Last reviewed: 3 October 2026

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How long do negative items stay on your credit report?

Federal law sets outer limits. Most negative items cannot be reported once they are more than seven years old. Bankruptcy cases can be reported for up to ten years. Civil judgments last seven years or until the statute of limitations ends, whichever is longer.^[1][2] Those limits do not apply to some reports, such as one used for a loan of $150,000 or more.^[1] This page lists each item type, then walks through a worksheet for counting your own dates.

The limits by item type

These limits come from the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), 15 U.S.C. § 1681c(a). The statute says a credit reporting agency may not make a report containing these items.^[1]

The CFPB gives the plain-language version: negative information about account payment history can generally be reported for seven years, a lawsuit or judgment for seven years or until the statute of limitations runs out (whichever is longer), and bankruptcies for up to ten years.^[2] It adds that companies usually will not report negative items after these limits but may still keep your information on file.^[2]

When the seven years starts for a collection or charge-off

For an account placed for collection or charged off, the seven years starts when a 180-day period ends. That period begins on the date the delinquency started, meaning the missed payment that came before the collection or charge-off.^[1] So the clock does not restart when a new collector gets the account.^[1] Our guides explain why re-aging a debt is illegal and how a charge-off and a collection account differ.

Worksheet: estimating your own end date

1. Pick the item type from the table above.
2. Find the date that starts the count: the date of entry (judgment or bankruptcy), the date of payment (paid tax lien), or the date the delinquency began (collection or charge-off).
3. For a collection or charge-off, add 180 days to the delinquency date.^[1]
4. Add the limit from the table: seven years, or ten for bankruptcy.

Illustrative arithmetic, ours and not from the statute: if a delinquency began on 1 March 2022, 180 days later is 28 August 2022, and seven years after that is 28 August 2029. The statute counts the 180-day period as one that begins on the delinquency date, so a day or two of difference is possible. Treat any result as an estimate and compare it with your reports. This worksheet is arithmetic only; it does not tell you whether an item is accurate.

When the limits do not apply

The limits for bankruptcies, civil suits, paid tax liens, collections and other adverse items do not apply to a report used in connection with:^[1]

• a credit transaction involving, or reasonably expected to involve, $150,000 or more;
• underwriting life insurance with a face amount of $150,000 or more; or
• employment at an annual salary of $75,000 or more.

The CFPB states these as "more than" $150,000 and "more than" $75,000.^[2] The statute's words are "$150,000 or more" and "$75,000, or more," so check the statute for exact amounts.

A few special cases

• Veterans' medical debt. The statute has separate rules for certain agencies, those described in section 1681a(p), that know an item relates to a veteran's medical debt and are following a related duty under another federal law: such a debt is excluded for the first year after care was given, and a fully paid or settled one is excluded if it was marked delinquent, charged off or in collection.^[1] See medical debt and your credit report for the wider rules.
• Judgments and tax liens. The statute allows them for the periods above. Our guide to judgments and tax liens explains what the bureaus do in practice.
• Positive information. The CFPB says positive payment history may be reported longer, even after an account is paid off or closed.^[2]
• Outside the U.S. Canada has different rules. See how long negative information stays in Canada.

Two clocks that are not the same

The reporting limit above is not the same as the time a creditor has to sue. That is the statute of limitations, which comes from state law. The FTC says negative information such as past-due debts can generally stay on a report for seven years even if a debt is time-barred.^[3] See statute of limitations vs. the FCRA reporting period.

What the CFPB says about removing an item

The CFPB says no one has the right to remove accurate negative information, such as late payments, from a credit report, and that a report can be fixed only if it contains errors, which you can dispute on your own at no cost. It also warns against paying fees to "repair" your history.^[2] If you have a problem with credit reporting, you can submit a complaint to the CFPB online or at (855) 411-CFPB (2372).^[2]

How to verify this yourself

1. Read 15 U.S.C. § 1681c(a), (b) and (c).^[1]
2. Read the CFPB's answer on how long information stays on a report.^[2]
3. Get your free reports at annualcreditreport.com^[3] and write down the dates each item lists. Our audit checklist shows how.

What this page does not cover

It does not cover unpaid tax liens, which this section of the statute does not list. It does not cover how an item affects your score, state law, or how any one bureau applies these limits. It does not tell you whether an item on your report is accurate or should come off. It is general information, not legal advice; ask a lawyer or a legal aid office about your own case.

Your next step

Pull your reports and run the worksheet on each negative item. If a date looks wrong, see what to do if a dispute comes back "verified" and your dispute rights with the company that reported it. For bankruptcy specifically, see bankruptcy on your credit report. Our Standard says a credit repair company may not promise to remove accurate information (point 2); the Register shows how we check companies on that point.

When we will update this page

We revisit it if 15 U.S.C. § 1681c is amended or the CFPB changes its answer. Sources last read 2 October 2026.