What is a 1681i dispute letter? (With template)

What FCRA §1681i actually requires

• If you dispute the completeness or accuracy of any item, the bureau has to reinvestigate free of charge.
• The bureau has 30 days (45 if you supply additional info during the window) to complete it.
• The bureau must forward "all relevant information" you provided to the furnisher — not just a 2-digit code.
• If the disputed item can't be verified, it must be deleted or modified.
• The bureau must send you the results in writing.

Why "1681i" matters specifically

Disputing online or over the phone often locks you out of certain protections — and bureaus' online dispute systems quietly waive your right to sue in some cases. A written §1681i letter, sent by certified mail, preserves your rights and creates the paper trail you'll need if the dispute is mishandled.

What to put in the letter

• Your full name, address, date of birth, and last 4 of your SSN.
• The specific account or item you're disputing (name of furnisher, account number, the line as it appears on the report).
• What exactly is wrong (wrong balance, not your account, wrong date of first delinquency, paid but reported unpaid, etc.).
• What the report should say.
• Copies — not originals — of supporting documents (payment proof, ID, FTC identity-theft report, prior bureau correspondence).
• An explicit demand under §1681i that they reinvestigate and either correct or delete the item.

Template — adapt to your facts

Send by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the bureau's dispute address (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion each have one).

[Your name]
[Your address]
[City, State, ZIP]
DOB: [date]
Last 4 of SSN: [####]
Date: [date]

[Bureau name and dispute address]

Re: Dispute under 15 U.S.C. §1681i

Dear [Bureau],

I am disputing the following item(s) on my credit file, which is inaccurate and/or incomplete:

Furnisher: [Lender / collector name]
Account number: [number as shown on report]
Reported information that is inaccurate: [e.g., "Reported as past due with balance of $1,234"]
Correct information: [e.g., "Paid in full on March 4, 2024; correct balance is $0; correct status is closed/paid."]

Enclosed are documents supporting my dispute: [list — e.g., paid-in-full letter dated 3/4/2024; bank statement showing payment].

Under 15 U.S.C. §1681i, please conduct a reasonable reinvestigation, forward all of the information I have provided to the furnisher, and correct or delete the disputed item. Please send me the results of your reinvestigation in writing, along with an updated copy of my credit file.

Sincerely,
[Signature]
[Printed name]

Also send a parallel letter to the furnisher

A separate FCRA section (§1681s-2(b)) imposes duties on the company reporting the bad data — but only after they receive notice of the dispute. The bureau is supposed to forward it, but their automated systems strip out detail. Sending your own letter directly to the furnisher, by certified mail, creates a clean second claim if they don't investigate properly.

What "verified" doesn't mean

If the bureau comes back and says the item was "verified" without addressing the documents you sent, that's not a reasonable reinvestigation under the law — it's a rubber stamp. Courts have repeatedly held that re-running the same e-OSCAR code through the same furnisher who already reported the data fails §1681i. That mismatch between what you proved and what they "verified" is the heart of an FCRA lawsuit.

When to call a lawyer

• You sent a §1681i letter with documentation and the bureau verified the same wrong data.
• The same wrong item reappears after being deleted.
• You've been denied credit, housing, or a job tied to the bad report.
• The furnisher is a national lender, debt buyer, or one of the three big bureaus — they all have well-documented track records of FCRA violations and they pay attorney's fees if you win.

Bring us your reports, your dispute letters, and the bureau's responses. If they ignored a real dispute with real evidence, you likely have a case.