How to fix mistakes on your credit report and deal with debt collectors

This page is general information, not legal advice. To build credit from the start, see How to build credit without a Social Security number.

How do I get my credit report?

Get your reports first, so you know what you are fixing. AnnualCreditReport.com is the only official free site for reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. You can check each one every week. You can also call (877) 322-8228.

The free report site asks for a Social Security number. If you have only an ITIN or no number, contact each credit company directly and ask how to request your report by mail. See How do I check my credit report? for the steps we found.

Look at every line:

• Accounts you never opened
• Debts you already paid, or paid on time but shown as late
• The same debt listed twice, once by the original lender and once by a collector, both as owed
• Wrong name, address or birth date, or another person's accounts mixed into yours
• Very old debts

How do I dispute a mistake?

It is free. You do not need to pay anyone. The CFPB says to dispute with two places:

1. The credit company (Equifax, Experian or TransUnion) that shows the mistake. If all three show it, write to all three.
2. The business that reported it, called the furnisher, such as a bank, phone company or landlord.

In each letter, include:

• Your name, address and phone number
• Each mistake, with the account number
• Why it is wrong, and what you want: remove it or fix it
• A copy of the report with the mistake circled
• Copies, never originals, of proof: receipts, bank statements, letters, a paid in full notice

Send it by certified mail with a return receipt if you can. Keep copies of everything. You can also dispute online on each credit company's site, but a mailed letter gives you a clear record.

What happens after I dispute?

Federal law sets the timeline (15 U.S.C. 1681i):

• Within 5 business days, the credit company must send your dispute to the business that reported it.
• It must finish checking within 30 days of getting your dispute. It can take up to 15 more days if you send more information during those 30 days.
• If the item is wrong, incomplete or cannot be verified, it must delete or fix it.
• It must send you the results in writing within 5 business days after it finishes.

If it says the item is correct, you can:

• Send more proof and dispute again
• Add a short statement of dispute to your file, which goes out with your report. A company can limit it to 100 words.
• File a complaint with the CFPB

What about medical debt?

California limits it. Under state law, a person may not report medical debt to a credit reporting company, and a medical debt that is knowingly reported becomes void and cannot be collected (Civil Code 1785.27). If you see a medical bill on your report, dispute it and say it is medical debt. Talk with a legal aid office if it stays.

What if someone used my name?

If you see accounts you never opened, it may be identity theft. Dispute each one. Report it at IdentityTheft.gov, the federal site. The federal government is shut down as of October 21, 2026, and some federal sites show closure notices, so try again later and keep your notes. You can also file a report with your local police.

What do I do when a collector contacts me?

Do not panic, and do not pay on the first call. First, find out if the debt is real and yours.

Within about five days of first contacting you, a collector must give you a validation notice (12 CFR 1006.34). It lists the debt, who it is owed to and the amount. It also gives a date, about 30 days later, by which you can dispute.

Then:

1. Read the notice. Check the name of the original creditor, the amount and the dates.
2. If anything is wrong, or you do not recognize it, dispute in writing before the date on the notice. Once you do, the collector must stop collecting until it sends you proof or a copy of a court judgment (12 CFR 1006.38). You can also ask in writing for the name and address of the original creditor.
3. If the debt is yours, you can try to settle or set up a payment plan. Get any deal in writing before you pay.
4. Pay safely. Do not give a collector open access to your bank account. Pay in a way you control, and keep receipts.

Not disputing does not mean you admit you owe it.

Check the collector's license. In California, debt collectors must have a license from the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) to collect here (Financial Code 100001). Ask the collector for its California license number, and call DFPI at 1-866-275-2677 if you cannot confirm it.

What can collectors not do?

Federal rules and California's Rosenthal Act protect you. Under federal Regulation F (12 CFR 1006.6 and 1006.14), a collector may not:

• Call before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. your time, unless you agreed to it
• Call you at work if it knows your employer does not allow it
• Call over and over to harass you. More than 7 calls in 7 days about one debt, or a call within 7 days after you talked with them, is presumed to be harassment
• Keep contacting you after you tell it in writing to stop or that you refuse to pay, except to confirm or to tell you about a specific step like a lawsuit

The federal law also bans false threats (15 U.S.C. 1692e). A collector may not:

• Say you will be arrested or jailed for not paying
• Threaten any action it cannot legally take or does not plan to take
• Falsely say you committed a crime
• Report information it knows is false, or fail to say a debt is disputed

California's Rosenthal Act adds its own bans on threats of violence, false crime accusations and threats of arrest or seizure that are not legally allowed. It covers people who regularly collect debts for themselves or others (Civil Code 1788.2), so many businesses collecting their own bills are covered too, not only collection agencies.

What if the debt is very old?

Every debt has a time limit for suing. In California, for a debt based on a written contract, it is generally four years, and after that a collector may not sue or start arbitration to collect it (Code of Civil Procedure 337). Other kinds of debt can have different limits.

When a debt is past that limit, a collector's first letter must tell you it will not sue you (Civil Code 1788.14(d)). If the debt is also too old to report, the letter must say it will not report it to credit companies either. Ask a legal aid office before you pay anything on a very old debt.

What if I am sued?

Do not ignore it. Your status does not stop you from going to court to defend yourself. The California Courts Self-Help Guide says:

• You have 30 days after you are served to file a written Answer. Most people use form PLD-C-010 (Answer, Contract).
• You must serve the other side and file with the court within those 30 days.
• The filing fee is $225 to $450. If you cannot afford it, ask for a fee waiver.
• If you do not answer, the collector can ask for a default, and the court can decide the case without you.
• More than 30 days passed? Check with the court right away. If no default was entered, you may still be able to file.

The answer form lets you list defenses, such as "this is not my debt," "I already paid" or "it is too old." The courts' list of debt defenses helps you choose. Free court self-help centers can help you fill it out.

Questions people ask

Will paying a collection remove it from my report? Not always. Ask the collector in writing how it will report the debt after you pay, before you pay.

Can a collector take my wages without a court case? For most consumer debts, no. California's wage garnishment law makes the court process the way an employer can be required to hold back your pay (Code of Civil Procedure 706.020). That is why answering a lawsuit matters. Taxes, child support and some government debts follow other rules.

Do these rights apply if I am undocumented? Yes. These laws protect consumers. They do not ask about immigration status.

I have an ITIN. Can I still dispute? Yes. Write to the credit company and the business with your name, address and the account details.

Who can help?

Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

• California DFPI: complaints about debt collectors, credit repair companies and lenders. 1-866-275-2677, more than 240 languages. dfpi.ca.gov
• CFPB: complaints about credit reports and collectors. (855) 411-2372. consumerfinance.gov/complaint
• California Courts Self-Help: free guides and court self-help centers in every county. Free legal resources for debt lawsuits
• Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County (San Mateo County residents): main line (650) 558-0915. legalaidsmc.org Ask whether it can help with your debt problem.
• Nonprofit credit counselors and free money coaches: see Where to get free, trusted help with money and credit.

Is there a letter I can use?