Dispute letter for an account past the 7-year reporting period

When to use this template

• A negative item is more than seven years past its date of first delinquency.
• A debt was re-aged or reopened, resetting its reporting date.

Sample letter

Replace everything in [brackets], and send one letter to each bureau that shows the error.

[Your full name]
[Your street address]
[City, State ZIP]
[Date]

[Credit bureau name]
[Bureau dispute address]

Re: Dispute of inaccurate information on my credit report

To whom it may concern:

I am writing under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. § 1681i) to dispute inaccurate information on my credit report.

Item in dispute: [Creditor/collector name] — account ending [xxxx], date of first delinquency [month/year]

Why it is inaccurate: This negative item is past the time limit for reporting under Section 605 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The date of first delinquency was [month/year], so the item is obsolete.

What I am asking: Please remove this obsolete item from my credit file.

Please send me the results of your investigation in writing, along with an updated copy of my credit report.

Sincerely,
[Signature]
[Your printed name]

Enclosures:
- Old statements or collection letters showing the delinquency date
- Any record of the last payment date

What to enclose

• Old statements or collection letters showing the delinquency date
• Any record of the last payment date

Send copies, never originals.

Tips

• Negative items are generally reportable for seven years from the date of first delinquency; bankruptcies can be reported longer.
• Don't confuse the reporting period with a debt's statute of limitations; they're different clocks.
• Send it by a method that proves delivery. See certified mail vs first-class and where to send it.

More templates

• Collection account that isn't mine →
• Late payment reported in error →
• Inaccurate charge-off →
• Paid account still showing a balance →

General educational information and a generic template, not legal advice. A dispute can't remove accurate information, and Rapid Rescore does not guarantee any result. Last reviewed: October 2026.