What goes in a dispute letter and where to send it

A dispute letter is a formal written request asking a credit reporting agency to investigate and correct information on your credit report that you believe is wrong. You send it to the agency itself — Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion — not to the creditor or lender that reported the information. The letter names the specific item you're disputing, explains why you believe it's inaccurate, and asks the agency to remove or correct it.

The credit reporting agency has 30 days to investigate your dispute. If they find the information cannot be verified by the creditor, they must remove it. If they verify it as accurate, the item stays on your report. You can dispute items that are wrong, items that belong to someone else, items that are too old to report, or items missing important details like your account number.

You don't need a lawyer or a paid service to file a dispute. You can write and mail the letter yourself at no cost. The agency must respond to you in writing with the results of their investigation.

Key Takeaways

  • Your dispute letter should include your full name, current address, date of birth, and the specific account or item you're disputing, plus a clear explanation of why the information is wrong.
  • Send your letter by certified mail with return receipt requested so you have proof the agency received it and when.
  • Mail your letter to the dispute department of the specific agency — Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion — not to a general address.
  • The agency has 30 days to investigate and must tell you in writing whether they removed the item, corrected it, or found it accurate.
  • If the agency does not remove the item after your dispute, you can file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at no cost.

How to identify what to dispute on your report

Before you write your letter, get a copy of your credit report from the agency you're disputing. You can order free reports from all three agencies at annualcreditreport.com, which is the official government site. Order the report from the specific agency you plan to dispute — if the error appears on more than one report, you'll need to send separate letters to each agency.

Look for items that are factually wrong: a payment marked late when you paid on time, an account balance that doesn't match your records, an account that isn't yours, or an account that should have fallen off because it's older than seven years. Also look for accounts missing key details, like your account number or the original creditor's name, that make it hard to verify the information is actually yours.

Write down the account name, account number, the specific claim you're disputing (the late payment date, the balance, the status), and what the correct information should be. This becomes the core of your letter.

What information to include in your letter

Your letter should be typed or printed clearly and include your full name, current mailing address, and date of birth at the top. Include the date you're writing the letter. Then state clearly: "I am writing to dispute the following information on my credit report."

Name the account or item you're disputing. Include the account number if you have it, the name of the creditor or company that reported it, and the specific information you believe is wrong. For example: "Account #1234567890 with XYZ Bank, reported as 30 days late on March 15, 2023. I paid this account on time every month and have bank statements to prove it."

Explain why the information is inaccurate in one or two sentences. You don't need to write a long story. "This payment was made on time" or "This account is not mine" or "This account should have been removed — it's from 2015" is enough. You can mention that you have supporting documents, but you don't have to send them with your first letter.

Close with a clear request: "Please investigate this dispute and remove this item from my credit report if it cannot be verified." Sign the letter by hand if you printed it, or type your name if it's all digital.

How to send your dispute letter

Do not email or call the credit reporting agency with your dispute. Disputes must be submitted in writing. Mail your letter by certified mail with return receipt requested. This creates proof that the agency received your letter and on what date, which matters if you need to file a complaint later.

Send your letter to the dispute department address for the specific agency you're disputing. These addresses change, so check the agency's website first. For Equifax, visit equifax.com and look for "Dispute" or "Contact Us." For Experian, go to experian.com. For TransUnion, go to transunion.com. Each agency lists a specific mailing address for disputes.

Keep a copy of your letter and the certified mail receipt. The receipt shows the date the agency received your letter, which starts the 30-day investigation clock. You'll need this if the agency doesn't respond on time or if you need to file a complaint.

What happens after you mail your letter

The credit reporting agency must acknowledge receipt of your dispute within five days and begin investigating within 30 days. During the investigation, they contact the creditor or company that reported the information and ask them to verify it. If the creditor cannot verify the information, the agency must remove it from your report.

After 30 days, the agency sends you a written response. This letter will tell you whether they removed the item, corrected it, or found it accurate and kept it on your report. If they removed or corrected it, they also send you an updated copy of your credit report showing the change. If they kept the item, they explain why — usually because the creditor verified it as accurate.

If the agency corrected or removed the item, you can ask them to send the corrected report to anyone who pulled your credit in the past six months for employment purposes, or in the past two years for other purposes. This helps undo any damage the wrong information may have caused.

What to do if the agency doesn't remove the item

If the agency investigated and found the information accurate, or if they didn't respond within 30 days, you have options. You can file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) at consumerfinance.gov. The CFPB investigates complaints about credit reporting agencies at no cost to you.

You can also send a follow-up dispute letter if you have new evidence that the information is wrong. For example, if you disputed a late payment and the agency verified it, but you now have a bank statement proving you paid on time, send another letter with that statement attached. The agency must investigate again.

If the agency violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act — for example, by not responding within 30 days or by refusing to investigate your dispute — you may have grounds to file a lawsuit. You can consult with a lawyer about this, though many disputes are resolved through the CFPB complaint process first.

Sample dispute letter template

Here is a basic template you can adapt for your own situation:

[Your Full Name] [Your Current Address] [Your Phone Number] [Date] Dispute Department [Credit Reporting Agency Name and Address] Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to dispute the following information on my credit report. My name is [Your Full Name], my date of birth is [MM/DD/YYYY], and my current address is [Your Address]. I dispute the account listed as [Account Name], account number [#], reported by [Creditor Name]. This account is reported as [describe the error: "30 days late on 3/15/2023" or "balance of $5,000" or "not my account"]. This information is inaccurate because [explain briefly: "I paid this account on time every month" or "This account does not belong to me" or "This account is from 2015 and should have been removed"]. Please investigate this dispute and remove this item from my credit report if it cannot be verified as accurate. Sincerely, [Your Signature] [Your Typed Name]

Print this letter, sign it by hand, and mail it by certified mail to the dispute address of the agency you're disputing. Keep a copy for your records.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to send my dispute letter by certified mail?

You don't have to, but it's strongly recommended. Certified mail with return receipt gives you proof that the agency received your letter and the date they received it. If the agency doesn't respond within 30 days or claims they never got your letter, you have documentation. Regular mail can get lost, and you won't know when or if it arrived.

Can I dispute the same item more than once?

Yes, but only if you have new information or evidence. If you dispute an item and the agency verifies it as accurate, you can send another dispute letter if you now have documents (like a bank statement or payment receipt) that prove it's wrong. The agency must investigate again. However, if you send multiple disputes about the same item without new evidence, the agency can dismiss your dispute as frivolous.

What if the wrong information is on all three credit reports?

You need to send a separate dispute letter to each agency — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Each agency investigates independently. Send all three letters by certified mail on the same date so you can track them together. You can use the same letter text for all three, just change the agency name and mailing address.

How long does it take to see the change on my credit report?

The agency has 30 days to investigate and respond to you. If they remove or correct the item, the change should appear on your credit report within a few days to a week after they send you their response letter. However, the change may not show up when ready on free credit monitoring sites — it can take a few weeks to fully update across all systems.

What if I don't have proof that the information is wrong?

You don't need to include proof with your first dispute letter. You can straightforward state that the information is inaccurate and ask the agency to investigate. The agency's job is to contact the creditor and ask them to verify the information. If the creditor cannot verify it, the agency must remove it. If you do have documents like bank statements or payment receipts, you can attach copies to your letter, but it's not required to file a dispute.