Date of First Delinquency (DOFD) on a Credit Report

Definition

The date of first delinquency is the month and year you first fell behind on an account and never caught up. It starts the seven-year clock for removing a late account, collection, or charge-off, and it should not change when the debt is paid, sold, or disputed.

Also called: DOFD, original delinquency date, date of delinquency, commencement of delinquency, first delinquency date

What it means

The date of first delinquency (often shortened to DOFD) marks when an account went past due and stayed that way. If you missed a payment in March, never brought the account current, and it was later charged off or sent to collections, March is the date that matters. Experian calls it the “original delinquency date” and ties it to the first missed payment in the series that led to the negative outcome.

Why it matters

Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681c(a)(4), accounts placed for collection or charged off generally cannot be reported once they are more than seven years old. Section 1681c(c) says that seven-year period starts 180 days after the delinquency began. In practice, a collection or charge-off should drop off about seven and a half years after the first missed payment that was never cured. Our credit report time limit calculator does the math.

Where it comes from

The creditor reports it. Section 1681s-2(a)(5) requires a furnisher that reports an account as placed for collection or charged off to tell the credit bureau the month and year the delinquency began. Because the date doesn’t change when a debt is sold, a later owner, such as a debt buyer, should report the same date the original creditor did.

The FTC’s 2011 staff report explains that the date stays fixed. It does not move when you make a partial payment, when the account is sold to another company, or when you dispute it.

Common errors

A collection agency or debt buyer reports a later date than the original creditor did, which keeps the debt on your report longer. This is called re-aging.
The date reflects your last payment or the date the debt was sold, instead of when you first fell behind.
The original creditor and the collector report different dates for the same debt.

How to dispute it

Compare the date on each bureau’s report with your own records, such as old statements or the original creditor’s version of the account. Dispute any later date in writing with each bureau that shows it, and attach proof of when you first fell behind.

When it can be an FCRA violation

Furnishers must report accurate information and investigate disputes (§ 1681s-2), and bureaus must follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy (§ 1681e(b)). Reporting a debt past its time limit, or with a later delinquency date that stretches the limit, can support a claim.

If a disputed delinquency date isn’t corrected, FCRA Attorneys offers a free case review, and you pay no fee unless we win.

Sources

Updated November 2026. This glossary is written by FCRA Attorneys from public sources. It is general information, not legal advice, and is not affiliated with any credit bureau or industry association.