FCRA §605
FCRA §605(a) limits how long negative items can stay on a credit report — 7 years from date of first delinquency.
FCRA §605(a), 15 U.S.C. §1681c, sets the federal time limits for reporting adverse information. Most negative items — late payments, charge-offs, collections, foreclosures — must be removed 7 years from the date of first delinquency (DOFD).
Bankruptcies have separate clocks: Chapter 7 stays 10 years, Chapter 13 stays 7 years from the filing date. Tax liens (since 2018 reforms) are mostly removed entirely. Civil judgments must meet strict identification criteria.
The 7-year clock does not reset when debt is sold, transferred, paid, or partially paid. Re-aging — moving the DOFD forward — is illegal under §605(a) and constitutes a strong dispute angle when spotted.
Also called
Related terms
The Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. §1681 — federal law governing how credit reporting works.
Date of First Delinquency — the date a consumer first became delinquent on an account that eventually went to charge-off or collection.
Resetting the date of first delinquency on a credit report — illegal under FCRA §605(a).
An accounting status creditors apply to delinquent accounts (typically 180+ days late). The debt is still owed.
A federal court process for discharging debts. Stays on credit reports 7-10 years.
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