Equifax Dispute Letter — Free Template
If your Equifax credit report shows an account that is not yours, a wrong balance, or late payments you did not make, an Equifax dispute letter asks Equifax to investigate and correct or delete the item. A written dispute by mail creates a clear record of exactly what you disputed and what proof you sent.
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Free to preview[Your full legal name]
[Your current mailing address]
October 15, 2026
Equifax
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 Equifax 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]
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Sending your Equifax dispute
Equifax accepts disputes online, by phone and by mail. Mail takes longer but gives you a dated copy of your letter and proof of delivery if you send it by certified mail with a return receipt. Use the dispute mailing address on Equifax's website or on your Equifax report.
Include your full name, current address, date of birth if you are comfortable sharing it, and the confirmation number on your report. Enclose a copy of a government ID and a recent bill or bank statement showing your address so Equifax can match your file.
What happens next
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, a credit bureau generally must investigate a dispute within 30 days of receiving it, sometimes extended to 45 days in certain cases, and forward your information to the company that reported the item. Equifax will send you the results in writing.
If the item is changed or deleted, you can ask Equifax to send the corrected report to anyone who pulled your report recently. If the dispute is not resolved, you can add a brief statement to your file explaining your side.
Check the other bureaus too
Errors often appear on one report but not the others, or on all three. Get your free reports from all three bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com and compare them. Send a separate letter to each bureau that shows the error.
If the error appears on all three, it is probably coming from the creditor's records. Consider also disputing directly with the creditor that reported it.
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 equifax 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
Equifax
Consumer Dispute Department
Re: Dispute of inaccurate information in my credit file — report or confirmation number 6120-4417-02
To whom it may concern:
I am writing to dispute inaccurate information in my Equifax 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: Riverbend Credit Union
Account number ending in: 8842
The problem: The balance or credit limit is wrong.
My Equifax report shows a balance of $4,860 on this credit card. I paid the card down to $310 on August 28, 2026, as shown on Riverbend's September statement. The same account shows the correct balance on my Experian and TransUnion reports.
I have enclosed copies, not originals, of the following documents supporting my dispute: Riverbend Credit Union's September 2026 statement and a copy of my Equifax 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
Should I dispute with Equifax online or by mail?
Both work. Online is faster and convenient. Mail lets you include exactly the explanation and documents you want and gives you a paper record with proof of delivery. Many people with complex or repeated disputes prefer mail.
How long does an Equifax dispute take?
Credit bureaus generally have 30 days to complete an investigation after receiving your dispute, with some extensions to 45 days. Mail time adds a few days on each end. You will receive the results in writing.
Will disputing hurt my credit score?
No. Filing a dispute does not lower your credit score. If the item is corrected or removed, your score may improve. While the dispute is open, the account may be marked as disputed.
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.
FairLetter is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Letters are templates you customize and send yourself.