How long things stay on your credit report
The quick answer
Most negative items, like late payments, collections and charge offs, can stay on your credit report for seven years. Bankruptcy can stay for ten. Hard credit checks stay for two years. When the time is up, the item should come off on its own, and if it does not, you can dispute it.
How long each item stays
| Item | How long | When the clock starts |
|---|---|---|
| Late payment | 7 years | The date of the late payment |
| Collection account | 7 years | 180 days after you first fell behind on that debt |
| Charge off | 7 years | 180 days after you first fell behind on that debt |
| Bankruptcy | Up to 10 years | The date the case was filed |
| Hard credit check | 2 years on your report, and FICO scores only count it for 1 | The date of the check |
| Medical collection | Not shown if it is paid, under $500 or less than a year old | Not reported until it is a year old |
What does not restart the clock
Paying a debt, disputing it, or a new collector buying it does not restart the seven years. The date that counts is when you first fell behind with the original company.
If a collection shows a newer date than your first missed payment, it can stay on your report too long. That is a mistake you can dispute.
Credit report time is not lawsuit time
How long something stays on your report is set by federal law. How long a collector can sue you is set by your state, and the two are different. In some states, paying or promising to pay an old debt can restart the time to sue. Read your state's rules before you pay a very old debt.
Can it come off sooner?
- If it is wrong, dispute it. See the step by step guide.
- If it is a late payment that really happened, try a goodwill letter.
- If it is a collection, ask for a pay for delete.
Common questions
Does paying a debt reset the seven years?
No. The clock is based on when you first fell behind, and paying does not change that date.
Do old items still hurt my score?
Less over time. Older items count less than new ones, even before they come off.
What if an item is past its time and still there?
Dispute it with each credit bureau that shows it and point to the date you first fell behind.
Do it from your phone
Open your report in ZungiDill, tap what is wrong, and it writes the letter and reminds you when the answer is due.
Sources
- Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. 1681c: how long items can be reported
- Federal Trade Commission: Disputing errors on your credit reports
- myFICO: How to rate shop and limit the impact on your FICO Scores (Business Wire)
- Equifax, Experian and TransUnion: changes to medical collection debt reporting (Business Wire)
General information, not legal advice.