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Did you find a mistake in your credit report? If you discover inaccurate information in your credit report, you are likely wondering what to do next and who to contact. Because the information is wrong and is negatively affecting your credit, you undoubtedly want the credit bureau to take action and correct your credit report by removing the inaccurate information.
You have legal rights to dispute inaccurate and incomplete information in your credit report–you can send letters to both the credit bureau that reported the information, as well as the creditor that supplied the information. The more detailed information you include in your letters, the easier it will be for the credit bureau and creditor to understand and investigate your dispute efficiently, which means that the better your letter, the more likely that your dispute will be promptly resolved.
This article will help you write and send these letters so that you can dispute the information to get your credit report corrected.
Your Rights to Fair Credit Reporting 
First, a brief overview of your legal rights will give you some understanding of how you are entitled to dispute your credit report. You have rights to send a dispute letter to both:
the credit bureau that reported the inaccurate information on your credit report (also known as the consumer reporting agency), and
to the creditor (also known as the information furnisher) that supplied the inaccurate information.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA, 15 U.S.C. Section 1681) gives you:
the right to request that the credit bureau provide you with a copy of all information in your consumer credit file, and
to dispute any inaccurate or incomplete information, through sending what is known as a “609 dispute letter.”
Several sections of the FCRA are relevant to the 609 dispute letter:
Section 609 allows you to request information from the credit bureau, and
Sections 611 and 623 summarize your rights to dispute inaccurate or incomplete information found in your consumer credit file.
When requesting information from the credit bureau, they must provide you with the following:
All of the information in your consumer credit file
The sources of the information and supporting documentation
Identification of each person or entity that has obtained your credit report for employment purposes (within the past two years) or for any other purpose (within the past year)
The dates, original payees, and amounts of any checks which are the basis for any adverse characterization
Businesses that have made soft inquiries about you within the past year
Statement that you may request and obtain a credit score (if you only requested the credit file and not the credit score)
Sending this letter is a formal way for you to request the above described information and supporting documents regarding the information in your credit report. Under the law, if you dispute the accuracy or completeness of any information in your consumer credit file, and the credit bureau cannot verify its accuracy, the credit bureau is then responsible for removing the disputed information.
You also have the right under Section 623 of the FCRA to send a letter directly to the business or organization that supplied the disputed information to the credit bureau. If the creditor learns that you are disputing the information, they are obligated to investigate and review all relevant information that you provide. If the investigation finds that the information reported was inaccurate, they must promptly notify each credit bureau to which they furnished the inaccurate information and provide them with any corrected information that is necessary to make the information inaccurate.
To the Credit Bureau
Your letter to the credit bureau should include the following information and supporting documentation:
A statement asserting your legal rights to dispute the completeness or accuracy of any item of information contained in your consumer file
Proof of identification, such as a copy of your government-issued identification
Information sufficient to identify the account in dispute, including your account number, name, address, and telephone number
A copy of your credit report with clear identification of the specific items you are disputing (circled, highlighted, etc.)
Explanation of the basis for your dispute
Clear references to the Fair Credit Reporting Act because it is the law you are relying upon
All supporting documentation needed to prove why you are disputing the information
A reminder that the credit bureau must provide prompt notice of your dispute to the creditor that supplied the information
Demand to remove any unverifiable information from your credit report
Below is a sample dispute letter. When using this sample letter, replace the sample facts in bold with the relevant facts from your situation.
To the Creditor that Reported the Inaccurate Information
Your letter to the creditor should include the following information and supporting documentation:
A statement asserting your legal rights to dispute the accuracy of the disputed information
Proof of identification, such as a copy of your government-issued identification
Information sufficient to identify the account in dispute, including your account number, name, address, and telephone number
A copy of your credit report with clear identification of the specific items you are disputing (circled, highlighted, etc.)
Explanation of the basis for your dispute
Clear references to the Fair Credit Reporting Act because it is the law you are relying upon
All supporting documentation needed to prove why you are disputing the information
Request to investigate the disputed information, and demand to correct any unverifiable information that has been given to the credit bureau
Below is a sample dispute letter. When using this sample letter, replace the sample facts in bold with the relevant facts from your situation.
Why Sending a Dispute Letter to Both the Credit Bureau and the Creditor is Important
Sending a dispute letter to both the credit bureau and the creditor is an important way to ensure that your credit report gets corrected. Here are some important reasons why you should send these letters:
You are taken more seriously by the credit bureau and the creditor if you send a formal dispute letter.
Sending a dispute letter provides a record of your dispute. This can be helpful if you need to pursue legal action in the future or if you want to file a complaint with a regulatory agency like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
The most important reason to send a dispute letter is that it may lead to a resolution of your dispute.
Specifically, it is very important to dispute the information with both the credit bureau and the creditor, and to not just send the letter to the credit bureau, because once the creditor becomes aware of your challenge, they must take steps to investigate. Also, the credit bureau does have a legal requirement to notify the creditor that supplied the disputed information of your dispute, but it still does not hurt for you to directly dispute the information with the creditor yourself. If for some reason the credit bureau does not comply with their responsibility to notify the creditor, then the creditor could be unaware that the disputed information is being challenged and may not take appropriate action to investigate it. As soon as the creditor is notified of your dispute, they will have to comply with their legal obligations to investigate the disputed information.
How to Send a Dispute Letter
There are some best practices that you should follow to make sure that your letter gets to the right place.
When sending your letter, remember to include the supporting documentation described above in the templates:
Proof of identification (e.g., copy of your driver’s license) is required
Credit card report with the disputed items easily identifiable–circle or highlight the errors
Any documentation that demonstrates why the information in the credit report is incorrect
All of the above documents should be copies–don’t send originals!
When mailing your letter, be sure to clearly include the proper address for the credit bureau or creditor. Remember that if the letter doesn’t get to the right place, they will not be able to investigate your dispute! Check to see if there is an address specified by the credit bureau or the creditor for receiving these disputes and if so, be sure to use that address so your letter goes to the right place. This address may be listed on your credit report, or may have been provided to you in writing or electronically. If no address has been provided to you on your credit report or through correspondence, use any business address you can find.
Your contact information should also be clear so that they can respond to you. Following the template letters above will ensure that your information is clearly provided.
It is not required, but is highly recommended that you use a trackable form of delivery such as priority mail or certified mail. Because the credit bureau and creditor have a certain number of days to investigate and respond to you, it will be very helpful if you know the exact date that your letter is received. Trackable delivery will ensure that your letter is received and properly processed by the intended recipients.
Finally, keep in mind that there is no charge for submitting the dispute letter to the credit bureau or to the creditor.
What to Expect Once You Send the Letter
The FCRA sets deadlines for how long the credit bureau and the creditor have to respond to your letter, and so you will know ahead of time when to expect a response.
The Credit Bureau’s Response:
Response Within 30 Days:
After the credit bureau receives your letter disputing the completeness or accuracy of any item of information contained in your file, they must conduct a reasonable investigation within 30 days to determine if the disputed information is inaccurate. Also, this time frame may be extended by 15 days if you provide additional information during the 30-day period that is relevant to the investigation.
Notice to Creditor:
Within 5 business days of receiving your dispute notice, the credit bureau must provide notification of the dispute to the creditor who provided the disputed information. The notice must include all relevant information regarding the dispute that the credit bureau has received from you.
Notification of Findings:
The credit bureau must provide you with written notification of their findings within 5 business days of the completion of their investigation. The notice must include the following details:
Written statement that the investigation is completed
Current credit report (free copy that does not count as your free annual report)
Notice that upon your request, you may get a description of the procedure used to determine the accuracy and completeness of the information, including contact information for any creditor contacted in connection with the information (if you make this request, the credit bureau has 15 days to provide it to you)
If the dispute is not resolved, notice that you have the right to add a brief statement to your file disputing the accuracy or completeness of the information
If Dispute is Successful:
If the credit bureau finds the information is inaccurate or incomplete or cannot be verified, the credit bureau is required to: (1) promptly remove or modify the information in your file; and (2) promptly notify the creditor that supplied the information that it has been removed or modified from your file.
Also, after correcting any inaccurate information in your credit report, upon your request, the credit bureau must provide notification of the corrected information to any person you specifically designate who has received your report in the past six months, or who has received your report for employment purposes in the past two years.
If Dispute is Not Successful:
Sending a 609 dispute letter doesn’t guarantee removal of information and any information that the credit bureau deems to be accurate or verifiable will remain on your credit report and in your consumer file.
It is also important to know that the disputed information will not be removed or modified if the credit bureau reasonably determines the information to be frivolous or irrelevant, including because you have not provided sufficient information for the credit bureau to investigate the dispute. This makes the contents of your letter really important, because failing to provide the specific details or supporting documentation (as demonstrated by the template above) could make your dispute frivolous or irrelevant. If the credit bureau does decide that your dispute is frivolous or irrelevant, they must send you a notice explaining the decision within 5 business days.
Finally, if the credit bureau does respond that the information is verifiable and your dispute is not resolved, you have the right to inform them that you want a brief statement included in your file that explains your dispute. The statement is then added to your file and must be provided to whomever requests your credit report in the future. Be aware though that you will not be entitled to add this statement to your file if the credit bureau finds your dispute to be frivolous or irrelevant.
The Creditor’s Response
The creditor may find out about your dispute in the following ways: (1) notification from the credit bureau; or (2) direct notification from you.
Creditor’s duty after receiving notice of the dispute from the credit bureau:
When the credit bureau notifies the creditor of your dispute, the creditor must do the following:
Conduct an investigation of the disputed information
Review all relevant information provided by the credit bureau
Report the results of the investigation to the credit bureau
The creditor must complete all investigations, reviews, and reports within 30 days. This time frame may be extended by 15 days if you provide additional information during the 30-day period that is relevant to the investigation.
If the creditor’s investigation finds that the disputed information is incomplete or inaccurate, they must: (1) report those results to all other nationwide consumer reporting agencies to which the creditor previously provided the information; and (2) promptly modify, delete, or permanently block the reporting of that item of information.
Creditor’s duty after receiving direct notice of the dispute from you:
When you notify the creditor directly of your dispute, the creditor must do the following:
Conduct an investigation of the disputed information
Review all relevant information provided by you
Inform the credit bureau about the dispute
The creditor must complete all investigations, reviews, and reports within 30 days. This time frame may be extended by 15 days if you provide additional information during the 30-day period that is relevant to the investigation. The creditor must provide you with written notification of their findings within 5 business days of the completion of their investigation.
If the creditor’s investigation finds that the disputed information is inaccurate, they must: (1) promptly notify each credit bureau to which they provided the inaccurate information about the inaccurate information; and (2) provide to each credit bureau any correction that is necessary to make the information accurate.
These requirements do not apply if the creditor reasonably determines that the dispute is frivolous or irrelevant, including because: (1) you failed to provide sufficient information to investigate the disputed information; or (2) you are submitting a dispute that is substantially the same as a dispute you previously submitted, either directly to the creditor or through a credit bureau, with respect to which the creditor has already performed their duties under this section. If the creditor determines that a dispute is frivolous or irrelevant, they must notify you and explain the decision within 5 days.
Other Options If Your Dispute is Unresolved
If you don’t get the result you are hoping for from the credit bureau/ creditor, consider these other options to continue trying to resolve your dispute.
Add an Explanatory Statement to Your Credit Report:
You have the right to add an explanatory statement to your credit report. Once you file a statement about the dispute with a credit bureau, they must include your statement, or a summary of it, in any report that includes the disputed information.
File a Complaint Against A Credit Bureau / Creditor:
You can file a complaint against the creditor bureau / creditor with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a government agency.
Provide a full summary of why you are disputing the information, and be sure to inform the CFPB of what you have already done to try to resolve the issue.
Submit your complaint for free either online or over the phone.
The CFPB will send your complaint directly to the credit bureau so they can review the issues in your complaint. They may also forward your complaint to another appropriate government agency.
Most credit bureaus respond to complaints within 15 days, but they must provide a response within 60 days.
When the credit bureau responds, the CFPB will notify you of the response and you then have 60 days to provide feedback.
Review our guide on how to file a complaint with the CFPB.
File a Complaint with the Better Business Bureau:
The BBB is a nonprofit organization that serves as an intermediary between consumers and businesses. They are not a government agency and do not have any regulatory authority over credit bureaus or creditors. However, the BBB does allow consumers to file complaints against businesses. If you are not satisfied with the investigation of your disputed information by either the credit bureau or the creditor, you can file a complaint with the BBB. Your complaint will be reviewed and likely forwarded to the credit bureau / creditor that is the source of your complaint. The BBB cannot force the credit bureau / creditor to resolve your complaint, but they can serve as an intermediary and help to encourage communication and assist in resolving your concern.
Review our guide to filing a BBB complaint.
Sue in Small Claims Court:
If you aren’t able to resolve your complaint against a credit bureau / creditor with the above agencies, or if they don’t fulfill their legal obligations and respond to your dispute, consider suing them in small claims court. Under the FCRA, you may sue the credit bureau / creditor if they don’t comply with their legal obligations. Small claims courts are more affordable, quicker, and more efficient than other types of courts. They were designed for people to resolve their disputes without the need for an attorney.
Further, small claims courts have the authority to force a credit bureau / creditor to properly address your complaint. You may also be able to sue them in small claims court for compensation, so long as the amount you intend to sue for is within the small claims limit.
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