The short answer

Dispute a credit-report error with each bureau that shows it and with the company that supplied the information. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), a credit bureau generally has 30 days to investigate after receiving enough information to identify the item and the problem. Some investigations may take up to 45 days.

A dispute can correct or remove information that is inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable. It won't normally remove accurate negative information simply because it hurts your credit, and a correction doesn't guarantee a higher score.

This process applies to U.S. credit reports. It is general consumer information, not legal advice.

Dispute the error in five steps

1. Download all three reports. Use AnnualCreditReport.com, the federally authorized source for free credit reports.
2. Check each report separately. Compare the Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion versions. The same error may not appear on all three.
3. Gather evidence for the specific problem. Useful records include statements, payment confirmations, account-closure letters, court documents, and identity-theft reports.
4. File with every bureau showing the error. Send a separate dispute to the creditor, lender, collector, landlord, or other company that furnished the information.
5. Save proof and track the response. Keep confirmation numbers, uploaded files, letters, delivery records, and investigation results.

The bureaus maintain separate files. Disputing an Experian entry does not automatically open a dispute with Equifax or TransUnion.

Get and compare your reports

The FTC's free-credit-report guidance directs consumers to AnnualCreditReport.com. Be cautious with look-alike sites, especially those that require a paid subscription before providing a report.

Save a PDF or paper copy before filing a dispute. Note the date, bureau, report page, company name, and account identifier for each problem.

Not every creditor reports to every bureau. A company can also send different information to different bureaus, which is why a line-by-line comparison matters.

What an FCRA dispute can address

Use the dispute process for factual errors, including:

• An account belonging to another person or created through identity theft
• An incorrect payment status, balance, credit limit, ownership category, or account date
• A payment reported late when your records show it was made on time
• A duplicate account or collection
• An account that should be marked paid, closed, discharged, settled, or otherwise updated
• Personal information that appears to have mixed your file with another person's
• A public-record detail that doesn't match the underlying record
• An inquiry the company can't connect to a legitimate application or another permissible purpose

Most negative information can generally remain on a report for up to seven years. Bankruptcy information can generally remain for up to 10 years. The applicable period depends on the type of information and the relevant dates.

Don't dispute a record merely because it's unfavorable. A legitimate late payment, for example, normally can't be removed through an accuracy dispute. You may ask the creditor for a voluntary goodwill adjustment, but it doesn't have to delete accurate information.

Build a focused evidence file

A useful dispute identifies the exact field that's wrong, states what it should say, and includes records supporting that correction. Depending on the issue, gather:

• The report page with the entry highlighted
• The company name and last four digits of the account number
• Bank, loan, or credit-card statements
• Payment receipts, canceled checks, or confirmation emails
• A payoff, settlement, correction, or account-closure letter
• Provider statements and insurance explanations of benefits for medical bills
• Court records for a bankruptcy or other public-record error
• An identity-theft report and requested identity documents
• A short timeline of the relevant payments, notices, or account changes

Send copies, not originals. Redact unrelated account numbers and sensitive details, while still providing any identity-verification documents the bureau specifically requests.

Avoid a blanket letter claiming that every negative entry is wrong. A bureau may decline to investigate a dispute it reasonably considers frivolous or irrelevant, including one that doesn't identify the account or explain the alleged error.

File with each bureau reporting the problem

The bureaus accept disputes online and by mail. Online systems are convenient for uploading records and monitoring status. Mail may offer a clearer paper trail, particularly if you use trackable delivery.

Check the bureau's current instructions before sending anything because addresses and procedures can change.

For an online filing, save the dispute number, confirmation page, uploaded documents, and any receipt available for download. If you use mail, retain the complete letter, every enclosure, and delivery confirmation.

A phone call can help locate the correct department or address. Keep the actual dispute and its supporting evidence in writing.

Send a direct dispute to the furnisher

The bureau may only be displaying information received from another company. That furnisher could be a bank, card issuer, lender, collection agency, property manager, or another business identified on the report.

Write to the address the company designates for credit-report disputes. You may find it on the credit report, a billing statement, or the company's website. Identify the exact account field at issue, state the correct information, and attach focused evidence.

Ask the furnisher to investigate and send any correction to every bureau where it reported the account. A furnisher's update may reach multiple bureaus, but don't treat that as a substitute for disputing directly with each bureau that currently shows the error.

Sample dispute letter

Adapt the letter to one error at a time. Don't send original records.

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

[Credit bureau or furnisher]
[Dispute address]

Re: Dispute of inaccurate credit-report information

Dear Sir or Madam:

I dispute the following information in my credit report:

Furnisher: [Company name]
Account: [Last four digits or account identifier]
Reported error: [Identify the incorrect balance, date, status, or other field]
Correct information: [State what the record should show]

The report states [brief description of the error]. The attached [statement,
receipt, letter, court record, or other document] shows [what the evidence
establishes].

Please investigate and correct or delete the inaccurate information. Please
send me the investigation result and an updated report if the information
changes.

My identifying information is:
Name: [Name]
Address: [Address]
Date of birth: [Date, if requested]
Last four digits of Social Security number: [Last four digits]

Sincerely,

[Signature]
[Printed name]

Enclosures: [List copies of supporting documents]

Investigation deadlines and results

The usual timeline works as follows:

• When the dispute arrives: The bureau needs enough information to locate the entry and understand the claimed error.
• During the investigation: It reviews the submitted material and generally contacts the furnisher.
• Within about 30 days: The bureau generally completes its reinvestigation and provides the result.
• Up to 45 days in some cases: The period may be extended in circumstances allowed by the FCRA, including when you submit additional relevant information during the investigation.
• After completion: The bureau corrects or removes information found to be inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable, or reports that the furnisher verified it.

Respond promptly if the bureau asks for more information, and keep a copy of your response. If it finds the dispute frivolous or irrelevant, it should notify you and explain why it won't investigate or what information is missing.

The investigation deadline isn't a promise of an immediate score change. A credit score is calculated when a lender or scoring service retrieves or refreshes report data. Scoring models also differ, so the effect of a correction may vary from one application to another.

If the result says "verified"

A verified result means the bureau says its investigation confirmed the reported data. It doesn't prevent you from challenging a specific unresolved error.

1. Compare the result with your original dispute. The bureau may have corrected only part of the entry or addressed a different field.
2. Write directly to the furnisher. Use its designated dispute address and add clearer or newly available documentation.
3. Ask how the bureau investigated. The FCRA allows you to request a description of the procedure used to determine the accuracy and completeness of the information. Follow the instructions in the result notice and make the request promptly.
4. Consider a consumer statement. You may ask to place a brief statement in your file explaining the dispute. It won't force a score change or require a lender to disregard accurate information.
5. Document any practical harm. Keep adverse-action notices, denials, higher-rate offers, or rental decisions connected to the disputed entry.
6. Escalate an unresolved dispute. After giving the bureau or furnisher an opportunity to respond, you can use the CFPB complaint form.

There isn't a universal rule requiring everyone to wait 45 days before escalating. The applicable investigation period may be 30 or 45 days, depending on the circumstances. A CFPB complaint creates an escalation record, but it doesn't replace the underlying dispute or guarantee deletion.

If a significant error remains after documented disputes, a consumer-law attorney or legal aid organization can assess possible FCRA rights and deadlines. Bring your reports, letters, evidence, delivery records, investigation results, and any adverse-action notices.

Special cases

Identity theft and accounts that aren't yours

For an account created through identity theft, start at IdentityTheft.gov and follow the recovery instructions. The documents sent to each bureau will generally include:

• The identity-theft report
• Proof of identity and current address
• A clear list of fraudulent accounts or inquiries
• The report page where each item appears

You can also place a security freeze with each bureau. A freeze restricts access to your credit file; it doesn't remove a fraudulent account already being reported.

If you recognize the account but disagree with its balance or payment history, use a standard accuracy dispute rather than describing the account as identity theft.

Medical debt

Medical-debt reporting is affected by bureau policies as well as legal requirements, and those rules aren't interchangeable. Don't assume every unpaid medical collection under $500 or less than a year old must disappear under a federal rule. Check the entry itself and the bureaus' current guidance.

Factual issues you can dispute include:

• Insurance paid the bill or should have been billed
• The reported balance is wrong
• The account belongs to another patient
• The same bill appears more than once
• A paid or settled account still shows an unpaid balance
• Collection dates or account status are inaccurate

Useful evidence may include an explanation of benefits, provider statement, payment receipt, or collector correspondence. Correcting the credit report doesn't cancel a valid medical bill or end separate collection activity.

Authorized users and joint accounts

An authorized user isn't the same as a joint account holder. If you were only an authorized user on a negative account, ask the card issuer to remove you. Once the issuer confirms the change, check whether the bureaus updated your reports.

A valid joint account involves different responsibilities. Don't label it identity theft merely because you no longer want the account listed.

Bankruptcy and public records

Challenge inaccurate bankruptcy details, not the existence of an accurate bankruptcy. Include the court docket or discharge paperwork when the report lists the wrong person, chapter, filing date, case status, or discharge information.

Collections and possible duplicates

An original creditor and a collection agency can both appear in connection with the same debt. Their presence isn't automatically duplicate reporting. Compare the ownership, balance, dates, and status of both entries before filing a duplication dispute.

If a debt collector has sent you a validation notice, review that notice and its deadline separately. A credit-report dispute doesn't automatically resolve the debt or stop every other collection step.

Common questions

Must I file with all three bureaus?

Only file with the bureaus whose reports contain the error. If all three show it, submit three separate disputes. Send another dispute to the furnisher because the bureaus don't automatically copy one another's results.

Will a successful dispute raise my score?

Possibly, but no increase is guaranteed. The effect depends on the information changed, the scoring model, and when the report is refreshed.

Can an accurate late payment be removed?

Usually not through an FCRA accuracy dispute. You can request a voluntary goodwill adjustment from the creditor, but it isn't required to remove accurate negative information.

Can I challenge an inquiry I don't recognize?

Yes. Contact both the company that made the inquiry and the bureau displaying it. Ask the company to identify the application or other permissible purpose associated with the inquiry. Include evidence supporting your claim that you didn't initiate the transaction.

Does a CFPB complaint automatically fix an error?

No. It may prompt a company response and creates a record of the complaint, but it doesn't replace a dispute or guarantee that the entry will be removed.

Official starting points

The FTC's credit-report dispute instructions and USAGov's credit-report error guidance provide federal, plain-language guidance. Download your three reports first, mark each disputed entry, and calendar the date each bureau receives your submission.