If an account, balance, payment history, inquiry, or personal detail on your U.S. credit report is wrong, dispute the specific entry with both the credit bureau reporting it and the company that supplied the information. The process is free, and you don't need a credit-repair company.

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), a bureau generally has 30 days to investigate a dispute. That period can extend to 45 days in limited circumstances, including when you provide relevant additional information during the initial investigation. The steps below follow the U.S. process described by the Federal Trade Commission and USAGov.

Quick answer: How to dispute a credit report error

1. Get all three reports. Request them from AnnualCreditReport.com, the federally authorized source. Federal law guarantees at least one free report from each bureau every 12 months, and the site currently offers online access more frequently than that statutory minimum.
2. Compare the reports. An error may appear on one bureau's report, two reports, or all three.
3. Record the exact problem. Note the company, account number or last four digits, balance, dates, account status, and the correction you want.
4. Collect focused evidence. Statements, payment confirmations, account-closure letters, court documents, identity documents, or an identity-theft report may help.
5. Submit a separate dispute to each bureau that shows the error. Use the bureau's online, mail, or phone process where available.
6. Dispute the information with the furnisher. The furnisher is the lender, card issuer, collector, or other company that provided the information to the bureau.
7. Track the case. Save confirmation numbers, copies of submissions, delivery records, investigation results, and updated reports.

A dispute filed with one bureau won't automatically update the other two. If the same error appears on Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, dispute it separately with each bureau.

What the FCRA dispute process can fix

The FCRA covers information that is inaccurate or incomplete. A bureau generally reviews the dispute, sends relevant information to the furnisher, and reports the investigation result to you.

A dispute is not a request to remove information simply because it lowers your score. Accurate negative information can remain on a report for the period allowed by law. In general, most negative information can be reported for up to seven years, while bankruptcy information can remain for up to 10 years. The period depends on the type of record and the rule that applies.

A credit freeze, fraud alert, credit-monitoring app, or score service also won't correct a report. Those tools can help prevent or detect identity theft, but an inaccurate entry still has to be disputed with the bureau or furnisher.

Examples of errors worth disputing

Look for information that is factually wrong, incomplete, duplicated, tied to another person, or outside the applicable reporting period:

• An account you never opened or don't recognize
• A late payment reported for a month when you paid on time
• The wrong balance, credit limit, account status, or payment date
• An account status or balance that doesn't reflect a closure, discharge, payment, or settlement
• The same account reported more than once
• A hard inquiry you don't recognize
• A collection account belonging to someone else
• Personal information that has mixed your file with another person's
• Negative information that has exceeded the applicable reporting period
• A bankruptcy or public record with incorrect identifying details

An old address isn't automatically an error if you really lived there. Similarly, an accurate late payment isn't inaccurate just because you disagree with the creditor's decision or want a higher score.

Common errors and useful evidence

Step 1: Get and save your credit reports

Request reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Save or print each report and record the date you accessed it because information can change between versions.

Review these sections:

• Personal information
• Accounts and payment history
• Collections
• Hard inquiries
• Public records, if shown
• Account status, balances, limits, and dates

For each suspected error, record the page, section, or reference number where it appears. Don't assume that an item on one report also appears on the other two.

Step 2: Gather focused proof

A strong dispute identifies one problem and connects it to a relevant document. Depending on the issue, useful evidence may include:

• A bank statement showing when a payment cleared
• A billing statement showing a different balance
• A letter confirming that an account was closed
• A settlement or payoff confirmation
• A court order or bankruptcy discharge
• A police report or FTC identity-theft report
• A government-issued ID and proof of address
• Correspondence from the creditor or debt collector

Send copies, not originals. Include only the information needed to verify your identity and evaluate the disputed entry. Follow the bureau's instructions if it requests a particular form of identification.

You don't need complicated legal language. State what the report says, explain why it is wrong, identify what your records show, and request a specific correction or deletion.

Step 3: Dispute the item with the right parties

The credit bureau

Dispute the item with every bureau that displays the inaccurate information. The FTC's credit-report dispute guide provides current instructions for Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Experian's explanation of the process describes online, mail, and phone options.

Keep a copy of whatever you submit. For an online dispute, save the confirmation number and any documents showing what you uploaded. If the error appears on multiple reports, repeat the process with each affected bureau.

The furnisher

Send a matching dispute to the company that supplied the information. Its dispute address may be listed on your report, statement, or website. Use the address designated for credit-report disputes instead of automatically sending the letter to a payment-processing address.

Disputing with the furnisher puts your evidence directly in front of the company that created the record. If it finds that the information is inaccurate or incomplete, it should correct its records and notify the bureaus to which it reported the information.

Online, mail, or phone: Which method should you use?

Online filing can work well for a simple balance or payment-date error. Mail may be more useful for identity theft, mixed files, bankruptcy records, or a dispute supported by several documents.

If you mail a dispute, use a trackable service and keep the letter, copies of the enclosures, receipt, and delivery confirmation. Certified mail isn't required for every dispute, but a delivery record can help show when the bureau received your submission.

What to include in a credit report dispute letter

Include:

• Your full name and current mailing address
• The date of the letter
• The bureau or furnisher receiving the dispute
• The account name and account number or last four digits
• The exact information you believe is wrong
• A short explanation of why it is wrong
• The correction or deletion you are requesting
• A list of enclosed documents
• A copy of the relevant report page with the error highlighted
• Your signature

Avoid disputing every item with a vague statement such as "everything is inaccurate." A specific dispute gives the recipient a clearer issue to investigate. A dispute that lacks enough information may also be treated as frivolous or irrelevant.

Credit report dispute letter template

Adapt this letter for each bureau and furnisher:

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

[Bureau or furnisher name]
[Dispute address]

Re: Dispute of inaccurate credit-report information

Dear Sir or Madam:

I am disputing information in my credit file.

Company: [Company name]
Account number: [Account number or last four digits]
Report page or reference: [Page or section]
Information reported: [Describe exactly what the report says]
Why it is inaccurate: [State the relevant facts briefly]
Requested correction: [Correct the information or delete it if it cannot be verified]

I have enclosed copies of documents supporting this dispute:
1. [Document]
2. [Document]
3. [Document]

Please investigate this dispute under the Fair Credit Reporting Act and send me the results. If the information is changed, please provide an updated copy of my report or instructions for obtaining one.

Sincerely,

[Signature]
[Printed name]
[Phone or email, if desired]

A reference to FCRA Section 611 is optional. Specific facts and relevant evidence matter more than quoting a statute.

Credit dispute investigation timeline

The usual bureau timeline is:

• Submission date: The bureau receives your dispute and supporting information.
• Within 30 days: The bureau generally completes its investigation and contacts the furnisher as needed.
• Up to 45 days in limited cases: An extension may apply when you provide relevant additional information during the initial 30-day period.
• After the investigation: The bureau generally sends the result within five business days after completing the investigation.

The result should explain whether the information was changed, deleted, or verified. If a bureau decides that a dispute is frivolous or irrelevant, it may decline to investigate, but it generally must notify you and explain what information is missing or inadequate.

The furnisher's internal review and the bureau's investigation may not produce notices on the same day or reach the same conclusion. Keep both responses and compare them with your report.

Special situations

Identity theft or fraudulent accounts

An account you don't recognize may be a reporting mistake, identity theft, or an account opened by someone with a similar name. Take these steps:

1. Report the identity theft through IdentityTheft.gov and save the report.
2. Place a free security freeze with each bureau if you want to restrict access to your reports for many new-credit applications. The FTC's freeze and fraud-alert guidance explains the difference.
3. Consider an initial fraud alert, which tells potential creditors to take additional steps to verify your identity.
4. Dispute each fraudulent account with every bureau showing it.
5. Send the furnisher a copy of your identity-theft report and other supporting documents.
6. Ask whether the account qualifies for blocking under the FCRA identity-theft provisions.

A freeze helps restrict new applications but doesn't remove an existing account or correct inaccurate information. Continue checking all three reports after the dispute.

Late payments

Dispute a late payment when the date, account status, payment history, or account ownership is wrong. Include payment records and identify the exact month involved.

If the late payment is accurate, an accuracy dispute isn't the appropriate removal method. You can ask the creditor for a goodwill adjustment, but that is voluntary and isn't guaranteed.

Collections and medical debt

For a collection account, check the original creditor, collector name, balance, dates, account status, and ownership. A credit-report dispute is separate from any debt-validation or collection-communication rights you may have, so keep those processes distinct.

Medical debt isn't automatically inaccurate or removable merely because it is medical. Check whether the account belongs to you, whether the amount and dates are correct, and whether the payment status is reported accurately. Don't rely on broad claims that all medical debt must be deleted.

Bankruptcy and discharged accounts

A bankruptcy can remain for a period allowed by federal law, so its presence isn't by itself an error. Dispute incorrect case numbers, filing dates, account balances, or the reported status of debts included in a discharge. Attach the relevant court documents.

Authorized-user accounts

If you're listed as an authorized user on someone else's card, the account may appear even though you may not be responsible for repayment. Ask the card issuer about removing you, then check whether the bureaus update their reports. Dispute the entry if the ownership or account details are reported inaccurately.

What to do if the bureau verifies the error

"Verified" means the bureau says the furnisher confirmed the information. It doesn't necessarily resolve whether the underlying information is correct, so read the response and updated report carefully.

1. Compare the result with your evidence. Look for a partial correction, such as a changed balance but an unchanged payment status.
2. Request the procedure used to verify the information. Ask the bureau for a description of the verification procedure, including the furnisher's name and contact details if available.
3. Send a targeted follow-up. Explain what the first investigation missed and attach new, relevant evidence. Don't simply submit the same boilerplate dispute.
4. Dispute directly with the furnisher again if needed. Ask the company to review the records and correct any information it supplied.
5. File a CFPB complaint if the reporting problem remains. Use the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau complaint portal and attach your original dispute, evidence, results, and delivery records.

A complaint gives the company an opportunity to respond, but it doesn't automatically require deletion of accurate information. If repeated inaccuracies have caused serious financial harm, identity theft is involved, or you may have a legal claim, consider speaking with a consumer-law attorney or qualified legal-aid service.

Mistakes that can slow down a dispute

• Filing with only one bureau when the error appears on all three
• Describing a problem without naming the account or exact field that is wrong
• Sending unrelated documents instead of focused evidence
• Mailing originals
• Using the creditor's payment address instead of its dispute address
• Treating a credit freeze as a substitute for a dispute
• Disputing accurate negative information
• Paying a company that promises to remove accurate information
• Losing case numbers, receipts, or investigation results
• Sending repeated identical disputes without adding relevant information

You can dispute errors yourself for free. Be cautious with any service that guarantees a score increase, promises to erase accurate information, or demands payment before explaining what it will do.

Frequently asked questions

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

Only if the error appears on all three. Each bureau maintains its own file, so submit a separate dispute to every bureau showing the inaccurate item.

Does disputing an item guarantee a higher credit score?

No. A correction may change your score, but the effect depends on the information corrected and the scoring model. Filing a dispute alone doesn't promise a score increase.

Can I remove an accurate late payment?

Not through an accuracy dispute. If the late payment is correct, you can ask the creditor for a goodwill adjustment, but the creditor can refuse.

Is a credit freeze the same as a fraud alert?

No. A freeze restricts access for many new-credit applications until you lift it. A fraud alert asks businesses to take additional identity-verification steps. Neither one corrects an existing report.

What should I do after a dispute is denied?

Read the explanation, request the verification procedure, gather new relevant evidence, and dispute directly with the furnisher. If the problem continues, submit a documented CFPB complaint or seek qualified legal help.

Start with the report that shows the error. Save a copy, highlight the exact entry, and gather the document that proves what needs to change before submitting the bureau and furnisher disputes.