The Raleigh-Cary metro is built around Wake County, which the Census Bureau estimated at 1,257,235 people in 2025. Johnston County to the southeast and Franklin County to the northeast complete the metro. The metro includes Raleigh, Cary and towns such as Apex, Wake Forest and Garner.
Whether you are applying for a lease in Raleigh or a mortgage in Johnston County, a credit report error can be costly. A wrong late payment, an account opened by an identity thief, or a debt reported twice by a lender and a debt buyer can lower your score. That can mean a denied apartment, a co-signer requirement or a higher mortgage rate. The FCRA lets you dispute errors with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. The bureau must reinvestigate, and the lender or collector that furnished the information must investigate once the bureau forwards your dispute.
Wake, Johnston and Franklin counties all fall in the Western Division of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. Federal court for the division is held in Raleigh. Durham County is not part of this metro, and nearly all of it lies outside the Eastern District. FCRA claims can also be filed in North Carolina state court.
Where Raleigh FCRA cases are filed
FCRA claims are federal, so they go to a United States District Court. Cases from Raleigh are heard in one federal district:
- Eastern District of North CarolinaWake, Johnston and Franklin counties (Western Division). Courthouses: Raleigh.Filed with local or cooperating counsel
Our attorneys are licensed in Texas, California, and Georgia. Where they aren't admitted in your local federal court, we work with local or cooperating counsel who are. You may also be able to sue where the company that reported you is based, in a court where our attorneys are admitted:
- Experian: HQ in C.D. California · Dispute Processing in E.D. Texas · Offices in N.D. Illinois
- Equifax: HQ in N.D. Georgia
- TransUnion: HQ in N.D. Illinois
- Santander Consumer: HQ in N.D. Texas
Which court is right depends on your facts. We'll tell you at your free case review.
Local and state rules in Raleigh
- Wake County Fair Chance Hiring Ordinance (Wake County Personnel Policy Ordinance § 31.14, Criminal History Inquiries and Background Check Policy (adopted Apr. 18, 2016; effective May 1, 2016))
Wake County removed the conviction question from its initial job application. A background check comes only after an applicant is recommended for hire, and an applicant whose offer is withdrawn over criminal history may dispute the record's accuracy or relevance. It covers Wake County Government jobs only, not private employers or the City of Raleigh. Read it
State law also applies: see Credit Report Error Lawsuits in North Carolina.
Common credit report errors
- Accounts that aren't yours, including mixed-file and identity theft accounts
- Late payments you didn't make, or payments not credited
- Paid, settled or discharged debts still shown as owed
- Collections reported past the seven-year limit or re-aged
- A deceased indicator on a living person's file
Learn how these cases work on our credit report lawsuits page, or read our lawsuit guides for Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
Frequently asked questions
Which federal court hears FCRA cases from Wake, Johnston or Franklin County?
All three counties are in the Western Division of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, which holds court in Raleigh. A case can also be filed in North Carolina state court, because the FCRA allows suits in either federal or state court.
I just moved to Raleigh and a landlord found an account I never opened. What should I do?
An unfamiliar account may be a mixed file or identity theft. You can dispute it with each credit bureau that reports it, and you may place a fraud alert or security freeze. If the bureau or the creditor keeps reporting the account after a proper dispute, you may have an FCRA claim.
How long do I have to sue over a credit reporting error in North Carolina?
The FCRA's deadline is federal, so it applies in North Carolina the same as elsewhere. A claim generally must be filed within 2 years after you discover the violation, and no later than 5 years after it happened. Saving dispute letters and bureau responses can help show the timeline.
How long do I have to file an FCRA lawsuit in Raleigh?
FCRA deadlines are the same everywhere: generally two years from when you discover the violation, and no more than five years from when it happened (15 U.S.C. § 1681p). Waiting can cost you the claim.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Population Totals (Vintage 2025)
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Counties by Division
- 28 U.S.C. § 113 (North Carolina districts)
- N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-153
- National Employment Law Project, Ban the Box: Fair Chance Hiring State and Local Guide
- Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq.
- N.C. Justice Center, Wake County's vote to ban the box (Apr. 19, 2016)
Updated November 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.