Derogatory Mark on a Credit Report: What It Means

Definition

A derogatory mark is any negative item on your credit report, such as a late payment of 30 days or more, a charge-off, a collection, a repossession, or a bankruptcy. Most derogatory items can be reported for seven years; a bankruptcy can stay up to ten. Inaccurate ones can be disputed.

Also called: derogatory, derogatory account, negative item, negative mark, adverse information, derog

What it means

“Derogatory” is a broad label, not a single code. Experian uses it for negative items that lenders see as risky, and says an account usually becomes derogatory once a payment is 30 or more days late. Lenders may draw the line differently. Common derogatory items include:

late payments of 30 days or more,
charge-offs,
collection accounts,
repossessions and voluntary surrenders,
foreclosures, and
bankruptcies.

Derogatory items can make it harder or more expensive to borrow, rent, or get some services.

Where it comes from

The FCRA uses the word “adverse” rather than “derogatory.” Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681c(a), most adverse items cannot be reported once they are more than seven years old, and a bankruptcy cannot be reported after ten years. The FTC’s 2011 staff report explains that the seven-year limit applies only to adverse information, and that once an item is too old a bureau may not even mention that it exists. Those limits generally don’t apply to reports for credit or life insurance of $150,000 or more, or a job paying $75,000 or more.

Experian says derogatory payment history stays up to seven years from the original delinquency date, a Chapter 13 bankruptcy seven years from filing, and a Chapter 7 up to ten years from filing.

Common errors

A derogatory item that belongs to someone else, often from a mixed file or identity theft.
An item kept past its time limit because the delinquency date is wrong.
A positive or neutral account reported as negative, such as a paid account shown as past due.
The same negative debt reported more than once.

How to dispute it

Accurate negative items generally stay until they age off. Inaccurate ones should be disputed. Dispute with each bureau that shows the error, include proof, and send the company that reported it a direct dispute too. Our time limit calculator can tell you when an item should drop off.

When it can be an FCRA violation

A bureau must use reasonable procedures to report accurate information and to stop reporting obsolete information under §§ 1681e(b) and 1681c, and it must reinvestigate disputes under § 1681i. Reporting a false or outdated derogatory mark after a dispute may support an FCRA claim.

If a derogatory mark that isn’t accurate won’t come off, 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.