Last reviewed: 6 October 2026
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How to get your free credit reports, and how often you can
Federal law gives you a free copy of your credit report from each nationwide credit bureau once every 12 months, and the FTC says the three bureaus also let you check each one weekly for free.[1] The FTC says the only website authorized to fill orders for the free annual reports is AnnualCreditReport.com.[1] This page covers the three ways to order, when you can get extra free reports, and how to spot imposter sites.
The short version
- Where: online at AnnualCreditReport.com, by phone at 1-877-322-8228, or by mailing the Annual Credit Report Request Form to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.[1] The CFPB gives the same three ways.[2]
- How often: by law, once every 12 months from each nationwide bureau if you ask.[1] In addition, the three bureaus have permanently extended a program that lets you check each report weekly for free at AnnualCreditReport.com.[1]
- How many: the CFPB says you can request all three at once or one at a time, for example one every four months, to keep watch through the year.[2]
- How fast: online, you get access immediately. By phone or mail, the FTC says your report is processed and mailed within 15 days; it may take longer if the bureau needs more information to verify your identity.[1]
- Not included: a credit score. The FTC says you often have to pay for a score.[3]
What you will be asked
The FTC says each bureau has a process to verify your identity. Be ready to give your name, address, Social Security number and date of birth, and if you have moved in the last two years you may need a previous address. You may also be asked questions only you would know, such as the amount of your monthly mortgage payment. You must answer for each bureau, even when you order all three at once, because each bureau may get its information from different sources.[1]
Why look at all three
The FTC says yes, review each one. Because each bureau may get its information from different sources, one report might not be completely the same as the other two.[1] The CFPB says creditors are not required to report to every credit reporting company.[4]
When you can get extra free reports
The CFPB lists these situations. Section 1681j of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is the source for most of them.[2][5]
| If this applies to you | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| You got an adverse action notice | You were denied credit, insurance or employment, or had another “adverse action” based on a credit report. You have a right to a free report from the company named in the notice, and you must ask within 60 days of receiving the notice.[2][5] |
| You believe your file is wrong because of fraud | The CFPB lists it. The statute says the company must give you one free disclosure in a 12-month period if you certify in writing that you have reason to believe your file has inaccurate information due to fraud.[2][5] |
| You are unemployed and plan to apply for work | You intend to apply for employment. The statute says you certify in writing that you are unemployed and intend to apply for employment in the 60-day period beginning on the date you make the certification.[2][5] |
| You receive public welfare assistance | The CFPB lists it, and the statute asks for a written certification.[2][5] |
| You placed a fraud alert | The CFPB says you can request a free copy when you place an initial fraud alert, and two free copies for an extended fraud alert.[2] The statute says the company must provide the disclosures without charge not later than 3 business days after your request.[6] |
| Your state law provides for one | The CFPB lists it.[2] |
The FTC adds that if you fall into one of these groups you should contact a bureau directly, but that you can always get your free weekly report from AnnualCreditReport.com.[1]
Specialty reports are separate
The CFPB says you are also eligible for reports from specialty consumer reporting companies. You have to request them individually, and most of the companies on its list give a report for free every 12 months, while others may charge.[2] Our specialty reports request checklist goes through them.
If you do have to pay
The FTC says to check AnnualCreditReport.com first. If you do not qualify for a free report, a bureau may charge a reasonable amount established by law.[1] The statute says the charge may not exceed $8, a base figure that the CFPB raises each January 1 based on changes in the Consumer Price Index, and that the charge must be shown to you before the disclosure is made.[5] In a final rule published on 15 December 2025, the CFPB set the maximum allowable charge for 2026 at $16.00, in Appendix O to Regulation V.[7] The figure is reset each year, so check the bureau’s quote before you pay.
Imposter sites and “free report” offers
- The FTC says other sites pretend to be associated with AnnualCreditReport.com, or claim to offer free reports, scores or monitoring. Some use URLs that deliberately misspell the real name.[1]
- The CFPB says some sites give you a free report only if you buy other products or services, and others give a free report and then bill you for services you have to cancel.[2]
- The FTC says AnnualCreditReport.com and the credit bureaus will not email you asking for your Social Security number or account information. If someone claiming to be from either contacts you by email, pop-up or phone, do not reply or click; it is probably a scam.[1]
- Subject to rulemaking, the FCRA says any advertisement for a free credit report must prominently disclose that free reports are available under federal law at AnnualCreditReport.com.[5]
- To report a scam, the FTC points to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.[1]
See free credit report scams and imposter sites for more.
Access formats
The FTC says the free annual reports are available in Braille, large print or audio, which takes about three weeks. If you are blind or print disabled, call 877-322-8228, verify your identity, certify that you are visually impaired under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and choose a format. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, call 7-1-1 for your local TDD service and refer the Relay Operator to the AnnualCreditReport.com TDD service at 1-800-821-7232.[1]
After you have your report
The FTC says to check that the information is accurate, complete and up to date, and that mistakes can also be a sign of identity theft.[1] If you ask a bureau to reinvestigate an item after getting a report under the once-a-year free disclosure in section 1681j(a), the statute sets a 45-day deadline instead of the usual 30 days.[5][8] Our credit report audit checklist goes through a report section by section, and furnishers and your dispute rights explains who to dispute with.
What this page does not cover
It does not cover credit scores, paid monitoring services, or how to read each line of a report. It does not tell you which of the extra-report situations applies to you. The steps on the AnnualCreditReport.com site itself can change, so follow its prompts and the FTC page above. It is general information, not legal advice. Our Standard checks companies; it does not review a bureau or a report.
Your next step
Order at AnnualCreditReport.com, by phone or by mail, and read what is in it. For what a report contains, see what is a credit report. To check a company that offers credit help, use the Register and our guide to checking a company yourself.
When we will update this page
We revisit it when the FTC or CFPB changes these pages, or the cited FCRA sections change. Sources last read 6 October 2026.
What you can do next
- Find a company — see which specific US companies we checked and what we could verify.
- How we check — the rules and sources behind each result.
- More credit help guides
- Report an error on this page or in a result.