Credit report dispute letter.

The letter

How to send it

1. Get your reports first. You can get free weekly reports from each of the three national credit bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com, the only official site, or by phone at 1-877-322-8228 Source 11. Look at all three: they don't always match.
2. Check whether the item should be there. There is no federal ban on medical debt in credit reports Source 22, and the bureaus' own policies are voluntary Source 22. Check the item against these rules:
   • Paid medical collections are left off under the bureaus' policy Source 33.
   • Small medical collections are left off too. The limit is an initial reported balance under $500 (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion joint release, Effective April 11, 2023).
   • New medical collections have to wait before they can appear. The wait under the bureaus' policy is 1 year (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion joint release, Effective July 1, 2022).
   • Old collections must come off. The limit is 7 years (15 U.S.C. 1681c(a)(4), (c)(1) (Cornell LII), published 2026), counted from a set time after the debt first went unpaid. That extra time is 180 days (15 U.S.C. 1681c(a)(4), (c)(1) (Cornell LII), published 2026).
   • Veterans have more protection. A veteran's medical debt must come off once it is fully paid or settled, and it can't be reported until it reaches a set age, counted from the date of care Source 44. That wait is 1 year (15 U.S.C. 1681c(a)(7)-(8) (Cornell LII), Since 2018).
   • Medical details are limited. A bureau may share medical debt information for credit purposes only if it does not name the provider or the kind of care, and lenders generally may not use medical information in credit decisions Source 55.
   • State laws can go further, but some are being challenged in court Source 22. Our medical debt laws by state tracker will show them.
3. Send a letter to each bureau that shows the item. Use the dispute address on your report, or the bureau's online dispute form. Give the reason in plain words.
4. Send copies of your proof, never the originals. That can be a receipt, a letter from the hospital or your explanation of benefits. The bureau may also ask for proof of who you are.
5. Send it in a way you can prove. Certified mail with a return receipt gives you a record. Keep a copy of the letter, your proof and the receipt.
6. Dispute with the collector too, if you still can. A dispute with a credit bureau does not pause collection. A written dispute sent to the collector within the dispute period does, until the collector answers Source 66. That period lasts 30 days (CFPB, published January 29, 2024). Our debt validation letter has the words.

What happens next

The bureau must look into your dispute for free and, in most cases, finish within 30 days (15 U.S.C. 1681i(a), United States Code via GovInfo, published 2024). If you send more relevant information during that time, it can take longer. The extra time is up to 15 days (15 U.S.C. 1681i(a), United States Code via GovInfo, published 2024). It must tell the company that reported the item about your dispute, delete or correct the item if it is inaccurate, incomplete or can't be verified, and send you the results Source 77.

• If the item is removed or corrected, keep the results and check your next report to make sure it stays that way.
• If the bureau keeps the item, a dispute has not changed your report. You can send new proof if you find it, and take the matter up with the company that reported it.
• If you get court papers, respond by the date on them. A dispute with a credit bureau does not stop a lawsuit, and a legal aid office can help.

If a bureau or a collector does not follow these rules, you can complain to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at consumerfinance.gov/complaint or by phone at 1-855-411-2372 Source 88.