Credit Dispute Letter — Free Template for Equifax, Experian & TransUnion
Found a late payment you never made, an account that isn't yours or a balance that's wrong on your credit report? A written credit dispute letter puts your challenge on the record, and the credit bureau generally has 30 days to investigate it.
Your details
No account needed. Your letter updates as you type.
Live preview
Free to preview[Your full legal name]
[Your current mailing address]
October 15, 2026
[Which credit bureau are you writing to?]
Consumer Dispute Department
Re: Dispute of inaccurate information in my credit file
To whom it may concern:
I am writing to dispute inaccurate information in my [Which credit bureau are you writing to?] credit file. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1681i, I ask that you conduct a reasonable reinvestigation of the item below and correct or delete it.
Item disputed:
Creditor or company: [Creditor or company that reported the item]
The problem: [What's wrong with this item?].
[Explain the error]
Please forward this dispute and all relevant information I have provided to the company that reported the item. If your reinvestigation finds that the information is inaccurate, incomplete or cannot be verified, please delete or correct it.
When you have finished, please send me written notice of the results at the address above, along with a free copy of my updated credit report if the reinvestigation results in a change.
I have enclosed a copy of a government-issued photo ID and a document showing my current address so that you can confirm my identity. I am keeping a copy of this letter and proof of mailing for my records.
Sincerely,
[Your full legal name]
- Clean PDF + editable Word (.docx)
- No watermark, print-ready on US Letter
- Download link emailed to you
One-time payment, secure checkout by Stripe. FairLetter is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Letters are templates you customize and send yourself.
Templates for your situation
Each version starts with the right wording for that situation already filled in.
What to do, step by step
Get your credit reports
Download your free reports from AnnualCreditReport.com, the official site for free reports from all three bureaus. Check each one, since an error may appear on one report and not the others.
Gather proof
Collect anything that shows the item is wrong: bank statements, payment confirmations, letters from the creditor, a paid-in-full letter or an identity theft report.
Fill in your letter
Answer the questions above, one disputed item per letter. Be specific about what's wrong and what the correct information is.
Mail it to the bureau's dispute address
Look up the current mailing address for disputes on your bureau's official website, since these addresses change. Send by certified mail with return receipt and include copies, never originals, of your ID, proof of address and supporting documents.
Track the 30-day clock
The bureau generally has 30 days after receiving your dispute to investigate and must then send you the results in writing. Keep your mailing receipt so you can show when it arrived.
What if the bureau doesn't fix the error?
If the bureau's investigation verifies the item and you still believe it's wrong, you don't have to stop there. Ask the bureau for a description of how it investigated, dispute again with any new evidence, and send a written dispute directly to the creditor that reported the information.
You can also ask the bureau to add a brief statement to your file explaining your side of the dispute, which is included with future reports that contain the item.
If a bureau fails to investigate or keeps reporting information you've shown is wrong, you can file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at consumerfinance.gov. The Fair Credit Reporting Act also lets consumers sue over certain violations and recover damages, court costs and legal fees in a successful case.
Example credit dispute letter
A filled-in sample with made-up details, so you can see the finished result.
Teresa M. Alvarez
215 Ridge Rd, Raleigh, NC 27607
Date of birth: April 17, 1988
October 5, 2026
Experian
Consumer Dispute Department
Re: Dispute of inaccurate information in my credit file — report or confirmation number 4471-0923-88
To whom it may concern:
I am writing to dispute inaccurate information in my Experian credit file. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1681i, I ask that you conduct a reasonable reinvestigation of the item below and correct or delete it.
Item disputed:
Creditor or company: Capstone Bank Visa
Account number ending in: 3318
The problem: The payment history shows late payments I did not make.
My report shows this account as 30 days late for March 2026. I paid the full statement balance of $412.06 on March 14, 2026, before the March 21 due date, by online transfer from my checking account. Capstone Bank's own April statement shows the payment received on time and no late fee charged.
I have enclosed copies, not originals, of the following documents supporting my dispute: my March 2026 bank statement showing the payment, Capstone Bank's April 2026 statement, and a copy of my credit report with the item circled.
Please forward this dispute and all relevant information I have provided to the company that reported the item. If your reinvestigation finds that the information is inaccurate, incomplete or cannot be verified, please delete or correct it.
When you have finished, please send me written notice of the results at the address above, along with a free copy of my updated credit report if the reinvestigation results in a change.
I have enclosed a copy of a government-issued photo ID and a document showing my current address so that you can confirm my identity. I am keeping a copy of this letter and proof of mailing for my records.
Sincerely,
Teresa M. Alvarez
Frequently asked questions
Is it better to dispute online or by mail?
Either works. Online disputes are fast, but they can limit how much you can explain and may ask you to accept terms. A mailed letter lets you lay out the facts, enclose documents and keep certified-mail proof of when the bureau received your dispute, which is useful if you need to escalate.
How long does a credit dispute take?
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, a bureau generally must finish its investigation within 30 days of receiving your dispute. That can be extended by up to 15 days in some cases, such as when you send more information during the investigation. The bureau must then notify you of the results.
Do I need to send a letter to all three bureaus?
Only to the bureaus whose reports show the error. Creditors don't always report to all three, and each bureau keeps its own file, so a correction at one bureau doesn't automatically fix the others. Use this template to create a separate letter for each bureau that lists the item.
Can I dispute accurate negative information?
You can dispute anything, but accurate, timely information will usually be verified and stay on your report. Most negative items can be reported for up to seven years. For a genuine late payment, a goodwill letter asking the creditor to remove it as a courtesy may work better than a dispute.
What should I include with my credit dispute letter?
Include copies of a government-issued photo ID and a recent utility bill or bank statement showing your address, plus copies of any proof that the item is wrong. Circle or highlight the disputed item on a copy of your report. Never send originals, and black out unrelated account numbers.
FairLetter is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Letters are templates you customize and send yourself.