A deceased indicator marks you, or one of your accounts, as belonging to a person who has died. It is meant to protect a dead person's credit from fraud, so when it lands on a living person by mistake it is a serious error to fix quickly.
Also called: deceased flag, deceased notation, reported as deceased, consumer deceased, death indicator
What it means
A deceased indicator tells anyone reading your credit report that the person, or a person on an account, has died. Experian explains that once a person is reported as deceased, the bureau protects that file against people who would use the death to commit fraud. When the indicator lands on a living person by mistake, it is plainly wrong and should be fixed quickly.
Where it comes from
Experian describes two ways it happens:
- From a creditor, on one account. A lender reports a specific account as tied to a deceased person, for example after a spouse or co-signer on the account dies. Experian says in that case “the notation only applies to that specific account.”
- From the Social Security Administration, on the whole file. If the SSA reports your Social Security number as deceased, Experian says the indicator “applies to the entire credit report.”
An account-level notation comes from the creditor’s own data, so it can be fixed at the source as well as at the bureau. A creditor that reports a living person as deceased is reporting the wrong information about who is connected to the account and in what way (see ECOA code).
Common errors
- A spouse or co-signer on the account dies, and the account is updated so that it looks as if you died.
- The wrong person on a shared account is coded as deceased.
- The Social Security Administration’s records wrongly show your Social Security number as belonging to someone who has died.
How to dispute it
Experian’s instructions depend on the source. If a creditor reported it, write to the bureau with your full name, address, Social Security number and date of birth, and state that you are not deceased; Experian may ask for a notarized letter to confirm who you are. Also ask the creditor to fix its reporting. If the SSA reported it, contact your local Social Security office first, get a letter confirming the correction, and send that to each bureau with a copy of your ID and a recent bill. Check all three bureaus, since each may have the error.
When it can be an FCRA violation
Bureaus must use reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy (15 U.S.C. § 1681e(b)), and furnishers must investigate disputes passed on by a bureau (15 U.S.C. § 1681s-2(b)). Being marked dead when you are alive is plainly inaccurate. If a bureau or creditor keeps the indicator after you dispute it, or it keeps coming back, that can be an FCRA violation.
If you’re still marked as deceased after disputing, request a free case review; there is no fee unless we win.
Related
- ECOA code
- Mixed file
- Authorized user (AU)
- Furnisher
- Reinvestigation
- File disclosure
- Reported deceased
- Credit Karma Says I'm Deceased: Why It Happens and How to Fix It
- Reported Deceased After Your Spouse Died: How It Happens and How to Fix It
- How to Dispute Credit Report Errors With Equifax, Experian and TransUnion
Sources
- Experian, "What to Do if You're Mistakenly Reported as Deceased"
- CFPB, Key Dimensions and Processes in the U.S. Credit Reporting System (Dec. 2012)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681e (accuracy procedures), Cornell LII
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681s-2 (duties of furnishers), Cornell LII
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.