In this guide
The only website authorized to fill your free credit report orders is AnnualCreditReport.com. Equifax, Experian and TransUnion have permanently extended a program that lets you check your report at each bureau once a week for free (FTC, Free Credit Reports). Federal law separately guarantees one free report from each bureau every 12 months. You can also order by phone at 1-877-322-8228 or by mail.
A credit report and a credit score are different things. The free report is your file: accounts, balances, payment history, inquiries. The law entitles you to the report, not a score. Fixing errors on the report is what changes the score.
How many free reports you can get
The weekly access began in 2020, was extended twice, and is now permanent (FTC consumer alert). The 52 and 156 figures are arithmetic on "once a week at each bureau". The CFPB suggests requesting one bureau's report every four months to monitor through the year. With weekly access you do not need to ration reports that way.
Two other free-report rights, from the FTC page: you can ask for a free report when a notice says your application for credit, employment, insurance or housing was denied or treated unfavorably based on your report, and when you have a fraud alert on your file.
Three ways to order
| Route | How | Speed |
|---|---|---|
| Online | AnnualCreditReport.com | Immediate |
| Phone | 1-877-322-8228 | Mailed within 15 days |
| Send the Annual Credit Report Request Form to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281 | Mailed within 15 days |
Sources: the CFPB for the phone number and mailing address, the FTC for the timing. Have your name, address, Social Security number and date of birth ready to verify your identity. Anything claiming to be an official free report site and asking for a card number is not the authorized route. The FTC warns that some lookalike sites use deliberately misspelled addresses.
What is on the report, and what is not
| On your credit report | Not on your credit report |
|---|---|
| Credit cards, loans, mortgages | Your credit score (the law does not require it) |
| Balances and credit limits | Your income or savings |
| Payment history, including late payments | Bank account balances |
| Hard inquiries from applications | Purchases or what you spent money on |
| Collections and public records | Checking your own report (a soft inquiry) |
What to check
- Accounts you do not recognize. A sign of identity theft, and the reason to look at all three reports.
- Late payments that were not late. Payment history is the heaviest FICO factor. See what moves your FICO score.
- Balances and limits. A limit reported too low raises your utilization. See the utilization guide.
- Delinquency dates on negative items. A wrong date can extend how long an item stays. See how long negative items stay.
- Hard inquiries you did not authorize. See hard vs. soft inquiries.
How to dispute an error, with the legal deadlines
The CFPB says to dispute with both the credit reporting company and the company that supplied the information (the furnisher), in writing, by certified mail. Include your name, address and phone number, each error and its account number, a clear explanation, and copies of supporting documents (CFPB, how to dispute an error). The statute then sets the clock (15 U.S.C. 1681i):
- The bureau must, free of charge, reasonably reinvestigate within 30 days of getting your notice.
- It can extend that by up to 15 days if you send relevant information during the 30 days.
- It must notify the furnisher within 5 business days.
- It must send you the results within 5 business days after finishing.
- If the dispute is not resolved, you can file a statement of up to 100 words that goes into future reports on that item.
Worked example: a bureau receives your dispute on March 2, 2026. The 30 days end April 1. If you send more evidence before then, the limit becomes 45 days, April 16. Write down the date the bureau receives your letter, since the clock starts there. Each bureau has its own clock, so dispute at every bureau that shows the error.
The dispute is free and you do not need a credit repair company. The FTC says a company that asks for money up front, or tells you not to contact the bureaus yourself, is probably a scammer.
Freeze versus fraud alert
| Credit freeze | Fraud alert | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free to place or lift | Free |
| Score impact | None | None stated |
| Duration | Until you lift it | Initial alert one year, renewable. Extended alert seven years. |
| How to set | Contact each bureau | Contact one bureau, which tells the other two |
The details here are from the FTC's pages on freezes and alerts. Lift a freeze temporarily when you apply for credit, then restore it. Check before a mortgage application so the freeze does not delay your lender.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I get my free credit reports?
At AnnualCreditReport.com, by phone at 1-877-322-8228, or by mailing the Annual Credit Report Request Form. It is the only site authorized to fill the free reports you are entitled to by law.
How often can I get a free credit report?
Once a week from each bureau. Equifax, Experian and TransUnion made that program permanent, and the law also guarantees one free report per bureau every 12 months.
Does checking my own credit report hurt my score?
No. The CFPB says checking your own credit does not affect your scores.
Why is there no score on my free report?
The free report is not required to include a score. Many card issuers offer a free score separately, though it may be a different model than a lender uses.
How long does a credit report dispute take?
The bureau has 30 days to investigate, extended up to 15 more days if you send relevant information in that window. The furnisher generally must respond within 30 days too, per the CFPB.
Do I need to pay for credit monitoring?
Not to see your reports or dispute errors. Monitoring sells alerts and convenience, not legal access.
Can I get a free report after being denied credit?
Yes. Ask the bureau for a free report within 60 days of the notice that your application was denied or another unfavorable action was taken based on your report.
Sources
- AnnualCreditReport.com, the only site the FTC and CFPB identify as authorized for free credit reports. Checked October 2026.
- Free Credit Reports, Federal Trade Commission. Checked October 2026.
- You now have permanent access to free weekly credit reports, Federal Trade Commission. Checked October 2026.
- How do I get a free copy of my credit reports?, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Checked October 2026.
- How do I dispute an error on my credit report?, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Checked October 2026.
- 15 U.S.C. 1681i, Procedure in case of disputed accuracy, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. Checked October 2026.
- What To Know About Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts, Federal Trade Commission. Checked October 2026.
Written by
Teja PagidimarriTeja Pagidimarri built 43dots to answer money questions with numbers you can check. He is a software developer, not a licensed financial advisor, so every guide here is built the way an engineer would: figures pulled from the primary source, math shown in the open, and the calculators built from the actual published formulas.
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