A consumer who finds an error on a TransUnion credit report can dispute it with TransUnion for free. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, TransUnion must then conduct a reasonable reinvestigation. It generally has 30 days to finish. Any item found inaccurate, incomplete or unverifiable must be deleted or corrected.
An unexpected item on a credit report can be an account the consumer never opened, a late payment they know they made on time, or a collection that should have aged off years ago. A loan, an apartment or a job can depend on that report. A consumer in that position may want to know what TransUnion is, what it owes under federal law, and what happens after a dispute. This page covers the dispute right, the deadlines, the role of the company that supplied the information, the special rule for identity theft, and what federal law allows when an error stays.
What a TransUnion Dispute Is and What the FCRA Requires
TransUnion is one of the three nationwide credit bureaus. In legal terms, it is a consumer reporting agency: a company that gathers and evaluates information about consumers and sells reports about them to others. In a 2017 consent order, the CFPB described TransUnion as a non-operating holding company that is the ultimate parent company of TransUnion Interactive, Inc. and Trans Union, LLC. The order states that Trans Union, LLC "markets, sells, and provides Consumer Reports to commercial users, such as lenders, insurance companies, and potential employers" (CFPB consent order).
A consumer report is defined in 15 U.S.C. § 1681a(d). It includes "any written, oral, or other communication of any information by a consumer reporting agency bearing on a consumer's credit worthiness, credit standing, credit capacity, character, general reputation, personal characteristics, or mode of living" when used or expected to be used or collected, in whole or in part, as a factor in establishing a consumer's eligibility for credit or insurance for personal, family or household purposes, for employment, or for another purpose the statute authorizes. A furnisher is the company that supplied the information to the bureau, such as a lender or a debt collector.
The core dispute right comes from 15 U.S.C. § 1681i(a)(1)(A). It applies when a consumer disputes "the completeness or accuracy of any item of information" in their file and notifies the agency directly or through a reseller. The agency then "shall, free of charge, conduct a reasonable reinvestigation." The rule is subject to exceptions stated elsewhere in the statute. The Fair Credit Reporting Act governs consumer reporting agencies.
The CFPB's public record also lists actions involving TransUnion companies:
- 2017 consent order (2017-CFPB-0002). The CFPB identified what it called deceptive marketing of credit scores and credit products. The respondents consented "without admitting or denying the findings of fact or conclusions of law," except that they admitted the facts necessary to establish the Bureau's jurisdiction. The CFPB page lists two later modifications of the order.
- 2022 lawsuit (N.D. Ill.). The Bureau's complaint alleged violations of the Consumer Financial Protection Act, Regulation V, the Electronic Fund Transfer Act and Regulation E. On February 28, 2025, the case was voluntarily dismissed with prejudice against all defendants.
- October 12, 2023 joint complaint. The CFPB and FTC filed a complaint with a stipulated order against TransUnion Rental Screening Solutions and Trans Union LLC. The complaint alleged FCRA violations involving the accuracy of eviction records and the disclosure of vendor sources. The court entered the order on October 18, 2023. The defendants "neither admit nor deny any of the allegations in the Complaint," except as the order specifically states.
- October 12, 2023 order (2023-CFPB-0011). The Bureau found violations relating to security freezes, locks and pre-screened lists. The Bureau terminated that order on November 3, 2025, and its page states that TransUnion has fulfilled its obligations under the order.
How to File a Dispute with TransUnion
The official agency guidance describes three ways to file: online, by mail and by phone.
- Online. The CFPB's page lists dispute.transunion.com as TransUnion's online dispute address (CFPB).
- By phone. The FTC lists TransUnion at (800) 916-8800 (FTC).
- By mail. The FTC points to TransUnion's own dispute form for mail disputes.
The CFPB says a dispute should explain in writing what is wrong and why, with copies of supporting documents. It also notes that a consumer may keep copies of everything sent. The FTC describes a similar letter. It would include the consumer's full name and address, each item to be fixed and the reason, and copies of supporting documents rather than originals.
A dispute may also reach TransUnion indirectly. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681i(a)(1)(A), the reinvestigation duty applies whether the consumer notifies the agency directly or through a reseller, and the 30-day period runs from the date the agency receives the notice from either one.
A reinvestigation is the bureau's re-check of the disputed item. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681i(a)(2)(A), the agency must notify the furnisher within 5 business days of receiving the dispute. That notice must include "all relevant information" the consumer provided.
The Furnisher's Role in a TransUnion Dispute
A TransUnion report can include information that a furnisher supplied, so a dispute with TransUnion can involve the furnisher as well. The CFPB describes fixing an error as generally meaning contact with both the credit reporting company and the company that provided the information.
The two tracks work together. When a consumer disputes with TransUnion, TransUnion forwards the dispute and the consumer's relevant information to the furnisher. The FTC explains that the furnisher must then investigate and report the results back to the bureau. If the furnisher finds that what it reported is inaccurate, it must notify all three nationwide credit bureaus so they can correct the file.
A consumer may also dispute directly with the furnisher. The CFPB describes sending those disputes in writing to the furnisher's address on the consumer report or to an address the furnisher specifies for credit reporting disputes, and states that furnishers generally must investigate and respond within 30 days of receiving the dispute. This site's page on credit report error disputes covers furnisher disputes in more detail.
How Long a TransUnion Reinvestigation Takes
The basic deadline. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681i(a)(1)(A), the reinvestigation must be finished within 30 days. The period starts on the date TransUnion receives the dispute.
The 15-day extension. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681i(a)(1)(B), the period may be extended by up to 15 more days. This applies only if the consumer sends relevant information during the first 30 days. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681i(a)(1)(C), there is no extension if, within those 30 days, the item is found inaccurate or incomplete, or TransUnion decides it cannot be verified.
Disputes after a free annual report. A separate rule applies when the request for reinvestigation is made after the consumer receives a free annual disclosure. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681j(a)(3), that reinvestigation must be completed not later than 45 days after the date on which the request is received.
Frivolous disputes. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681i(a)(3), TransUnion may end a reinvestigation if it reasonably decides the dispute is frivolous or irrelevant. One example is a dispute that lacks enough information to investigate. In that case, TransUnion must tell the consumer within 5 business days, give its reasons, and identify the information it needs.
Waiting through these weeks can feel long when a loan or a lease is on hold. These deadlines are the ones the statute sets.
What TransUnion Must Do After a Reinvestigation
Deleting or correcting the item. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681i(a)(5)(A), an item may be "found to be inaccurate or incomplete or cannot be verified." In that case, the agency must promptly delete it or modify it based on the results. It must also promptly notify the furnisher of the change. An item is unverifiable when it cannot be confirmed through the reinvestigation. Federal law treats an unverifiable item the same way it treats an inaccurate one.
Considering the consumer's evidence. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681i(a)(4), TransUnion must review and consider all relevant information the consumer submits during the reinvestigation period.
Reporting the results. The CFPB states that the bureau must investigate, forward the dispute to the furnisher, and "report the results back to you." Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681i(a)(6), the agency must give the consumer written notice of the results not later than 5 business days after completing the reinvestigation, by mail or, if the consumer authorizes, by other means. With it, the agency must provide a statement that the reinvestigation is completed, a consumer report based on the file as revised, and a notice of the right to add a statement of dispute.
Adding a statement of dispute. Sometimes a reinvestigation does not resolve the disagreement. Federal law then lets the consumer file a statement of dispute, a brief written account of their side. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681i(b), the bureau may limit the statement to not more than one hundred words if it provides the consumer with assistance in writing a clear summary of the dispute. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681i(c), unless there are reasonable grounds to believe the dispute is frivolous or irrelevant, the bureau must, in any subsequent consumer report containing the information in question, clearly note that it is disputed by the consumer and provide either the statement or a clear and accurate codification or summary of it.
The result of a dispute depends on what the reinvestigation shows.
Mixed Files, Identity Theft, and Other Common Error Types
Mixed files. A mixed file is a credit file that holds another person's information. It can involve people who have similar names or Social Security numbers. The dispute right in 15 U.S.C. § 1681i(a) applies to each item that does not belong to the consumer.
Identity theft. Accounts or inquiries the consumer never opened or authorized can be handled through a separate procedure. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681c-2(a), a consumer reporting agency generally must block information that a consumer identifies as resulting from alleged identity theft. To block means to stop reporting it. The block must be in place within 4 business days after the agency receives four things:
- Proof of the consumer's identity
- A copy of an identity theft report
- Identification of the information
- A statement that the information does not relate to any transaction by the consumer
Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681c-2(c), the agency may decline or rescind a block if it reasonably determines one of the following:
- The block was made or requested in error.
- The request rested on a material misrepresentation of fact.
- The consumer obtained goods, services or money from the blocked transaction.
The consumer must be notified promptly if that happens.
Outdated information. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681c(a), consumer reports generally may not include certain information once it reaches a set age:
- More than seven years old: civil suits, civil judgments and records of arrest (or until the governing statute of limitations has expired, if that is longer); paid tax liens, counted from the date of payment; accounts placed for collection or charged to profit and loss; and any other adverse item, other than records of convictions of crimes.
- More than 10 years old: cases under title 11 (counted from the date of entry of the order for relief or the date of adjudication).
Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681c(c), the seven-year period for an account placed for collection or charged to profit and loss begins upon expiration of the 180-day period beginning on the date of the commencement of the delinquency that immediately preceded the collection activity or charge.
Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681c(b), paragraphs (1) through (5) of subsection (a) do not apply to a consumer credit report used in connection with:
- A credit transaction involving, or reasonably expected to involve, a principal amount of $150,000 or more
- The underwriting of life insurance involving, or reasonably expected to involve, a face amount of $150,000 or more
- The employment of an individual at an annual salary that equals, or may reasonably be expected to equal, $75,000 or more
Wrong payment history or account status. This information usually comes from a furnisher, so both the bureau dispute and the furnisher dispute described above can be relevant. The FCRA's reinvestigation rules apply to the other nationwide bureaus as well; see this site's page on Experian credit report disputes.
Free reports. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681j(a)(1), nationwide bureaus must provide a free disclosure once every 12 months when a consumer requests it through the centralized source.
What the FCRA Allows When a Dispute Does Not Resolve the Error
When an error remains after a reinvestigation, the statement of dispute described above is one option. Federal law also creates civil liability. Whether a particular situation violates the FCRA depends on its facts.
Willful noncompliance. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681n(a), a person who "willfully fails to comply" with an FCRA requirement is liable to the consumer. In general, the statute makes the following potentially available (15 U.S.C. § 1681n(a)(1)(B) sets a different amount for a natural person who obtains a consumer report under false pretenses or knowingly without a permissible purpose):
- Actual damages, or damages "of not less than $100 and not more than $1,000"
- Punitive damages "as the court may allow"
- In a successful action, costs and reasonable attorney's fees
Negligent noncompliance. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681o(a), a person who is negligent in failing to comply is liable to the consumer. The statute makes the following potentially available:
- Actual damages the consumer sustained as a result
- In a successful action, costs and reasonable attorney's fees
Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681n(c) and § 1681o(b), when a court finds that an unsuccessful pleading, motion or other paper filed in connection with an action was filed in bad faith or for purposes of harassment, the court shall award the prevailing party attorney's fees reasonable in relation to the work expended in responding to it.
Time limits. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681p, an FCRA action may be brought in federal district court or another court of competent jurisdiction. It must be brought by the earlier of two dates:
- 2 years after the plaintiff discovers the violation
- 5 years after the violation occurs
This page covers the federal FCRA dispute framework. State law may add protections, and it differs from state to state. A wider view of the federal statutes appears on this site's consumer rights overview.
If TransUnion Is Reporting Something That Looks Wrong
A TransUnion dispute often turns on details. These include what the report showed and when, what the dispute said, what documents went with it, and what answer came back. This page explains the federal framework only. It does not address state-law claims or disputes about the underlying debt.
A request for a consumer rights case review about a TransUnion reporting problem can be made through Federal Consumer Rights.
