Does a furnisher have to investigate all direct disputes to credit report information?

No. Fair Credit Reporting Act regulations require that the furnisher must conduct a reasonable investigation of disputes unless an exception applies. A furnisher does not have to investigate a direct dispute if:

• The direct dispute is about certain kinds of information, such as
  • the consumer's information, such as name, date of birth, telephone number, or Social Security number;
  • the identity of past or present employers;
  • inquiries or requests for a credit report;
  • information derived from public records, such as bankruptcies, liens, and other legal matters (unless provided by a furnisher with an account or other relationship with the consumer);
  • information related to fraud alerts or military active duty alerts;
  • information provided to a credit reporting agency by another furnisher.
  • In many cases, you can dispute this type of information with the credit reporting agency.
• The furnisher reasonably believes the dispute was submitted by a credit repair organization or with the help of such an organization.
• The furnisher has reasonably determined that the dispute is frivolous or irrelevant. A dispute is frivolous or irrelevant if
  • the consumer did not provide sufficient information to investigate the disputed information, or
  • the consumer submitted information that is duplicative or substantially similar, without any new information, to a previously submitted dispute that the furnisher already addressed.
• The furnisher has given the consumer an address for submitting a direct dispute and the consumer does not send the dispute to that address.

Refer to 12 CFR 1022 "Fair Credit Reporting (Regulation V)" for more information.

Last Reviewed: April 2021