8 ways to remove old debt from your credit report
Key takeaways
- Unpaid debts and accounts in collections will stay on your credit report for seven years.
- Removing old debt from your credit report may help improve your score.
- You can file a dispute with the credit bureaus or enlist the help of a credit repair company to remove old debt and inaccuracies from your credit reports.
Removing old debts from your credit report can help improve your credit score. Not every debt can be removed, and accurate items like late payments, discharges and debts in collections must remain for a certain amount of time. But removing those debts could be an important step in rebuilding your credit score. Combining multiple strategies may be most effective.
1. Confirm the debt should be removed
Start by requesting free copies of your credit reports from the three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — at AnnualCreditReport.com to determine which credit reports have old debts on them. Each bureau records slightly different information, so old debt may appear on some reports and not others.
Once you know what debt is on your credit report, verify the age of your debt and search your financial records to determine whether you paid off the account and, if so, whether you paid the original creditor or a debt collector.
For delinquent debts, determine the date on which you first became delinquent. For example, if you missed your March 2022 payment and your bill eventually went into default, your delinquency date would be March 2022. No matter how many times a debt is sold (and resold), the date that counts for old debt is the date of delinquency with the original creditor.
2. Wait for the old debt to fall off
Information only stays on your credit report for a certain length of time. Unpaid debts, delinquent accounts and accounts in collections will remain on your credit report for seven years even if you eventually repaid them. Chapter 7 bankruptcies are visible for 10 years, and Chapter 13 bankruptcies, seven years.
If your old debt is about to expire, the easiest approach is to wait for it to fall off. However, if the right number of years has passed and it’s still showing, you can contact the appropriate credit bureau to have it removed.
3. Ask for a goodwill deletion
You may be able to get a collection account removed before the expiration if you have paid off the debt. Contact the collection agency and explain why you need the item removed. If there were circumstances beyond your control that led to delinquency, sharing those details may help convince the collection agency.
It’s up to the collection agency to decide whether they’re willing to remove the account. Writing a clear, well-organized request and being in otherwise good credit standing can increase your chances.
4. Dispute the error with the credit bureaus
Occasionally, debts may show up on your credit report past their expiration by mistake. If this happens, you can file a dispute by contacting each credit bureau that is still reporting the old debt. The credit bureaus can be contacted by phone, mail, or online.
Gather supporting documents such as receipts, letters and statements from your creditor. These documents will help the bureau verify when your account became delinquent. From there, they will open an investigation and contact your creditors to resolve the error.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires credit bureaus to correct or delete any information that can’t be verified or that is incorrect or incomplete, typically within 30 days. If the creditor can’t verify the debt, it has to come off your report.
Debt collectors can still pursue unpaid debts even if they have been removed from your credit report. Agreeing to repay the debt could restart the statute of limitations on your debt.
5. Send a letter to the reporting creditor
In addition to contacting the credit bureaus, consider contacting the creditor that is reporting the debt. In some cases, going directly through the creditor may be faster than going through the credit bureaus.
As with the credit bureaus, state your case and include copies of any relevant documentation. Your creditor will have 30 days to investigate and respond to your claims.
If you go this route, be careful to avoid making statements that could restart the debt clock if the statute of limitations has not expired.
6. Hire a credit repair company
Hiring a credit repair company is another option for removing old or incorrect information from your credit report. For a fee, a credit repair company will identify errors on your reports, file disputes and even write goodwill letters on your behalf.
This service can cost between $50 and $200 per month, so it’s important to do your research and ensure you’re using a reputable credit repair company.
7. File a complaint
If you’ve contacted the credit bureaus and your creditor but the debt is still showing on your credit report, you can try complaining to someone higher up in the company reporting the debt.
“Direct your next letter to the president’s attention at the company’s headquarters address,” says Sonya Smith-Valentine, former managing attorney at Valentine Legal Group, “because you get a different kind of response from the office of the president than you do from customer service.”
You can also file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The CFPB forwards complaints to companies and publishes them in its public database, which can help you get a response.
Note: As of February 2025, the Trump administration has halted the work of the CFPB. If you are unable to file a complaint with the CFPB, you can also file a complaint with your state attorney general.
Debt collectors can pursue you after the statute of limitations has expired on your debt, but that doesn’t mean you have to pay them.
8. Talk to an attorney
If you have exhausted other options for removing old debt from your credit report, then contacting an attorney may be the next step. Often, a letter on legal stationery is enough to move a company to address your concerns. However, if it is not, a lawyer can advise you on whether a lawsuit is a good option for your situation.
If you do talk to an attorney, choose one who specializes in consumer rights, Smith-Valentine says. “When you’re dealing with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, it is very convoluted and you need someone who’s done it, who understands it and who knows where the holes are.”
One source for help is the National Association of Consumer Advocates, an organization of lawyers who specialize in credit and debt law.
Bottom line
When you work hard to repair your credit, you want your credit report to reflect that. In some cases, you may be able to remove old debts that are still showing if they are old enough or fully repaid. You can reach out to the credit bureaus and your creditors yourself, or you can hire a credit repair company to handle the process for you.
