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Fair Credit Reporting Act

The Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) regulates accuracy, fairness, and privacy of information in the files of consumer reporting agencies. There are many types of consumer reporting agencies, including credit bureaus and specialty agencies, such as agencies that sell information about check writing histories, medical records, and rental history records.

The summary of your major rights under the FCRA:

  • You must be informed of the name, address, and phone number of the agency that provided your credit report information or consumer report that led to denying your application for credit, insurance, or employment
  • You are entitled to a free disclosure of your credit report information or consumer from the consumer reporting agency on providing an identification that includes your Social Security number
  • You are entitled to a free file disclosure if:
    • You are adversely affected by the action taken against you on account of the misinformation in your credit report
    • You are the victim of identify theft and a fraud alert is added in your file
    • Your file contains inaccurate information as a result of fraud
    • You are on public assistance.
    • You are unemployed but expect to apply for employment within 60 days.

All consumers are entitled to one free disclosure every 12 months upon request from each nationwide credit bureau and specialty consumer reporting agencies.

  • • You have the right to ask for your credit score:
    • Credit scores are numerical summaries of your credit-worthiness based on information from credit bureaus.
    • You may request a credit score from consumer reporting agencies that create scores or distribute scores used in residential real property loans, but you will have to pay for it.
    • In some mortgage transactions, you will receive credit score information for free from the mortgage lender.
  • You have the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information on your credit report. If you identify incomplete or inaccurate information on your credit score, report it to the consumer reporting agency for it to investigate to correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information within 30 days continue to report accurate information
  • Consumer reporting agencies may not report outdated negative information that is more than seven years old, or bankruptcies that are more than 10 years old
  • The FCRA specifies those with a valid need for access: The FCRA specifies those with a valid need for access to people with a valid need; to consider an application with a creditor, insurer, employer, landlord, or other business
  • A consumer reporting agency may not give out information about you to your employer, or a potential employer, unless you give a written consent to the employer
  • Unsolicited "prescreened" offers for credit and insurance must include a toll-free phone number to opt out from the lists these offers are based on. You may opt-out with the nationwide credit bureaus at 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688)
  • If a consumer reporting agency, user of consumer reports, or the informant to a consumer reporting agency violates the FCRA, you may file a lawsuit in a state or a federal court
  • Identity theft victims and active duty military personnel have additional rights


Or write to: Consumer Response Center Room 130-A, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580.

For more information visit
http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/031224fcra.pdf
http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fcradoc.pdf