Your Right to a Free Annual Credit Report
Under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), every consumer is entitled to one free credit report per year from each of the three major credit reporting agencies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. The only federally authorized source for these free reports is AnnualCreditReport.com, operated by the Central Source LLC under agreement with the Federal Trade Commission. You can request all three reports at once or stagger them throughout the year — for example, requesting one every four months — to monitor your credit on a rolling basis at no cost. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the three bureaus have offered free weekly online credit reports through AnnualCreditReport.com. Check the site for current availability.
How to Request Your Free Report
Online: Visit AnnualCreditReport.com and complete the request form. You will need to provide your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. Each bureau may ask additional identity verification questions. By Phone: Call 1-877-322-8228. Reports are mailed within 15 days. By Mail: Complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form (available at the FTC website) and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. Avoid impostor sites — AnnualCreditReport.com is the only site authorized by federal law. Sites with similar names may charge fees or attempt to sell subscription services.
What to Look for When Reviewing Your Report
Review each report carefully for the following: • Personal information errors — incorrect name, address, Social Security number, or date of birth • Accounts you do not recognize — may indicate identity theft or a mixed file (your information confused with another person's) • Incorrect account status — accounts reported as open that you closed, or accounts showing a balance you have already paid • Duplicate accounts — the same debt listed more than once • Outdated negative information — most negative items (late payments, collections, charge-offs) must be removed after seven years; bankruptcies after ten years • Incorrect credit limits or loan amounts — can affect your credit utilization ratio and score If you find errors, you have the right to dispute them directly with the credit bureau and with the furnisher (the creditor or lender that reported the information).
Washington State Law
Washington's Fair Credit Reporting Act (RCW Chapter 19.182) mirrors and in some respects expands upon the federal FCRA. Washington residents have the right to:
- • Receive a free copy of their credit report upon request from any consumer reporting agency that has a file on them
- • Dispute inaccurate or incomplete information
- • Place a security freeze on their credit file (see the Credit Freeze page)
- • Receive notice when adverse action is taken based on a credit report
The Washington Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division enforces state credit reporting laws. Violations may result in actual damages, statutory damages of up to $1,000 per violation, and attorney's fees.