Dispute guide
Disputing with a credit bureau
You tell Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion that something in your file is inaccurate. Federal law then requires them to reinvestigate and to tell you what they found.
Send it in writing, on paper
All three bureaus offer online dispute forms, and they are convenient. They are also designed by the bureau, they limit what you can say, they often do not let you attach the documents you want to attach, and their terms sometimes affect how the dispute is handled. A mailed letter with enclosures, sent certified, produces a record that you control. Use the online form if you must, but understand the trade.
What to include
- Your full legal name, current address, date of birth, and the last four digits of your Social Security number — enough for them to identify your file.
- A copy of a government-issued ID and a proof of address, if you can. Disputes get rejected for identity reasons more often than for substance.
- The specific item: creditor or furnisher name, account number as shown on the report (partial is fine), and where it appears.
- What the report currently says, quoted.
- What is actually accurate.
- What correction you are asking for — delete, update the balance, correct the status, correct the date.
- Copies of documents that show it.
- A copy of the report itself with the item circled.
One item per paragraph, one bureau per letter
Do not send one bureau a letter about errors that appear only on another bureau's report. Each bureau maintains its own file and reinvestigates only what it reports. Pull all three first so you know which errors sit where.
What the bureau must do
Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681i, a consumer reporting agency that receives a dispute directly from a consumer about the completeness or accuracy of an item must conduct a reasonable reinvestigation free of charge and record the current status of the disputed information, or delete it, subject to the statute's conditions.
| What | Period stated in the statute | Provision |
|---|---|---|
| Reinvestigation | Before the end of the 30-day period beginning on the date the agency receives the notice of the dispute | § 1681i(a)(1)(A) |
| Extension | That 30-day period may be extended for not more than 15 additional days, in the circumstances the statute specifies | § 1681i(a)(1)(B) |
| Notice to the furnisher | Before the expiration of the 5-business-day period beginning on the date the agency receives notice of the dispute | § 1681i(a)(2)(A) |
| Deletion or modification | If the item is found inaccurate or incomplete, or cannot be verified, the agency shall promptly delete or modify it | § 1681i(a)(5)(A) |
| Written results to you | Not later than 5 business days after the completion of the reinvestigation | § 1681i(a)(6)(A) |
What you get back
Typically one of four things:
- Deleted. The item is gone. Pull a fresh report to confirm it, and check the other two bureaus.
- Updated. Something changed. Read carefully — a balance correction that leaves a wrong late-payment history is a partial fix, not a fix.
- Verified as accurate. The furnisher told them it was right. This is the outcome worth paying attention to if you know it is wrong.
- No response. Nothing arrives.
The last two are where the follow-up guide picks up.What to do when the dispute did not work →
Also send a direct dispute
The bureau will contact the furnisher during its reinvestigation, but disputing directly with the furnisher creates its own record and its own set of obligations. In most situations it is worth doing both.How a direct dispute works →
Sources
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681i — procedure in case of disputed accuracy.uscode.house.gov
Verified against the primary source August 4, 2026.