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A federal law, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, limits how long credit bureaus can report most negative information. The general rule is seven years. Bankruptcies are the main exception, at ten years [1][2].
At a glance
- Late payments, collections, charge-offs
- 7 years [1][2]
- Bankruptcy
- Up to 10 years [1][2]
- Civil suits and judgments
- 7 years, or longer if the statute of limitations is longer [1][2]
- Paid tax liens
- 7 years from payment [2]
- Criminal convictions
- No federal time limit [2]
When the seven years start
For an account that went to collections or was charged off , the seven years don’t start on the date the account was sold or sent to collections. They start 180 days after the delinquency began [2]. In practice, that means the account comes off about seven and a half years after you first fell behind and never caught up.
Paying the debt, settling it, or the debt being sold to a new collector doesn’t reset that date. A collector that reports a newer delinquency date to make an old debt look recent is reporting inaccurate information, and you can dispute it.
The exceptions
The time limits don’t apply when a report is used for [1][2]:
- a job paying $75,000 a year or more,
- credit of $150,000 or more, or
- life insurance with a face amount of $150,000 or more.
In those cases, older information can be reported.
Credit reporting time isn’t the deadline to sue
How long a debt can appear on your report is a federal rule. How long a creditor has to sue you is set by your state’s statute of limitations, which is a separate clock and differs from state to state. A debt can drop off your report while it can still be collected in court, or the other way around.
If an old item is still there
- Find the date of first delinquency on the account in your report.
- Count seven years from 180 days after that date. If that’s passed, the item is too old to report.
- Dispute it with each bureau that shows it. Disputes are free, online or by mail.
- Complain to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau if a bureau won’t fix it.
Sources
Next steps
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Credit repair company
Credit Saint
If an old debt or another item on your credit report looks wrong, Credit Saint can help you challenge it with the credit bureaus.
You can also dispute errors yourself, for free, with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. No company can legally remove accurate, timely information, and results vary.
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Bolster
Bolster is a free app for keeping an eye on your credit and building credit history over time.
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See Bolster →Common questions
How long can a collection account stay on my credit report?
Seven years. For a collection or charged-off account, the seven years start 180 days after the delinquency began, not on the date the debt was sent to collections or sold.
How long does a bankruptcy stay on a credit report?
Up to ten years, counted from the date of the order for relief.
Does paying off an old collection restart the seven years?
No. The reporting period is tied to when the delinquency started. Paying, settling or the debt being sold doesn't move that date.