The Memphis metro reaches into three states. Shelby County, with about 910,000 residents in the Census Bureau's 2025 estimates, holds Memphis, Bartlett, Germantown and Collierville. Tipton and Fayette counties are also in Tennessee. DeSoto County, Mississippi, with about 198,000 residents, includes Southaven and Olive Branch, and Marshall, Tate, Tunica and Benton counties fill out the Mississippi side. Crittenden County, Arkansas, home to West Memphis, sits across the river.
People in the metro often live in one state, work in another and shop for loans or apartments in a third. Credit reports can pick up errors along the way: accounts that belong to someone with a similar name, debts reported twice by a creditor and a collector, paid balances still shown as owing, and identity theft accounts. These mistakes can lead to a denied apartment, a higher deposit or a costlier car loan. The FCRA lets consumers dispute errors with the credit bureau, which must reinvestigate (15 U.S.C. 1681i). The company that reported the account must also investigate once the bureau passes on the dispute (15 U.S.C. 1681s-2(b)).
Federal FCRA cases from Shelby, Tipton and Fayette counties belong in the Western District of Tennessee, which sits in Memphis. The Mississippi counties are in the Northern District of Mississippi's Oxford Division. Crittenden County is in the Eastern District of Arkansas's Delta Division, which holds court in Helena. Claims may also be filed in state court, generally within two years of discovering the violation (15 U.S.C. 1681p).
Where Memphis FCRA cases are filed
FCRA claims are federal, so they go to a United States District Court. Cases from Memphis are heard in 3 federal districts:
- Western District of TennesseeShelby, Tipton and Fayette counties in Tennessee (Western Division). Courthouses: Memphis.Filed with local or cooperating counsel
- Northern District of MississippiDeSoto, Marshall, Tate, Tunica and Benton counties in Mississippi (Oxford Division). Courthouses: Oxford.Filed with local or cooperating counsel
- Eastern District of ArkansasCrittenden County, Arkansas (Delta Division). Courthouses: Helena.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 Memphis
- City of Memphis ban-the-box ordinance (Memphis City Code § 3-4-4 (Ord. No. 5363, June 22, 2010))
The City of Memphis may not ask about an applicant's criminal history until it has found the applicant otherwise qualified, and city applications may not include a conviction question. Police, fire and emergency medical services positions are excluded. After a conditional offer, the city must give written notice of the conviction history check, and an applicant facing a withdrawn offer gets a copy of the report and ten business days to rebut it. Read it - Shelby County ban-the-box ordinance (Shelby County Code §§ 14-166 to 14-178 (Ord. No. 513, adopted July 27, 2020))
Shelby County Government may not ask about conviction history or run a background check until after a contingent job offer, and may not use arrests without a conviction, sealed, dismissed or expunged records, or juvenile records. Only convictions substantially related to the job may be considered, and the applicant gets notice, a copy of the report and at least ten business days to respond. The Sheriff's Office, Trustee's Office and Division of Corrections are excluded, and county vendors are encouraged, but not required, to follow similar practices. Read it
State laws also apply: see Credit Report Error Lawsuits in Arkansas and Credit Report Error Lawsuits in Mississippi and Credit Report Error Lawsuits in Tennessee.
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
I live in Southaven. Do I file an FCRA case in Memphis or in Mississippi?
DeSoto County is in the Northern District of Mississippi, Oxford Division, so that court is the usual federal venue for a Southaven resident. A case may sometimes be filed in the Western District of Tennessee if the claim has enough connection to Memphis. State court is also an option under the FCRA.
A Memphis collection agency and the original creditor are both reporting the same debt. Is that allowed?
Both may report the debt, but the reports must be accurate. If both show a balance owed for the same debt, or the original creditor shows a balance after selling the account, the report may be misleading. You can dispute each entry with the credit bureaus.
Which court covers West Memphis, Arkansas?
Crittenden County is in the Eastern District of Arkansas, Delta Division, under 28 U.S.C. 83. Court for that division is held in Helena. Claims may also be filed in Arkansas state court.
How long do I have to file an FCRA lawsuit in Memphis?
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 Western District of Tennessee
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Realignment of divisions
- 28 U.S.C. 123 (Tennessee judicial districts)
- 28 U.S.C. 104 (Mississippi judicial districts)
- 28 U.S.C. 83 (Arkansas judicial districts)
- Megan McKenzie Reed, Banning the Box (University of Memphis Law Review, 2016), discussing Memphis City Code § 3-4-4 and Tenn. Code § 8-50-112
- Daily Memphian, County Commission to take final vote on ban the box (July 2020)
- Shelby County Code, Ch. 14, Art. VI, hiring practices for those with arrest and conviction records (Municode)
- 15 U.S.C. 1681e (accuracy of consumer reports)
- 15 U.S.C. 1681p (jurisdiction and time limits)
- Memphis City Code § 3-4-4, discrimination in hiring persons previously convicted (Municode)
Updated November 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.