect balance, credit limit, account status, or payment history
• An account shown as open after you closed it
• A paid or settled account still shown as unpaid
• The same debt listed more than once
• A collection reported by the wrong company or for the wrong amount
• A hard inquiry you didn't authorize or that has no permissible purpose
• An incorrect name, address, employer, or other identifying detail that could contribute to a mixed-file problem
• A debt discharged in bankruptcy that is being reported inaccurately

An accurate late payment, collection account, or charge-off generally won't be removed through a dispute simply because it damages your credit. You can still ask the creditor or collector about payment, settlement, hardship, or other options, but don't describe accurate information as an error.

An inquiry isn't automatically inaccurate because you don't recognize the company's name. A lender may use a different business name, or you may have authorized the inquiry as part of an application. Ask the company for the application or authorization details before calling the inquiry unauthorized.

Prepare the dispute

A short, itemized submission is easier to investigate than a long letter accusing a company of everything that might be wrong.

Check all three reports

Get a separate report from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Correcting one report doesn't automatically correct the other two, and not every creditor reports to every bureau.

Save each report as a PDF or print it. Record the date you accessed it because the information can change while the dispute is pending.

Record the exact problem

For each disputed item, write down:

• The bureau reporting it
• The creditor or collection agency
• The account number, using only enough digits to identify the account safely
• The field that is wrong
• The correct information
• The relevant date or reporting period
• The facts that show why the information is inaccurate or incomplete

"The balance is wrong" gives the investigator little to check. A stronger explanation would be: "The report shows a $1,200 balance, but the attached statement dated May 3 shows a zero balance after my payment on April 28."

Use documents that fit the dispute

Useful evidence can include:

• Bank statements or canceled-payment records for a payment-date dispute
• Creditor statements showing the correct balance
• A payoff or settlement letter
• Account-opening documents showing that an account belongs to someone else
• An insurance explanation of benefits and provider billing records for a medical-billing dispute
• A police report or FTC Identity Theft Report for identity theft
• A court order or bankruptcy discharge document
• A letter from the creditor confirming that it will correct the account

Send copies and keep the originals. Redact unrelated transactions and sensitive information, such as a full bank-account number. Include identification or proof of address when the bureau's instructions request it.

If several fields are wrong, list each account and requested correction separately. Don't ask the bureau to "delete everything" without identifying the specific items.

Where to file a dispute

You can usually dispute online or by mail, and a bureau may also offer phone support. Online filing is convenient and may provide a status page. Mail is often better for a complicated dispute because you can include a detailed explanation and keep proof of delivery.

Use the official dispute page or the mailing address printed on your report. Addresses and procedures can change.

For a phone number or other contact method, check the bureau's current website or your report rather than relying on an old number.

If you dispute online

Online forms commonly ask you to select the account, choose a reason, describe the problem, and upload documents. Before submitting:

• Save every file you upload
• Copy the explanation you entered
• Capture the confirmation page or number
• Check whether the form limits the length of your explanation
• Note the expected completion date

If the form doesn't accept important evidence or the issue needs a detailed explanation, use the bureau's mail process. Keep the facts consistent if you use more than one channel.

If you dispute by mail

Include:

1. A copy of the report page with the item highlighted or circled
2. A letter identifying the account and explaining the error
3. Copies of documents supporting your position
4. Identification or proof of address if requested
5. A list of the enclosed documents

A trackable mailing service can provide useful delivery evidence. Certified mail isn't required for every dispute, but proof of when the bureau received your submission can matter if a deadline later becomes an issue.

Dispute the information with the furnisher

The furnisher is the company that supplied the information to the bureau. It might be a creditor, lender, debt collector, or another business.

A bureau will normally send the dispute to the furnisher for review. Sending the same evidence directly to the furnisher can address the source of the error and gives you a separate record of your request.

Find the furnisher's designated address for credit-report disputes on the report, an account statement, or the company's website. A direct dispute should include:

• Your name and contact information
• The account number or another safe identifier
• The exact information being challenged
• The reason it is wrong or incomplete
• The correction you want
• Copies of relevant evidence

The furnisher must investigate qualifying direct disputes and report its findings. If it agrees the information is wrong, it should notify the bureaus to which it furnished the information.

Credit-report dispute letter template

Change the wording to match the facts. Don't make legal threats or include claims you can't support.

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

[Credit bureau or furnisher name]
[Dispute address]

Re: Dispute of inaccurate credit-report information

I am disputing the following information on my credit report:

• Furnisher or creditor: [name]
• Account number: [last four digits or identifying number]
• Item being reported: [balance, payment status, date, inquiry, or other field]
• Reported information: [what the report says]
• Correct information: [what it should say]

The information is inaccurate or incomplete because [brief factual explanation].

I have enclosed copies of [list your supporting documents]. Please investigate this dispute and correct or delete any information that is inaccurate, incomplete, or cannot be verified. Please send me the written results of the investigation and an updated report if the information is changed.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Signature if mailing]

Use the same basic format for a direct dispute to a creditor or collector, but send it to the company's designated dispute address.

How long does an investigation take?

A credit bureau generally has 30 days after receiving a dispute to investigate. The period can extend to 45 days in limited situations, including certain disputes involving a free annual credit report or additional relevant information submitted during the investigation.

During the investigation, the bureau may:

• Review the documents you provided
• Forward the dispute to the furnisher
• Ask the furnisher to compare its records
• Correct or delete the information
• Leave the information unchanged
• Treat the dispute as frivolous or irrelevant if it lacks enough detail, repeats an earlier dispute without meaningful new information, or challenges items without identifying a specific problem

The bureau should send you the investigation results. If it changes the report, read the revised report carefully. A correction to one account won't necessarily fix a related error elsewhere in the file.

If the bureau says the information was verified

"Verified" generally means the bureau received a response from the furnisher stating that its records support the reported information. It doesn't necessarily prove that the records are correct.

Read the response and then:

1. Check each issue you raised. Make sure the bureau addressed every account, field, and date in your dispute.
2. Request the method of verification. Ask the bureau for a description of how it verified the item and information about the furnisher that supplied the response.
3. Dispute the item with the furnisher. Send a focused letter to the furnisher's designated dispute address.
4. Provide relevant new evidence. A new statement, payment record, settlement letter, or court document may answer a question the first submission left open.
5. Use a complaint route if the error remains. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's dispute guidance explains the dispute process and complaint options. Include your original dispute, delivery proof, results, and supporting records.
6. Get advice if the error caused serious, measurable harm. A consumer-law attorney or legal-aid organization can explain possible options after a denied loan, higher borrowing cost, lost housing, or another documented loss.

A complaint can bring attention to how the company handled the dispute, but it doesn't replace a clear explanation and supporting evidence.

Identity theft and accounts that aren't yours

An unfamiliar account may be the result of identity theft or a mixed credit file. First compare the name, address, and other identifying details attached to the account. Someone with a similar identity may have been matched to your file.

If you believe the account resulted from identity theft:

1. Place a security freeze with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. A freeze usually must be requested separately from each bureau.
2. Consider an initial fraud alert. You can request one bureau to place the alert, and that bureau generally must notify the other two.
3. Report the theft through IdentityTheft.gov and obtain an FTC Identity Theft Report. A police report may also help.
4. Send each bureau a written request to block the fraudulent information.
5. Include proof of identity, the identity-theft report, report pages showing the fraudulent accounts, and a clear statement that you didn't authorize the accounts.

When the required information is provided, the FCRA generally requires a bureau to block identity-theft information within four business days. A bureau can refuse or reverse a block in certain circumstances, such as an incomplete request or evidence that the account isn't fraudulent.

Don't report a legitimate account as identity theft to try to remove it. That can create additional problems.

Medical debt and collection accounts

Medical-debt reporting involves both bureau policies and federal law. Don't treat the two as interchangeable.

The three nationwide bureaus announced voluntary changes that generally exclude:

• Paid medical collections
• Medical collections with an initial balance below $500
• Medical collections less than one year old

These are bureau policies, not a blanket federal rule, and they can change. The National Consumer Law Center's medical-debt overview describes the bureau changes.

A federal rule that would have restricted medical-debt reporting was vacated by a federal court, according to AP News' report. Don't rely on that vacated rule as an automatic right to delete every medical collection.

Dispute a medical item when the amount, patient, payment status, dates, or insurer responsibility is wrong. Attach the provider bill, insurance explanation of benefits, payment receipt, or settlement letter. Also contact the provider or collector if the underlying bill is incorrect. A credit-report dispute doesn't by itself stop collection activity or resolve a disagreement with an insurer.

Debt validation is a different process

An FCRA dispute asks whether information on a credit report is accurate and complete. A debt-validation request under federal debt-collection law asks a collector to substantiate a debt after sending a validation notice. They are separate processes.

If you receive a collector's validation notice and dispute the debt in writing within the stated 30-day period, the collector generally must pause collection of the disputed amount until it sends verification. That process doesn't automatically remove a credit-report entry. If the entry is also inaccurate, dispute it with the bureau and the furnisher.

Mistakes that slow disputes down

• Disputing the whole report: Identify the account, field, date, and correction you want.
• Sending no proof: Match each document to the specific fact it supports.
• Using an old address: Confirm the mailing address on the bureau's current site or your report.
• Sending originals: Keep them and send copies.
• Assuming one bureau represents all three: File separately with every bureau showing the error.
• Relying only on a phone call: Follow up in writing and save confirmation details.
• Repeating the same unsupported dispute: Add new, relevant facts or documents instead.
• Expecting a score guarantee: A corrected entry may not change the score if other information remains.
• Paying for an automatic deletion promise: Accurate information generally isn't removable through a dispute just because someone charges a fee or you pay the account.

Which rules apply?

The FCRA is the federal baseline for nationwide credit reporting. State laws may add protections involving collection conduct, medical debt, privacy, or reporting procedures. The available deadline or remedy can depend on the facts and the state, so verify state-specific questions with the relevant agency or a qualified attorney.

This information is for U.S. credit reporting. It doesn't address credit files in another country.

FAQ

Do I need to dispute an error with all three credit bureaus?

Only dispute with the bureaus that show the error, but check all three reports first. If Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion each list the same inaccurate item, send a separate dispute to each bureau.

Can I dispute an error by phone?

A bureau may accept a dispute or help you begin one by phone. Online or mail is usually better for a complicated issue because you can submit documents and preserve a record. Use the phone mainly for questions and status checks unless you receive confirmation of what was disputed.

Can I dispute a debt that is accurate but unaffordable?

Not as a credit-report error. Contact the creditor or collector about hardship, payment, settlement, or other options. Dispute only information that is inaccurate, incomplete, or cannot be verified.

Will a dispute lower my credit score?

Filing a legitimate dispute isn't itself a negative credit entry. Your score may change if the bureau corrects or deletes information, but no increase is guaranteed.

What happens after a dispute is denied?

Read the results, request information about the method of verification, and send a focused dispute to the furnisher with any relevant evidence the first review missed. Keep the original records if you later use a complaint process or seek legal advice.

Pull the report showing the problem, highlight one exact item, and gather the document that proves what should be changed before submitting the dispute.