If a factual error appears on your Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion report, dispute it with every bureau that shows it. You can also send a separate dispute to the company that supplied the information, known as the furnisher. The bureau dispute process is free.
The template below can be pasted into an official online dispute form, secure message, or mail letter. Use it as an email only when the bureau's current official website specifically offers email or secure messaging. Don't send your full Social Security number, passwords, bank login, or financial records to an address copied from an old template or an unverified search result.
This guidance is for U.S. consumers.
What controls a credit report dispute
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) generally lets you dispute information that is inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable with the credit reporting company that displays it. You may also send a direct dispute to the furnisher, subject to rules and exceptions that apply to that process.
Under Section 611 of the FCRA, a credit reporting company generally must investigate a properly submitted dispute within 30 days. The period can extend to 45 days in circumstances allowed by the FCRA, including when you provide additional relevant information during the initial investigation period. The bureau generally must send written results within five business days after completing the investigation.
You don't need special wording or a "609 letter." Section 609 concerns access to information in a consumer file; it isn't a shortcut for removing accurate negative information. A specific Section 611 dispute, backed by documents that address the error, is the more useful approach.
Accurate information usually won't be removed just because it lowers your credit score. The dispute process is for correcting a factual error, incomplete reporting, or information that can't be verified. It isn't a request to forgive a valid debt or erase a legitimate payment history.
For an overview, read the FTC's guidance on disputing credit report errors, the CFPB's dispute guidance, and USA.gov's information about credit report errors.
Prepare the dispute
Get the relevant reports
Request reports from all three nationwide credit reporting companies through AnnualCreditReport.com. An error may appear on one report but not the others, and a correction at one bureau doesn't guarantee that the other two will change their files.
Save the report page that shows the disputed entry. Write down:
- The date you accessed the report
- The bureau's name
- The page number or section
- The account number's last four digits
- Any confirmation or report number
Separate each disputed item
For each error, identify the entry and explain the precise problem. Include:
- The furnisher's name, such as a bank, card issuer, lender, or collection company
- The account number, using only the last four digits when possible
- The exact status, balance, payment date, or personal information being reported
- Why the information is inaccurate or incomplete
- What the correct information should be
- The page or section where the error appears
"Please fix my report" doesn't tell the bureau which entry to review or what needs to change. If several items are wrong, list them separately rather than describing them in one general paragraph.
Consider a direct dispute with the furnisher
You can send a separate, substantially similar dispute to the company that reported the information. Use the furnisher's dispute address listed on the credit report, a billing statement, or its official website. Some direct-dispute rules have exceptions, so follow the company's stated instructions.
Disputing with both the bureau and the furnisher can make sense when the same error appears in both records. Each recipient should receive the documents needed for its own review.
Free credit report dispute template
Replace the bracketed text and delete anything that doesn't apply. Submit a separate dispute to each bureau reporting the error. If the bureau's form has its own fields, use those fields instead of forcing all the information into a message.
Subject: Dispute of Inaccurate Information on [Bureau] Credit Report - [Full Name]
Dear [Bureau Name] Dispute Department,
I am disputing inaccurate or incomplete information in my [Bureau Name] credit report dated [Report Date]. Please investigate this dispute under Section 611 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act and correct or delete any information that is inaccurate, incomplete, or cannot be verified.
Disputed item 1
Furnisher: [Company name]
Account number: [Last four digits only, unless the official channel requires more]
Report location: [Page or section]
Information reported: [Quote or describe the entry]
Why it is inaccurate: [Explain the specific problem]
Correct information: [State what the report should show]
Supporting documents: [List the attached documents]
Disputed item 2
Furnisher: [Company name]
Account number: [Last four digits only, unless the official channel requires more]
Report location: [Page or section]
Information reported: [Quote or describe the entry]
Why it is inaccurate: [Explain the specific problem]
Correct information: [State what the report should show]
Supporting documents: [List the attached documents]
Please investigate each item and send me the written results. If you make a correction, please provide an updated copy of my credit report. If you do not change an item, please explain the result and, where applicable, describe the procedure used to determine its accuracy.
Information to identify my file:
Full legal name: [Your name]
Current mailing address: [Your address]
Previous address, if relevant: [Previous address]
Date of birth: [MM/DD/YYYY, if required by the official channel]
Social Security number: [Last four digits, unless the official secure channel specifically requests more]
Phone: [Your phone number]
Email: [Your email address]
Report or confirmation number: [If available]
Attachments:
- Copy of the relevant credit report page with the error highlighted
- Copies of documents supporting the correction
- Identification or proof of address only if requested or required by the official submission channel
Sincerely,
[Your full name]
[Your mailing address]
[Your phone number]The template doesn't replace the bureau's identity-verification requirements. An online form or mailed dispute may ask for additional information. Send copies, not original documents, and redact unrelated account numbers or other private information when practical.
Match the evidence to the error
| Error type | Useful supporting documents | What to explain |
|---|---|---|
| Incorrect late payment | Account statement, payment confirmation, bank record, or creditor correspondence | Give the payment date and amount, then explain why the reported late status is wrong |
| Wrong balance or account status | Recent statement, payoff letter, settlement letter, or creditor confirmation | Identify the balance or status that should appear |
| Duplicate account | Report pages showing both entries and relevant account records | Explain why both entries refer to one obligation rather than two |
| Account that isn't yours | Account details, identity theft report, correspondence with the creditor, and other records | State that you didn't open or authorize the account and request the appropriate investigation |
| Mixed personal information | Identification and proof of current address, if requested | Point out which name, address, or identifying detail belongs to someone else |
| Incorrect date, limit, or account history | Statements or records from the relevant period | Identify the exact field and provide the correct date or figure |
There isn't a universal FCRA rule limiting every dispute to five attachments. A particular portal or email system may set file-size or attachment limits. Send enough relevant evidence to support the specific point, but leave out unrelated records.
Send it through a safe, official channel
Check the bureau's current instructions
Start with the bureau's official dispute page:
- Equifax's official dispute center
- Experian's official dispute page
- The FTC's current dispute instructions, which also provides guidance for contacting the nationwide bureaus
The official site may direct you to an online dispute center, a secure account, or a particular mailing address. Contact information changes, so don't rely on an address or email account reproduced in an older article.
If you mail the dispute, use the current address in the official instructions. Consider a delivery service that provides a mailing or delivery record. If you use email or secure messaging, save the complete sent message, attachments, confirmation, and any reply. A sent email by itself doesn't prove that the correct department received or accepted the dispute.
Limit sensitive information
Don't put your full Social Security number, passwords, bank login, or full account numbers in an ordinary email. Use the bureau's secure portal or mail copies of documents when the official instructions require more information. Never send original identity documents unless an official process tells you how they will be handled.
Repeat the process for each bureau
A dispute sent to Equifax doesn't also dispute the item with Experian or TransUnion. Submit a separate dispute to every bureau where the inaccurate information appears. Keep the report and confirmation number for each submission.
Identity theft needs more than a standard dispute
An account you don't recognize could be a reporting error, identity theft, or an account opened by someone in your household. Review the account details before alleging fraud.
If identity theft appears likely:
- Report it through the FTC's identity-theft reporting guidance.
- Follow the bureau's identity-theft dispute or blocking instructions.
- Notify the creditor or collection company through its fraud or identity-theft process.
- Include the identity theft report and any other documents the recipient requests.
- Consider placing a credit freeze or fraud alert with the bureaus.
A freeze or fraud alert can help address the risk of new accounts. It doesn't, by itself, correct an existing account on a credit report.
Track the investigation
Keep a simple record of:
- Submission date: Save the confirmation page, sent message, or mailing receipt.
- Receipt date: The investigation period generally runs from when the bureau receives the dispute, not when you draft it.
- Investigation period: Most disputes are handled within 30 days. The FCRA allows a longer period in certain circumstances, including when additional relevant information is supplied during the initial period.
- Results date: The bureau generally sends written results within five business days after completing the investigation.
- Follow-up: Review the updated report, not just your credit score, and check the other bureaus for the same error.
A bureau may decide that a dispute is too vague, incomplete, or frivolous to investigate. Specific descriptions and relevant evidence give it a clearer issue to review. They also make it easier to show what you submitted if you need to follow up.
If the bureau leaves the error unchanged
Read the investigation result closely. "Verified" may mean that the furnisher confirmed its records; it doesn't necessarily resolve why you believe those records are wrong.
Your next options may include:
- Send a follow-up dispute with new or clearer evidence.
- Ask the bureau to explain the procedure it used to verify the item.
- Contact the furnisher again and identify the documents it failed to consider.
- Add a brief statement of dispute to your file if the bureau's process allows it. Under the FCRA, that statement is generally limited to 100 words.
- Submit a complaint through the CFPB complaint portal after giving the company an opportunity to address the problem.
For a complaint, include your original dispute, attachments, confirmation numbers, investigation results, and mailing or delivery records. A CFPB complaint is an escalation route; it doesn't replace the initial dispute or guarantee deletion.
If the disagreement involves a contract, payment liability, identity theft, or possible damages, a consumer-law attorney or qualified legal-aid service can help you assess your options. This information isn't legal advice.
Mistakes that can weaken a dispute
- Sending it to an email address copied from an old letter
- Listing negative items without identifying which entries are inaccurate
- Sending original documents
- Putting a full Social Security number in an ordinary email
- Disputing accurate information only because it hurts your score
- Claiming identity theft when you simply don't recognize an account
- Assuming a correction at one bureau updates the other two
- Treating a "609 letter" as a guaranteed deletion method
- Checking for a score change instead of reviewing the corrected report
Frequently asked questions
Can I dispute a credit report error by email?
Only if the bureau's official website currently provides an email or secure-message option. Otherwise, paste the prepared text into the official online dispute center or print and mail it. Don't use an address found only in a search result or an old article.
Should I dispute with the bureau or the creditor?
Often, both are appropriate. Dispute with every bureau displaying the error, then send a separate direct dispute to the furnisher using its official instructions. The two reviews are related but not identical.
How many documents should I attach?
Attach documents that directly support the disputed fact. There is no universal five-document limit for every submission method, although a particular portal or email system may impose its own limit. More documents aren't automatically better if they don't relate to the error.
Can a bureau remove accurate negative information?
Not merely because the information is unfavorable. The FCRA dispute process is intended to correct information that is inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable.
What should I do if the error isn't fixed?
Ask for the verification procedure, provide new evidence if you have it, dispute with the furnisher, and add a statement of dispute where available. You can also use the CFPB complaint process after trying to resolve the matter with the company. Keep a complete record of every step.
Before sending anything, save the report page showing the error and check the bureau's official website for the current submission method. Then send one clearly identified dispute and keep the confirmation or delivery record.