How long does the credit bureau have to remove the error?
Sophia Koch
Updated on February 03, 2026
30 days
If you find inaccurate or unverified information on one of your credit reports, you can dispute that information. And, under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), bureaus generally have 30 days to investigate the dispute and remove any items proven to be inaccurate. (More on that later.)
What is the maximum amount of time a late payment can stay on your credit report?
seven years
Late payments remain on a credit report for up to seven years from the original delinquency date — the date of the missed payment.
How long is your credit messed up if you dont pay your debt?
2. There’s a missed payment lurking on your report. A single payment that is 30 days late or more can send your score plummeting because on-time payments are the biggest factor in your credit score. Worse, late payments stay on your credit report for up to seven years.
What is the minimum time credit information stays on your credit report?
The length of time negative information can remain on your credit report is governed by a federal law known as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Most negative information must be taken off after seven years. Some, such as a bankruptcy, remains for up to 10 years.
Will my credit score go up if I dispute?
Filing a dispute—the formal name for requesting a correction to your credit report—has no impact on credit scores in and of itself. But if a dispute changes certain types of data in your credit report, that outcome could influence your credit scores.
How long does a late payment stay on your credit report?
This type of listing remains on a credit profile for 2 years. If a consumer continually pays their accounts late, this behaviour could also be listed and will reflect for 1 year. Default listings are removed once the debt has been settled.
How long does it take to remove default data from credit bureau?
The bureau will then have a further 7 days to remove the information. According to the South African Consumer Protection Agency, these are the primary credit bureau listings: Default Listings – default data is listed on a consumer’s profile if they have failed to pay a debt to a bank or store and failed to respond to demand letters.
How often can I challenge a credit bureau?
Under the National Credit Act (NCA), consumers have the right to access and challenge information held by a credit bureau and are entitled to get this information free of charge once a year. If the consumer requests the information more than once in a twelve month period they may have to pay a fee of up to R20.
How can I dispute a late payment on my credit report?
Disputing items on your credit report is free. You may need to dispute the late payment with several companies in all. Here’s the basic procedure: Identify the problem: Verify which credit reports the late payment appears on. Contact the creditor: Contact the creditor to see if they’ll correct the mistake and notify the credit bureaus.