Credit education
How long does a credit report dispute take?
Credit bureaus generally must complete a reinvestigation within 30 days of receiving your dispute. The period can extend to 45 days if you supply additional information during the investigation or disputed after receiving a free annual report. The bureau must send results within five business days after it finishes.
Disputes
The clock starts when the bureau receives the dispute
Certified mail or a portal confirmation gives you a provable start date.
Mark day 30 and day 45 on your calendar.
The short answer
Credit bureaus generally must complete a reinvestigation within 30 days of receiving your dispute. The period can extend to 45 days if you supply additional information during the investigation or disputed after receiving a free annual report. The bureau must send results within five business days after it finishes.
The statutory timeline
Section 1681i of the Fair Credit Reporting Act sets the 30 day standard, notification to the furnisher within five business days, and written results within five business days after completion. If the information cannot be verified in that time, it must be deleted or corrected.
Realistic overall timelines
A straightforward error may be corrected in a single round. Errors that are verified and need escalation take longer, often several months, particularly when furnisher disputes, complaints, or legal review are involved.
Common questions
What if the bureau misses the deadline?
Information that is not verified within the reinvestigation period must be deleted or modified. A missed deadline should be documented and raised in a follow-up dispute or complaint.
Primary sources referenced on this page
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Our process
How each stage of our review and dispute work proceeds.
When a dispute comes back verified
Why verification is not the end of the matter and what the next steps are.
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