If a credit report shows a wrong account, balance, payment, or personal detail, dispute the item with each credit-reporting company that lists it. Also consider disputing it with the lender, creditor, or collector that supplied the information. The process is free, and most investigations take about 30 days. Some take up to 45.

The steps below apply to U.S. consumer credit reports. They're general information, not legal advice.

What counts as a credit report error?

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you can challenge information that's inaccurate, incomplete, duplicated, tied to another person, or impossible to verify. That can include:

• A late payment for a month when you paid on time
• An account that isn't yours
• A collection with the wrong balance or status
• The same debt appearing more than once
• An account marked open after you closed it
• Personal data belonging to another consumer
• Negative information kept past the applicable reporting period

Accurate negative information usually can't be removed just because it lowers your score. A dispute isn't a way to erase a valid debt, rewrite a true payment history, or escape a debt's legal obligations.

A debt's statute of limitations is also separate from the credit-reporting time limit. An expired lawsuit deadline doesn't automatically require a bureau to delete accurate information.

1. Get all three reports and compare them separately

Use AnnualCreditReport.com to get the nationwide reports. The Federal Trade Commission's guidance on free credit reports explains how to avoid paid monitoring or credit-repair services for this step.

Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian don't always carry the same information, so review each file on its own. As you go, build an issue list with:

• The bureau showing the error
• The creditor, lender, or collector reporting it
• The account number or last four digits
• The page or section where it appears
• The exact field that's wrong
• What it should say
• The document that supports your position

Save a copy of each report before you file. The report date and account details help you identify the item and track later changes.

2. Gather evidence that matches the error

A few relevant documents beat a thick packet of unrelated records. Depending on the issue, useful proof may include:

• Account statements showing payments and due dates
• Bank records or payment confirmations
• Letters confirming a correction, closure, settlement, or payoff
• Collection notices and account histories
• An insurance explanation of benefits for a medical-billing mistake
• Bankruptcy or court papers directly related to the reported item
• An FTC identity-theft report and, when available, a police report for fraudulent accounts
• Identity or address documents if the bureau asks for them

Send copies, not originals. Redact unnecessary information, such as full bank account numbers, and provide only the identifying details the bureau requests.

If identity theft is involved, file a report through IdentityTheft.gov and consider a security freeze or fraud alert. Follow the bureau's identity-theft instructions rather than describing a fraudulent account as an ordinary billing error.

3. File with the right company

Use the official dispute process for each bureau showing the item:

Online disputes make it easier to upload documents and keep a confirmation number. Mail can be useful when you have several supporting pages or want a paper trail. Use the current mailing address in the bureau's instructions or on your report, because addresses can change.

For a mailed dispute:

1. Copy the letter and every enclosure before sending it.
2. List each disputed item separately.
3. Include copies of the relevant report pages with the errors marked.
4. Use a delivery method that provides proof of delivery.
5. Keep the receipt, tracking information, and any response.

A phone call may help you find the right process, but a written or online dispute creates a clearer record and gives you room to submit evidence.

Dispute the furnisher, too

The company that supplied the data is the furnisher. It may be a bank, credit-card issuer, lender, debt collector, or other creditor. Send it a separate dispute using the address on your credit report, billing statement, or official website.

Include the account details, say exactly what is inaccurate, attach supporting copies, and ask the furnisher to correct the information it sends to the bureaus. If the same mistake appears on two or three reports, file with each bureau and identify the furnisher in each submission. One bureau's correction doesn't automatically update the others.

Credit report dispute letter template

Customize the letter for one bureau and one set of clearly related errors. Avoid sending the same vague text to every bureau.

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

[Name of credit-reporting company]
[Current dispute mailing address]

Re: Dispute of inaccurate or incomplete information

Dear Sir or Madam:

I am disputing information in my consumer credit report dated [report date]. Please investigate the items below under the Fair Credit Reporting Act and correct or delete any information that is inaccurate, incomplete, or cannot be verified.

Disputed item:
- Furnisher: [creditor, lender, or collector]
- Account number: [last four digits or other identifying information]
- Report page or section: [page or section]
- Information reported: [describe the balance, status, payment, date, or account]
- Why it is inaccurate: [give a short, specific explanation]
- Requested correction: [state what should be corrected or deleted]

I have enclosed copies of the report page and documents supporting my dispute. Please send me the written results of your investigation and an updated copy of my report if the information is changed.

Sincerely,

[Your name]
[Phone number or email, if preferred]

Enclosures:
- Copy of the relevant credit-report page
- [Payment record, account statement, creditor letter, or other evidence]
- Copy of identification or address documentation, if requested

A strong dispute names the exact account and explains the factual problem. "The account was paid on June 12, but the report shows a 60-day late payment for June" is more useful than "This is wrong." Don't call an account fraudulent or paid unless your records support that claim.

How long a bureau dispute takes

A bureau generally has 30 days to investigate after receiving a dispute. In some circumstances, the period can extend to 45 days. Typically, the bureau reviews the dispute, sends the relevant information to the furnisher, considers the response, and sends you the results.

Keep a simple record of:

• The date you submitted the dispute
• The online confirmation number or mail-delivery date
• The documents you submitted
• Any request for more information
• The date and contents of the final response

If the bureau asks for more information, respond promptly and keep a copy of what you send. A confirmation that the dispute was received doesn't mean the item will be changed.

What can happen after the investigation?

The response usually falls into one of these categories:

• Corrected: The bureau changes the inaccurate field.
• Deleted: The information is removed because it was inaccurate or couldn't be verified.
• Verified: The bureau keeps the information after the furnisher confirms it.
• Rejected as incomplete or frivolous: The bureau says the dispute lacks enough detail, repeats a prior dispute without meaningful new information, or doesn't identify a specific issue.

A deletion doesn't necessarily cancel a debt. It means that bureau is no longer reporting the information at that time. A correction also doesn't guarantee a particular score increase, loan approval, insurance rate, or rental decision.

Check the updated report after a correction. If the error still appears on another bureau's report, dispute it there separately.

What to do if your dispute is denied

A denial isn't always the end, but sending the same unsupported statement again usually won't help.

1. Read the results carefully. Find out whether the item was verified or the dispute was rejected for lack of detail.
2. Ask how it was verified when appropriate. Request the bureau's description of how it determined the information was accurate, along with the furnisher's identifying details if they aren't clear.
3. Send new, specific evidence. Explain why the response doesn't fix the error and include documents aimed at that reason.
4. Dispute directly with the furnisher. Send the same focused explanation and evidence to the creditor, lender, or collector that supplied the data.
5. Add a consumer statement if needed. You can ask the bureau to include a brief statement explaining your dispute. This doesn't force deletion and doesn't guarantee that a lender will ignore the disputed information.
6. File a complaint if the problem remains unresolved. After using the bureau's or furnisher's dispute process, submit your records through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau complaint system.
7. Get professional help for serious harm. If inaccurate reporting has caused a significant denial or financial loss, consider speaking with a consumer-law attorney or a qualified legal-aid organization.

Attach your dispute, evidence, confirmation number, investigation results, and relevant correspondence to any escalation. A clear timeline can be more useful than another copy of the original letter.

Handling common credit report problems

Identity-theft accounts

Report the identity theft, dispute the fraudulent account with every bureau showing it, and notify the furnisher. Include proof of identity, the identity-theft report, and a clear list of the accounts you don't recognize. Follow the bureau's instructions for requesting an identity-theft block or other specialized relief.

Late payments

Compare the reported late date with your statements and payment confirmations. Check whether the payment was made by the due date, applied to the correct account, or later corrected by the creditor.

If the late payment is accurate, it isn't an FCRA error. You can send the furnisher a goodwill request asking for a one-time adjustment, but the company doesn't have to grant it.

Collections

Dispute a collection if it isn't yours, has the wrong balance, was paid but is still reported inaccurately, is duplicated, or contains wrong dates or account details. Include payment records, settlement letters, account statements, or documents showing that the account belongs to someone else.

Don't assume an expired debt-collection lawsuit deadline automatically removes a valid credit-report entry. Those are separate issues.

Outdated or re-aged information

Most negative information is generally subject to a seven-year federal reporting period, while some bankruptcies can be reported for up to 10 years. The applicable period depends on the type of information and the relevant dates. If an item appears too old or its dates have been changed, compare the report with your account records and dispute the specific date problem.

Medical debt

Don't rely on the outdated claim that a blanket federal rule automatically removes all medical debt from credit reports. A federal rule aimed at restricting medical-debt reporting was vacated in 2025, and voluntary bureau policies and state protections may still affect what appears. The Medicare Rights Center's summary describes that court development.

Medical information is still disputable when the facts are wrong. Check for a paid or insurance-paid balance, the wrong patient, duplicate reporting, an incorrect amount, or incorrect dates. Attach the explanation of benefits, payment confirmation, provider correspondence, or collection records. Verify current bureau policies and applicable state rules rather than relying on a fixed online threshold.

FCRA habits that prevent common mistakes

• Dispute only information that's inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable.
• Use the bureau's official website or the address in its current instructions.
• Submit evidence that directly proves the point you're making.
• Keep copies, delivery records, confirmation numbers, and investigation results.
• Dispute with every bureau that reports the error, not automatically with all three.
• Dispute with the furnisher when its records are the source of the problem.
• Don't send originals or unnecessary sensitive information.
• Don't expect a dispute to cancel a valid debt, stop all collection activity, or guarantee a score increase.
• Don't treat a "609 letter" as a deletion loophole. Asking for file information under FCRA section 609 doesn't create a right to remove accurate negative information.
• Don't submit repeated disputes with no new facts. Make the next submission more specific and add relevant evidence.

Before filing, download the reports, mark the exact field that's wrong, and place the supporting document next to it. That gives your first dispute a clear factual base and leaves a stronger record if you need to escalate.