Last reviewed September 22, 2026 by Jackson McMillan, Florida attorney
Bureaus handle most disputes through automated systems. A dispute that is specific, documented, and sent to the right place has a much better chance of working, and it creates the paper trail you need if it doesn't. Disputing is free.
Step 1: Get all three credit reports
Federal law entitles you to a free copy of your report from each of the three nationwide bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, every 12 months (15 U.S.C. § 1681j(a)). The official source is AnnualCreditReport.com. The bureaus currently also offer free weekly online reports there as a voluntary program.
Pull all three on the same day. Each bureau keeps its own file, so an error can appear on one report and not the others. Save each report as a PDF and note any report or file number.
Step 2: Pin down each error and gather proof
Go through each report line by line: personal information, accounts, balances, payment history, collections, and public records. For each error, note which bureau shows it, the company reporting it, the partial account number, what the report says, and what it should say.
Then find a document that proves it. Proof is what separates a strong dispute from one that gets a form response:
- A payoff letter, settlement agreement, or bankruptcy discharge order
- Bank statements showing on-time payments
- A police report or an identity theft report from IdentityTheft.gov
- Letters or emails from the creditor admitting the mistake
Step 3: Dispute with each bureau that reports the error
Each bureau reinvestigates only its own file, so send a separate dispute to every bureau that shows the error.
- By mail gives you the clearest paper trail. Send it by certified mail, return receipt requested, and keep a copy of everything in the envelope.
- Online is faster, but save screenshots of each page, the documents you uploaded, and the confirmation number.
Use the dispute address or online dispute page listed on each bureau's own website, and check it right before you send, since addresses change. Avoid disputing only by phone: it is hard to prove later what you said.
Step 4: What to put in your dispute
- Information to identify you: full name, address, date of birth, and Social Security number, plus a copy of a photo ID and a recent utility bill or bank statement.
- The specific item and why it's wrong: the company, the partial account number, what is reported, and what is true. One or two plain sentences per error is enough.
- Copies of your proof, never originals.
- A request for the reinvestigation procedure. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) lets you ask the bureau to describe the procedure it used to reinvestigate (15 U.S.C. § 1681i(a)(7)). The answer can show whether anyone looked at your documents.
- A request for written results and an updated copy of your report.
Why disputing only with the lender isn't enough
Contacting the bank, lender, or collector directly sometimes fixes the problem. But the companies that send data to the bureaus, called "furnishers," owe you a duty you can enforce in court only after a credit bureau forwards your dispute. Then the furnisher must investigate, review the information you provided, and correct or delete what is wrong (15 U.S.C. § 1681s-2(b)).
A dispute sent only to the lender does not trigger that duty, and consumers can't sue to enforce a furnisher's other general accuracy duties. If you contact the lender, dispute with each bureau too.
What happens after you dispute
- Day 0
The bureau receives your dispute. The clock starts on receipt, so keep your delivery receipt or confirmation number.
- Within 5 business days
The bureau must notify the company that furnished the information.
- Within 30 days
The bureau must finish a reasonable reinvestigation and delete or correct information that is inaccurate, incomplete, or can't be verified (15 U.S.C. § 1681i).
- Up to 45 days
If you send more relevant information during the 30 days, the bureau can take up to 15 more days. Send all your proof up front.
- 5 business days after it finishes
The bureau must send you the results in writing.
Sample credit dispute letter
Copy this template, replace the highlighted placeholders, and delete anything that doesn't apply. Send a separate letter to each bureau that shows the error, and keep a copy.
[Your full name]
[Street address]
[City, State ZIP]
Date of birth: [MM/DD/YYYY]
Social Security number: [Your Social Security number]
[Date]
[Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion]
[Dispute mailing address from the bureau's website]
Sent by certified mail, return receipt requested
Re: Dispute of inaccurate information in my credit file
Report or file number: [Number from your report, if any]
To whom it may concern:
I am writing to dispute inaccurate information in my credit file. I have enclosed a copy of my photo ID and a recent [utility bill or bank statement] to confirm my identity and address.
Company reporting the item: [Creditor or collector name]
Account number: [Partial account number as shown on your report]
What my report says: [For example: 30 days late in March 2026]
Why it is wrong: [For example: I paid on time. My bank statement showing the payment is enclosed.]
[Repeat the block above for each inaccurate item.]
Please conduct a reasonable reinvestigation, as the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires (15 U.S.C. § 1681i), and delete or correct this information. Please provide the company that furnished it with all of the documents I have enclosed.
Please send me the results of your reinvestigation in writing, along with an updated copy of my credit report. I also request a description of the procedure you used to determine the accuracy and completeness of this information, as provided by 15 U.S.C. § 1681i(a)(7).
Enclosures:
[Copy of photo ID]
[Copy of proof of address]
[Copies of your proof, for example: payoff letter dated June 1, 2026]
Sincerely,
[Signature]
[Printed name]
What to do with the results
If the bureau deleted or corrected the item, pull a fresh report in a few weeks to confirm it. A deleted item can come back only if the furnisher certifies that it is complete and accurate, and the bureau must notify you within 5 business days after putting it back (15 U.S.C. § 1681i(a)(5)(B)).
If the bureau says the item was "verified," or fixed only part of it, you have options:
- Dispute again with new proof. Send documents the bureau didn't see and explain what is new. A repeat dispute with nothing new rarely changes the result.
- Add a statement of dispute. You can ask the bureau to add a brief statement to your file explaining your side (15 U.S.C. § 1681i(b)). It doesn't remove the error, but it puts your explanation on the record.
- Talk to a lawyer. A "verified" result on an error you can prove is often where an FCRA claim begins. You generally have 2 years from when you discover the violation, and no more than 5 years from when it happened, to sue (15 U.S.C. § 1681p).
Mistakes to avoid
- Paying a credit repair company up front. Federal law bars credit repair companies from charging before they fully perform the services they promised (15 U.S.C. § 1679b(b)). Everything they do, you can do for free.
- Disputing everything at once with vague claims. A form letter calling every account "not mine" gives the bureau nothing to check and can bury the real error. Dispute what is actually wrong, with proof.
- Sending originals. Send copies. You may need the originals later.
- Ignoring deadlines. Mark your calendar for 30 and 45 days after the bureau receives your dispute, follow up in writing if nothing arrives, and remember that the time to sue is limited.
If the error survived your dispute
If you disputed in writing, the bureau kept the error, and you have proof it's wrong, send me your dispute, the results, and your documents. I'll review them and tell you whether the FCRA gives you a claim. The FCRA lets a consumer who wins recover reasonable attorney's fees and costs. No attorney's fees or costs owed to me unless you recover.