You can get one free credit report per year from each of the three major credit bureaus
The federal government requires Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — the three companies that track your credit history — to give you one free credit report every 12 months. You do not have to pay for this report, and you do not need to buy credit monitoring or any other product to receive it. The official way to request your reports is through AnnualCreditReport.com, a website run by the three bureaus together under federal law.
You can request all three reports at once or space them out throughout the year. Many people request one report every four months so they can monitor their credit more regularly without paying. Each report shows your credit history with lenders, credit card companies, and other creditors — but not your credit score.
Key Takeaways
- Go to AnnualCreditReport.com to request your free reports directly from the three credit bureaus; this is the only official free source.
- You receive one free report per bureau per year, so you can request all three at once or spread them across the year.
- The report shows your payment history and debts but does not include your credit score; you may have to pay separately to see your score.
- Check your reports for errors like accounts you did not open or payments marked late when you paid on time, and dispute inaccuracies in writing.
- Other websites offering "free" credit reports usually require you to sign up for paid monitoring or credit score services.
How to request your report through AnnualCreditReport.com
Visit AnnualCreditReport.com and select the option to request your credit report. You will be asked to verify your identity by providing your name, address, date of birth, and Social Security number. The site will ask you which bureau or bureaus you want to report from — you can choose one, two, or all three.
After you submit your information, you can view your report online immediately or request that it be mailed to you. If you view it online, you can print or save a copy. The report will show every account in your name, your payment history on each account, any late payments or collections, and the total amount you owe across all accounts.
AnnualCreditReport.com is free and does not require you to enter a credit card number. If a website asks you to pay or sign up for a service to see your free annual report, it is not the official source.
What information appears on your credit report
Your credit report lists every credit account associated with your name and Social Security number. This includes credit cards, car loans, mortgages, student loans, medical debt sent to collections, and utility accounts. For each account, the report shows the creditor's name, the account number, when you opened it, your credit limit or loan amount, your current balance, and your payment history for the past seven years.
The report also shows inquiries — times when a lender or creditor checked your credit, usually when you applied for credit. Hard inquiries (from credit applications) stay on your report for two years. Soft inquiries (from employers or existing creditors checking your account) do not affect your credit and are not visible to other lenders.
Your credit score does not appear on your free annual report. Your score is a separate number calculated from the information in your report. Some bureaus offer free scores through their own websites or through banks and credit card companies, but the official free annual report does not include it.
How to spot errors and dispute them
Read through your report carefully and look for accounts you do not recognize, payments marked late that you made on time, or balances that do not match what you owe. Errors on your credit report can lower your score and make it harder to borrow money. Common mistakes include accounts opened in your name by someone else, duplicate listings of the same debt, or old debts that should have fallen off after seven years.
If you find an error, contact the bureau that issued the report in writing. Include a copy of the report page with the error circled, a brief explanation of why it is wrong, and any supporting documents (like a cancelled check or payment confirmation). Send your letter by certified mail so you have proof it was received. The bureau must investigate your claim within 30 days and correct or remove the information if it cannot verify it.
You can also contact the creditor or lender directly and ask them to correct the information they reported. If the creditor agrees the information is wrong, they will notify the bureaus to update their records.
When to request reports and how often you can get them
You can request your free annual report anytime during the year. The 12-month period resets from the date you last requested a report from that specific bureau, not on a calendar year. If you requested a report from Equifax in March, you can request another one in March of the following year.
Many people request one report every four months — one from each bureau in rotation — so they can check for fraud or errors more frequently without paying. This strategy works well if you are concerned about identity theft or if you are actively working to improve your credit and want to track changes.
If you have been denied credit, employment, or housing in the past 60 days, you may be able to request an additional free report from the bureau that provided the information used in that decision. Contact the creditor or employer to find out which bureau they used.
Why other websites are not the official source
Many websites advertise free credit reports but actually require you to sign up for paid credit monitoring or credit score services. These sites are not run by the government or the three bureaus. They use AnnualCreditReport.com's data but add their own products on top — and it can be difficult to cancel the paid service once you sign up.
Some credit card companies and banks offer free credit scores and reports to their customers as a benefit. These are legitimate, but they are separate from your official annual report. You still have the right to your free report from AnnualCreditReport.com regardless of whether you use these other services.
To avoid confusion, always go directly to AnnualCreditReport.com when you want your free annual report. Bookmark the site so you do not accidentally land on a similar-sounding website.
What to do if your identity has been stolen
If you see accounts on your credit report that you did not open, or if you notice a sudden drop in your credit score, your identity may have been stolen. Request your free reports from all three bureaus immediately and look for unfamiliar accounts, inquiries, or addresses.
If you find fraudulent accounts, contact the creditor directly and tell them the account is fraudulent. Ask them to close the account and remove it from your credit report. Then file a report with the Federal Trade Commission at IdentityTheft.gov. The FTC will create a recovery plan and send you a letter you can show to creditors and bureaus as proof of the theft.
You can also place a fraud alert on your credit report, which tells lenders to verify your identity before opening new accounts in your name. Contact one of the three bureaus to place the alert, and they will notify the other two. A fraud alert lasts one year and is free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to pay anything to get my free annual credit report?
No. AnnualCreditReport.com is the only official source for your free annual report, and it does not charge any fee. If any website asks you to pay or enter a credit card number to see your free report, it is not legitimate. You can report fraudulent sites to the Federal Trade Commission.
Can I get my credit score from my free annual report?
No, your credit score does not appear on your free annual report. The report shows your credit history and accounts, but not the number lenders use to decide whether to lend to you. Some banks and credit card companies offer free scores to their customers, but these are separate from your official report.
What if I request my report and find nothing wrong?
A clean report is a good sign. Keep requesting your free report once or twice a year to make sure no fraudulent accounts appear later. If you are working to improve your credit, checking your report regularly helps you track whether your efforts are working.
Can I request my report more than once a year?
You get one free report per bureau per year. If you request all three at once, you have used your free reports for that year. However, if you have been denied credit in the past 60 days, you may be able to request an additional free report from the bureau involved in that decision.
What should I do if I find an error on my report?
Send a written dispute to the bureau that issued the report. Include a copy of the report with the error marked, an explanation of why it is wrong, and supporting documents. Send it by certified mail. The bureau must investigate within 30 days and correct or remove the information if they cannot verify it.