Dispute inaccurate or incomplete information with every credit reporting company whose report shows the error, and consider sending a separate written dispute to the company that supplied the information. Identify the exact entry, explain what is wrong, request a specific correction or removal, and attach copies of records that support your position.
You can submit online, by phone, or by mail. A bureau generally has 30 days to investigate, with some cases taking up to 45 days; it generally sends the result within five business days after the investigation ends. If the information is inaccurate or cannot be verified, it must be corrected or removed. This guide explains the U.S. process, documentation, timelines, and what to do when the response does not resolve the problem.
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1. Confirm what is wrong and which reports show it
Start with the reports themselves, not a score-monitoring alert or a creditor’s description. A single error can appear in one, two, or all three major reports. Correcting one file does not automatically correct the others, so note every reporting company that displays the inaccurate item.
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Record the identifying details
- The reporting company name (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion, or another company that supplied your report).
- The report date and any report confirmation number.
- The creditor or furnisher name, account number or reference number (you may redact most digits in copies).
- The report section and the exact field that is wrong, such as payment status, balance, account ownership, open or closed date, or a duplicate listing.
- What the entry should say and the correction or deletion you want.
Describe a factual discrepancy rather than a general objection. “This account is not mine; I was a victim of identity theft” is specific. “This debt is unfair” does not identify a reportable error. Do not dispute information merely because it lowers your score if the information is accurate.
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Separate reporting errors from a real debt
You can challenge an incorrect balance, payment history, ownership, date, or duplicate account even when you recognize the creditor. If the account is yours and the reported late payment is accurate, an identity-theft report or a generic “not mine” claim is not appropriate. Explain the particular field that is inaccurate and provide the record that shows why.
2. Build a documented dispute before you send it
The strongest submission lets an investigator match your explanation to one line on the report and to a supporting record. Send copies, not irreplaceable originals, and keep a complete copy of everything you submit.
Evidence that can clarify a correction
- A billing statement, payment confirmation, bank record, court or agency document, or correspondence that directly supports the requested change.
- A creditor letter confirming that an account was paid, closed, transferred, or reported with the wrong status.
- Identity documents when needed to distinguish you from another consumer with a similar name. Include only what the bureau’s instructions request and redact unnecessary account or government-identification numbers.
- A copy of the report page with the disputed entry clearly circled, highlighted, or otherwise marked. Include the page header or account details so the item can be located.
There is no universal evidence packet for every dispute. Include records that prove your particular correction, rather than sending a large unrelated file.
Information to put in a mailed letter
A written dispute should contain your complete name, current mailing address, phone number or email if requested, date of birth or other identifying information the bureau uses, and a report confirmation number when available. List each disputed item separately, state why it is wrong, and state exactly what you want changed or removed. List the enclosed copies and explain how each one supports the request.
Subject: Dispute of inaccurate information on my credit report
Full name: Your full name
Current address: Your mailing address
Report confirmation number: If available
I dispute the following item:
Furnisher and account/reference number: Identify the entry
Report location: Section and page
What is inaccurate: State the factual error
Requested correction: State the exact change or removal requested
Enclosures: Marked report page and copies of supporting records
Please investigate and send me the results and an updated report if applicable.
Signature and dateUse the address designated for credit-reporting disputes, not automatically the address printed on a payment coupon. If the report or the furnisher provides a special dispute address, use that address.
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Preserve your records
Save the submitted letter or online confirmation, every enclosure, screenshots of uploaded documents, delivery proof, and all later responses. A simple log should show the date sent, delivery date, bureau or furnisher, account reference, and the deadline you calculate from receipt. These records help you follow up without restarting the process.
3. Choose online, phone, or mail
Consumers can use the channel offered by the reporting company. Choose based on the documents you need to provide and the record you want to retain.
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|---|---|---|
| Online | You want the quickest submission and can upload legible copies. | Save the confirmation number, submitted text, uploaded files, and screenshots of the final screen. Portal labels and upload limits can change. |
| Phone | The issue is straightforward or you need help locating the bureau’s dispute process. | Ask how to submit evidence and record the date, representative name or ID if provided, and confirmation number. A phone conversation alone may not preserve all of your explanation or documents. |
| You need to send a detailed explanation and paper copies or want a physical delivery record. | Keep a full copy. Certified mail with a return receipt is optional documentation of delivery, not a legal requirement. Verify the current dispute address before mailing. |
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) describes these options and advises checking each company’s current contact instructions. See the CFPB’s dispute guidance for the current bureau channels. Addresses, phone numbers, and portal flows can change, so do not rely on an old form or address saved from a previous dispute.
4. Send a dispute to every bureau that reports the error
File a separate dispute with each reporting company that contains the inaccurate entry. Use the same core explanation and evidence, but identify the report and confirmation number for each company. A correction at one bureau does not direct the other bureaus to change their files.
- Open the bureau’s current dispute page or obtain its current dispute-by-mail or phone instructions.
- Enter or write your identifying information exactly as it appears on the report.
- Identify one or more specific entries, explain the factual error, and state the requested correction or removal.
- Attach or enclose legible copies of the marked report page and relevant evidence.
- Submit the dispute and save the confirmation, delivery record, and a copy of the complete submission.
If a portal limits the length of your explanation, use a concise description that identifies the account and correction, then follow the portal’s process for uploading a fuller statement or use mail if necessary. Do not split one clear issue into contradictory explanations across channels.
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5. Consider a direct dispute with the furnisher
The furnisher is the business that supplied the information, such as a lender, card issuer, collection company, or other creditor. The CFPB advises that a consumer may dispute with both the reporting company and the furnisher. These are complementary routes, not alternatives where you must choose only one.
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Send the furnisher a written dispute to the address shown on the report or the address it designates for credit-reporting disputes. Identify the same account and factual error, attach copies of the supporting records, request the specific correction, and keep proof of delivery and a copy of the submission. A furnisher may have a separate address for credit-reporting disputes; using the wrong general customer-service address can delay routing.
Disputing with the furnisher can alert the source of the data while the bureau investigates. It does not remove the need to dispute with every bureau that displays the error.
6. Understand the investigation timeline
The bureau generally forwards your dispute and relevant information to the furnisher, investigates, and sends you the result. The standard period is 30 days from receipt. The CFPB identifies exceptions in which the investigation may take up to 45 days, including some disputes made after you receive a free annual report and situations in which you send relevant additional information during the 30-day period.
| Stage | General timing | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Bureau receives the dispute | Day 0 for calculating the investigation period | Keep delivery or electronic confirmation and note the date. |
| Investigation | Usually completed within 30 days | Keep your phone and mailing details current and watch for requests or notices. |
| Extended investigation | Up to 45 days in specified situations | Do not treat the 30-day date as a guaranteed final result when an exception applies. |
| Notice after completion | Generally within five business days after the investigation ends | Read the outcome and any updated report as soon as it arrives. |
These are process timeframes, not a promise that an item will be removed or that your score will rise. The CFPB explains the timing in its investigation-time guidance. Count from the bureau’s receipt of a complete dispute, and retain evidence of that date.
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7. Read the result and check the report
The result should tell you whether the information was changed, deleted, or verified as reported. It should include an updated report when applicable. Compare the new report with your marked copy rather than relying only on a score change.
If the information is inaccurate or cannot be verified
The furnisher must update or remove the inaccurate or unverifiable information and notify the reporting companies to which it sent that information. Check each bureau’s report separately because updates may arrive at different times. Look for both the corrected field and the disappearance of any duplicate or obsolete entry.
If the bureau says the information is accurate
Read the explanation and compare it with your evidence. If the response overlooked a document or leaves a factual error unchanged, organize the specific point that remains wrong and the record that proves it. You can ask the bureau to include a brief statement explaining your dispute in your file and in future reports. Keep the response and your request with your original submission.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.8. Escalate only after the required first step
For an inaccurate or incomplete bureau-reporting complaint, the CFPB complaint notice requires that you first dispute directly with the company. You must attest that the dispute is no longer pending or that more than 45 days have passed. Do not submit a complaint claiming an unresolved investigation while it is still active.
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The complaint process does not determine every possible individual legal remedy. If the facts involve identity theft, a disputed debt, a lawsuit, or substantial damages, consider obtaining advice from a qualified consumer-law professional or an appropriate legal-aid organization.
9. Follow the identity-theft process when the account is not yours
If the inaccurate account appears to result from identity theft, use the Federal Trade Commission’s IdentityTheft.gov recovery process to document the theft and follow its recovery steps. The FTC’s guidance distinguishes identity-theft debts from debts you actually owe: an identity-theft report is for accounts opened or used by someone else, not a way to erase an account that belongs to you.
Tell each bureau that the item is identity-theft related, provide the documents its current instructions request, and keep copies. Continue to dispute with every bureau that shows the fraudulent account. If only one field on a legitimate account is wrong, use an ordinary factual dispute for that field instead of describing the entire account as identity theft.
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- Do not send a vague form letter. Name the account, report location, factual error, evidence, and requested correction.
- Do not mail originals. Send copies and retain the originals in a secure place.
- Do not assume one bureau’s update reaches the others. Check and dispute each report separately.
- Do not use an old address or portal. Verify current submission instructions immediately before sending.
- Do not claim identity theft for an account you owe. Challenge the inaccurate field instead.
- Do not promise yourself a score increase. A corrected report can still produce no immediate score change, depending on the rest of the file.
- Do not pay a company simply to perform this basic process. The FTC explains that consumers can do for themselves what credit-repair organizations can legally do and warns about problematic practices in its credit-repair guidance.
11. A practical tracking checklist
Use one row for each bureau and, if applicable, another row for the furnisher.
- Report downloaded or obtained and date recorded.
- Error described with account or reference number and report section.
- Requested correction written in one sentence.
- Marked report page and relevant evidence copied.
- Submission channel and current address or portal confirmed.
- Submission sent; confirmation or delivery receipt saved.
- Receipt date and 30-day date recorded; 45-day exception considered.
- Result and updated report saved and compared with the original.
- Statement-of-dispute request or CFPB complaint considered only after the applicable prerequisite is satisfied.
A precise, well-documented dispute gives the bureau and the furnisher a clear question to investigate and gives you a record if the first response does not fix the report.
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