How to Dispute an Error on Your Credit Report

By Derek Holt · Last checked October 1, 2026

The short version

If something on your credit report is wrong or incomplete, you can dispute it for free. Tell the credit reporting company that shows the mistake, and tell the company that reported the data. Put the problem in writing, send copies of proof (not originals), and keep records.

Do not pay a “credit repair” pitch to do this basic step. The FTC and CFPB already publish the process and sample letters.

Pull the reports before you dispute

You cannot fix a file you have not read. Start at AnnualCreditReport.com, the channel USA.gov and prior federal guidance name for free reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. See how to get your free credit reports for the authorized routes.

Compare each file. Creditors are not required to report to every bureau, so one report can show an error the others do not.

If you see accounts you never opened, treat that as possible identity theft. The CFPB points you to IdentityTheft.gov for reporting and a recovery plan. A dispute letter alone is not the full identity-theft checklist.

What counts as a dispute (and what does not)

A dispute is for information that is inaccurate or incomplete. USA.gov examples include the wrong name or address on an account, or an incorrect payment date.

Correct but ugly history is different. The FTC states that as long as the information is correct, a credit bureau can report most negative information for seven years, and bankruptcy information for ten years. Late payments you actually made late stay until those clocks run out.

Who you contact

USA.gov, the FTC, and the CFPB all say the same two targets:

1. The credit reporting company whose report has the error (Equifax, Experian, and/or TransUnion).
2. The furnisher: the bank, card issuer, landlord, or other business that supplied the information.

Fixing only one side can leave the mistake circulating. The CFPB notes that if a furnisher finds it reported wrong data, it must update or remove the information and notify the credit reporting companies.

How to file the dispute

The CFPB says to start with the credit reporting company (or companies) that show the error. Explain in writing what is wrong and why, and include copies of documents that support your position. The FTC sample letter for bureaus and the CFPB dispute guidance ask for the same core pieces.

Checklist for a written dispute

• Your complete name, address, and (per the CFPB) telephone number
• Credit report confirmation number, if you have one
• Each error you want fixed, with the account number when you are disputing an account
• A clear explanation of why the information is wrong or incomplete
• A request to remove or correct the item
• A copy of the portion of your report with the disputed items circled or highlighted
• Copies (not originals) of statements, payment records, or other proof
• Keep a full copy of everything you send

Mail option: send by certified mail and pay for return receipt, as both the FTC and CFPB recommend, so you can prove when the letter arrived.

Online or phone: the FTC lists Equifax at (866) 349-5191, Experian at (888) 397-3742, and TransUnion at (800) 916-8800. The CFPB also links each bureau’s online dispute path (Equifax credit-dispute pages, Experian’s dispute tools, and dispute.transunion.com). Use the addresses and portals on your report or the agency pages if anything has moved.

Then dispute with the furnisher in writing. The FTC and CFPB both publish sample letters for that step. Send to the dispute address on your consumer report or the address the furnisher specifies for credit-reporting disputes. The CFPB says furnishers generally must investigate and respond within 30 days of receiving the dispute.

What happens after you file

According to the FTC and CFPB:

• The credit reporting company generally has 30 days from receipt to investigate.
• It forwards your evidence to the furnisher. The furnisher must investigate and report back.
• If the furnisher finds the information inaccurate, it must notify all three nationwide bureaus so they can correct your file.
• After the investigation, the credit reporting company must give you the results in writing. If the dispute changes your file, you get a free updated report that does not count as your free annual report.
• The company has five business days after completing the investigation to notify you of the results (CFPB timing page).

Longer clocks the CFPB lists:

• Up to 45 days if you file the dispute after receiving your free annual credit report.
• An extra 15 days (on top of the 30-day period) if you submit additional relevant information during that first investigation window.

If the company decides your dispute is frivolous or irrelevant (for example, you did not say what is being disputed), the CFPB says it is not required to investigate, but it must send a notice explaining that decision within five business days after making it.

If the investigation does not resolve the issue, the FTC says you can ask that a statement of the dispute be included in your file and future reports. You can also ask that the statement go to people who recently received your report; the FTC notes you can expect a fee for that distribution step.

What this looks like

Reese pulls all three reports at AnnualCreditReport.com and finds a closed store card still listed as open with a late mark from a month Reese has a bank screenshot showing paid on time. Reese prints the Experian page that shows the error, circles the line, and writes a short letter with name, address, phone, report confirmation number, account number, and a clear request to correct the status and remove the late mark. Reese mails copies (not originals) of the screenshot and the circled report page to Experian by certified mail with return receipt, and mails a second letter to the store card issuer’s dispute address from the report. Reese saves every receipt and PDF.

Thirty-two days later Experian sends written results and an updated report. The late mark is gone. Reese checks Equifax and TransUnion the same week. If either still shows the old line, Reese disputes those files too.

If the bureau does not fix it

Stay on the paper trail first. Confirm the furnisher is not still sending the same wrong data. Ask for a dispute statement on the file if the investigation ends without a correction you accept.

USA.gov says you can also file a complaint with the CFPB if your written dispute with the bureau does not fix the error. Before you do that for inaccurate or incomplete information, read the CFPB’s credit and consumer reporting complaint notice: you must have disputed with the credit reporting agency first, and you should not submit the complaint while that dispute is still pending or before 45 days have passed since you filed it.

Related reading

Pull the files with how to get your free credit reports. If you want to block new-credit access while you clean things up, see how to freeze your credit. For habits that keep a first card from creating new messes, read first credit card without debt.