Credit Report Dispute Letter: Free Template and How to Send It

If your credit report has a mistake, you have the right to dispute it for free, and the credit bureau generally has to investigate. The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) gives you this right, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforce it. The fastest path is to send a clear written dispute to the credit bureau that is reporting the error, attach proof, and keep a record of everything you send.

Below you will find a free, copy-and-paste dispute letter template, plus exactly how to send it, what to include, and what to expect after you file. This is general information, not legal advice, but it follows the process the law actually lays out.

What the law gives you: the FCRA baseline

The Fair Credit Reporting Act is the federal law that governs your credit reports. Under the FCRA, the three nationwide credit reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, must follow reasonable procedures to keep your file accurate, and they must investigate items you dispute. A few core rights matter most when you are sending a dispute letter:

• You can dispute for free. You never have to pay a bureau to investigate an error, and you do not need a credit repair company to do it for you.
• The bureau generally must investigate. Once you dispute an item, the credit reporting agency must investigate it, usually within about 30 days, and forward your information to the company that supplied it (the "furnisher," such as a lender or collector).
• Inaccurate or unverifiable items must be corrected or removed. If the information cannot be verified, or it is found to be wrong, the bureau must delete or fix it.
• You get the results in writing. The bureau must send you the outcome and, if anything changed, a free updated copy of your report.

The furnisher of the information has its own duties under the FCRA, too. Once it receives a dispute through the bureau, it must investigate, review the evidence, and report back, correcting the data with every bureau it sent the bad information to.

Step 1: Get your reports and pinpoint the error

You are entitled to free copies of your credit reports from each nationwide bureau through the official federally authorized source. Pull all three, because an error often appears on one report but not the others, and each bureau is disputed separately.

Read each report line by line and flag anything wrong. Common, disputable errors include:

• Accounts that are not yours (often a sign of identity theft or a mixed file with someone of a similar name).
• Wrong balances, credit limits, or payment status (for example, a paid-off account still shown as owing, or an on-time payment marked late).
• Duplicate accounts or a single debt listed by both the original creditor and a collector as if they were two debts.
• Outdated negative items that should have aged off. Under the FCRA, most negative information can be reported for about seven years, and bankruptcies for up to ten; older items generally must drop off.
• Incorrect personal information, such as a wrong name, address, or Social Security number, which can cause files to mix.
• Re-aged debt, where a collector resets the date a delinquency started to keep it on your report longer.

Write down the exact account name, the partial account number as shown, and a one-sentence description of what is wrong and what the correct information is.

Step 2: Gather your proof

A dispute backed by documents is far stronger than a bare assertion. Depending on the error, useful proof includes a billing statement showing the correct balance, a canceled check or bank record showing a payment, a payoff or settlement letter, a court discharge order, or an identity theft report if the account is fraudulent. Make copies and never send originals. The bureau keeps whatever you send.

Free credit report dispute letter template

Copy the letter below, fill in the brackets, and adjust it to your situation. Send a separate letter to each bureau that is reporting the error. If you prefer, you can also send a similar letter directly to the furnisher, though disputing through the bureau triggers the strongest FCRA investigation duties.

• [Your full name]
• [Your current mailing address]
• [Date]
• [Credit bureau name and dispute address]

Re: Dispute of inaccurate information on my credit report

To whom it may concern:

I am writing to dispute the following information in my credit file. I have circled or listed the items below, and they are inaccurate or incomplete.

Disputed item(s):

• Creditor/furnisher name: [name as shown on the report]
• Account number (as shown): [partial number]
• What is wrong: [for example, "This account is reported as 90 days past due, but it was paid on time. See enclosed statement."]
• What the report should say: [the correct information, or "This item should be deleted because it is not mine."]

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, I am requesting that you investigate this dispute, contact the furnisher of the information, and correct or delete the inaccurate item. I have enclosed copies (not originals) of documents supporting my position: [list your enclosures].

Please send me a written description of the results of your investigation and, if the disputed information is changed, a free updated copy of my credit report. Please also send notice of any correction to anyone who received my report in the past six months.

Sincerely,

[Your signature]
[Your printed name]
Enclosures: [list]

Step 3: How to send it (and why the method matters)

You can dispute three ways: online through each bureau's website, by phone, or by mail. For anything important, mail is usually the strongest option.

• By mail, certified with return receipt. This gives you dated, independent proof of what you sent and when the bureau received it, which starts the investigation clock and creates a paper trail if you ever need to escalate. Keep a full copy of the letter and every enclosure.
• Online. Disputing online is fast and convenient, and it is free. The trade-off is that some bureau online portals ask you to agree to terms, and you have less of a clean record than certified mail provides. If you dispute online, save screenshots, confirmation numbers, and any uploaded documents.
• By phone. Quick, but it leaves the weakest record. If you call, write down the date, time, representative, and a confirmation number, and follow up in writing.

Whatever method you choose, the dispute itself is always free. You do not need to pay anyone.

Step 4: What happens after you dispute

Once the bureau receives your dispute, it generally must complete its investigation within about 30 days (this can extend somewhat if you send additional information during the investigation). The bureau forwards your dispute and documents to the furnisher, which must investigate and report back. When the investigation is done, the bureau must give you the results in writing and a free copy of your report if anything changed.

There are three common outcomes:

• The item is corrected or deleted. Good news, but check all three reports, because the fix may not appear on every bureau automatically.
• The item is "verified" as accurate. If you still believe it is wrong, you can dispute again with new evidence, ask the furnisher directly, file a complaint with the CFPB, or add a brief statement of dispute to your file.
• The item comes back, or reappears later. A furnisher that keeps reporting information it knows is inaccurate may be violating the FCRA.

If the dispute does not work

You have options beyond a single letter. You can submit a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which forwards it to the company and tracks the response; you can also complain to the Federal Trade Commission and your state Attorney General. You have the right to add a 100-word statement of dispute to your credit file so anyone pulling your report sees your side. And if a bureau or furnisher willfully or negligently fails to follow the FCRA, the law allows consumers to sue, sometimes recovering damages and attorney's fees. Many consumer attorneys handle FCRA cases without an upfront fee, so a serious, well-documented error may be worth a consultation.

Where state law can add more

The FCRA sets a national floor, not a ceiling. Many states have their own credit reporting and consumer protection laws that can add stronger rights, shorter timelines, or extra remedies, and these vary by state. A few states also limit how certain information (like older paid medical debt) can be reported. Because the specifics differ, check your own state's rules or ask a local consumer attorney rather than assuming a particular deadline or dollar amount applies everywhere.

A few practical tips

• Dispute one issue clearly at a time so the bureau cannot brush off a vague "everything is wrong" letter.
• Be specific and factual. State what is wrong and what is correct, and let your documents do the heavy lifting.
• Keep a dispute log with dates, methods, confirmation numbers, and outcomes for each item and each bureau.
• Watch for identity theft. If an account is not yours, consider a fraud alert or credit freeze and an identity theft report, which gives you extra rights.
• Avoid paid "credit repair" promises. Anything a repair company can legitimately do, you can do yourself for free, and no one can lawfully remove accurate, timely information.

Correcting a credit report takes patience, but the system is built to let you do it yourself. A clear letter, solid documentation, and good records put the law on your side.

Know the law

The Fair Credit Reporting Act gives you the right to free reports, to dispute errors, and to have inaccurate or unverifiable items removed.

Key federal laws:

• Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), 15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq.

Where to get help or file a complaint:

• AnnualCreditReport.com — your free official credit reports
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) — submit a complaint

Your state matters too. Federal law is the floor — your state sets the statute of limitations on debt, garnishment and exemption limits, payday and repossession rules, and has its own Attorney General and consumer-protection laws. Always check your state’s rules. This is general legal information, not legal advice.