Credit Report Error Lawsuits in New York

New York has its own credit reporting statute, the New York Fair Credit Reporting Act, found in Article 25 of the General Business Law (Sections 380 to 380-u). It works alongside the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Section 380-j bars a credit bureau from reporting information it has reason to know is inaccurate. It also sets some time limits that are shorter than federal law. A paid collection account may be reported for only five years, and a judgment satisfied within five years of entry must come off five years after entry. These limits do not apply to credit of $50,000 or more, life insurance of $50,000 or more, or jobs paying $25,000 or more a year.

New York also restricts medical debt reporting. Chapter 727 of the Laws of 2023 bars hospitals, licensed health care professionals and ambulance services from furnishing medical debt to credit bureaus. Section 380-j now bars credit bureaus from reporting medical debt, regardless of when it was incurred. Section 380-t gives residents the right to place a security freeze, and Section 380-j(h) bars scoring a consumer based on the credit of people in their social network.

New York has four federal districts. FCRA cases may be filed in the Southern District (Manhattan, White Plains, Poughkeepsie), the Eastern District (Brooklyn, Central Islip), the Northern District (Albany, Binghamton, Plattsburgh, Syracuse, Utica) or the Western District (Buffalo, Rochester), depending on where the consumer lives and where the events happened. Article 25 has its own remedies for willful and negligent violations, and state claims can often be joined with federal FCRA claims.

Where New York FCRA cases are filed

FCRA claims are federal, so they go to a United States District Court. Cases from New York are heard in 4 federal districts:

Southern District of New YorkCourthouses: New York (Manhattan), White Plains, Poughkeepsie.Filed with local or cooperating counsel
Eastern District of New YorkCourthouses: Brooklyn, Central Islip.Filed with local or cooperating counsel
Northern District of New YorkCourthouses: Albany, Binghamton, Plattsburgh, Syracuse, Utica.Filed with local or cooperating counsel
Western District of New YorkCourthouses: Buffalo, Rochester.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.

New York laws that add to the FCRA

New York Fair Credit Reporting Act, prohibited information (N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law § 380-j)
Bars credit bureaus from reporting information they have reason to know is inaccurate, and from reporting medical debt. Limits paid collection accounts to five years and most other negative items to seven years, with exceptions for large credit, insurance and higher-paying jobs. Read it
Fair Medical Debt Reporting Act (L. 2023, ch. 727 (S.4907-A/A.6275-A); N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law §§ 380-a, 380-j)
Bars New York hospitals, licensed health care professionals and certified ambulance services from reporting medical debt to credit bureaus. Their contracts with collectors must also bar reporting. Read it
Security freeze (N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law § 380-t)
Gives New York consumers the right to place, lift and remove a security freeze on their credit file, which blocks most new creditors from seeing the report. Read it
Civil liability for willful and negligent noncompliance (N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law §§ 380-l, 380-m)
Lets a consumer sue a credit bureau or user that violates Article 25. Willful violations can support actual and punitive damages, and negligent violations can support actual damages, plus costs and attorney's fees. Read it

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

Can medical debt appear on my credit report in New York?

New York law bars credit bureaus from reporting medical debt and bars New York hospitals, health care professionals and ambulance services from furnishing it. If medical debt is still on your report, you can dispute it with the bureau and the company that reported it. You may have claims under New York law and the federal FCRA, depending on the account.

How long can a paid collection account stay on my New York credit report?

Under General Business Law § 380-j, a paid collection account may be reported for five years, shorter than the seven years federal law allows. The limit does not apply to reports used for credit of $50,000 or more, life insurance of $50,000 or more, or jobs paying $25,000 or more. If a paid collection is older than five years, you can dispute it with the bureau.

Do I sue under New York law or the federal FCRA?

Often both. A lawsuit can bring federal FCRA claims and New York Article 25 claims together, usually in federal court. Federal law may limit some state-law claims against lenders and collectors, so which claims apply depends on the facts.

How long do I have to file an FCRA lawsuit in New York?

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

Updated November 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.