The FCRA regulates the type of information the credit or specialty bureaus can collect and share about you. FCRA also limits who has access to viewing your credit report and under what circumstances your data can be viewed. 

You are by law entitled to one free credit report every 12 months from each of the three major credit bureaus and nationwide specialty consumer reporting agencies.

 You, as a consumer, have the right to:

  • You must be told if information in your file has been used against you.

Suppose you have been denied credit for any reason, or an action has been taken because of it. In that case, you must be made aware of it and the reasons for the denial, including the agency’s name, address, and phone number that provided the information. 

  • You have the right to know what is in your file.

You can request a copy of the information obtained in your credit report and, in many cases, at no charge. You can receive a free copy of your file disclosure “consumer report” if:

  • a person has taken adverse action against you because of information in your credit report;
  • you are the victim of identity theft and place a fraud alert in your file;
  • your file contains inaccurate information as a result of fraud;
  • you are on public assistance;
  • you are unemployed but expect to apply for employment within 60 days.

You have the right to ask for a credit score.

You have the right to request your credit score but must pay for it. you can get a free copy once a year by visiting, https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action   

  • You have the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information.

Suppose you discover information in your credit file that is incorrect or incomplete, and you report that error to the reporting agency. In that case, the agency must investigate unless the dispute is superficial or false.

  • Consumer reporting agencies must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information.

Data must be removed or corrected, usually within 30 days, if the information is inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable. The agency, however, may continue to report information it has verified as accurate 

  • Consumer reporting agencies may not report outdated negative information.

A consumer reporting agency isn’t allowed to report information that is negative for over seven years and ten years for bankruptcies 

  • Access to your file is limited

Only those with a valid need can view your credit report. You must consent to have your consumer report considered, usually for credit, insurance, employment, housing, or other related business purposes. 

  • You must give your consent for reports to be provided to employers.

Your written consent is needed for a current or potential employer to access your credit report. Written permission generally is not required in the trucking industry.

  • You may limit “prescreened” offers of credit and insurance you get based on information in your credit report.

Unsolicited “prescreened” offers for credit and insurance must include a toll-free phone number for you to call if you want to opt out of getting those offers in the mail. You can opt-out online or by calling 1888-5-OPT-OUT

  • You have a right to place a “security freeze” on your credit report, prohibiting a consumer reporting agency from releasing information on your credit report without your express authorization.

A security freeze prevents credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your knowledge or permission. 

You can also place a fraud alert on your credit file at no cost for one year if credit is applied for. Your name, the business, must take steps to verify the consumer’s identity before approving new credit. 

A security freeze does not apply to companies, persons, or collection agencies where you had or have an existing account for collecting or reviewing an account.

  • You may seek damages from violators.

You may be able to sue a consumer reporting agency if they violate the FCRA laws.

  • Identity theft victims and active-duty military personnel have additional rights. For more information, visit www.consumerfinance.gov/learnmore.
PreviousNext