To dispute an Equifax credit report, file online through a myEquifax account on Equifax’s dispute page, mail a dispute to Equifax Information Services LLC, P.O. Box 740256, Atlanta, GA 30374-0256, or call 1-888-EQUIFAX (1-888-378-4329). Identify each wrong item, explain why it is wrong, and attach copies of your proof. Equifax then generally has 30 days to investigate under federal law.
This guide walks through each channel, what Equifax asks for, how to read the results, and what to do when Equifax “verifies” something you know is wrong. For a full overview covering all three bureaus, see how to dispute credit report errors.
Before you dispute: get your Equifax report
Equifax keeps its own file, separate from Experian and TransUnion, so work from a current copy of your Equifax report. For every error, write down the company reporting it, the last digits of the account number, what the report says, what is actually true, and the document that proves it.
Be specific. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681i(a)(3), a bureau can stop investigating a dispute it reasonably finds frivolous or irrelevant, including one that does not give enough information to investigate.
How do you dispute Equifax online?
Equifax handles online disputes through myEquifax:
- Go to Equifax’s credit dispute page and create or sign in to a free myEquifax account. Read the terms before you agree to them.
- Select each item you are disputing and give the reason.
- Upload copies of supporting documents.
- Write down the 10-digit confirmation code Equifax gives you. You can check status any time in your myEquifax account.
Online is the fastest way to start, but preset reasons and short text fields can make it hard to explain a complicated error.
What is the Equifax dispute address?
Equifax’s help pages use this address for dispute-related mail, such as consumer statements:
Equifax Information Services LLC P.O. Box 740256 Atlanta, GA 30374-0256
Equifax’s contact page also links to a mail-in dispute form and says to use the address on the form. Some government pages list the ZIP code as 30348; check the current form before mailing. A clear letter works as well as the form. See our guide to writing a credit report dispute letter.
Tips for mailing:
- Send copies, never originals.
- Use certified mail with a return receipt, so you can prove when Equifax received your dispute. That date starts the legal clock.
- Keep a full copy of everything you sent.
What is the Equifax dispute phone number?
Equifax’s contact page lists 1-888-EQUIFAX (1-888-378-4329). Hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday. The FTC and the CFPB also list (866) 349-5191 for Equifax disputes, and the CFPB says you can call the number on your credit report.
A phone call leaves the weakest record. Note the date, the agent’s name and your confirmation number, and follow up in writing.
What should you include in an Equifax dispute?
The CFPB recommends that a written dispute include:
- Your full name, address and phone number
- Your report or dispute confirmation number, if you have one
- Each item you dispute, with the account number
- A short explanation of why each item is wrong
- The fix you want: deletion or a specific correction
- A copy of the report page with the error highlighted
- Copies of your supporting documents
Include your date of birth and enough identifying information for Equifax to find your file.
What documents should you attach?
Equifax lists examples of documents it may need copies of:
- To confirm your identity: a valid driver’s license, birth certificate or utility bill
- For account errors: current bank statements, a letter from a lender showing an account has been corrected, or proof that an account resulted from identity theft
- Other proof: bankruptcy schedules or other court documents, student loan disability letters, or cancelled checks
If an account is not yours, an FTC identity theft report can also trigger a separate blocking right (see identity theft and your credit report). If your file contains someone else’s accounts or addresses, you may have a mixed credit file.
How long does Equifax have to investigate?
Equifax says it will notify you of the results within 30 days of your dispute. The legal deadlines are in 15 U.S.C. § 1681i:
- Within 5 business days of receiving your dispute, Equifax must notify the company that reported the information (the “furnisher”) and pass along all relevant information about your dispute.
- Equifax must review and consider all relevant information you submit.
- Equifax must finish within 30 days of receiving your dispute, or up to 45 days if you send more relevant information during the first 30. The extension does not apply if Equifax finds the item inaccurate, incomplete or unverifiable within 30 days.
- Information that is inaccurate, incomplete or unverifiable must be promptly deleted or modified.
- Within 5 business days after finishing, Equifax must send you written results, including a free revised report if anything changed.
If Equifax reinserts an item it deleted, the furnisher must first certify that it is complete and accurate, and Equifax must notify you in writing within five business days.
What do Equifax dispute results mean?
Equifax says that if it can update your report based on what you sent, it will. Otherwise, it contacts the company that reported the information to verify it. Equifax’s dispute page does not publish a list of result labels, but in practice each disputed item ends up:
- Deleted: removed from your Equifax report
- Updated or modified: changed in some way; check exactly what changed, because an update may fix one detail and leave the real error
- Verified: the furnisher confirmed the information and it stays as reported
A “verified” result only means the dispute closed. It does not mean Equifax weighed your documents and found against you.
How do you add a statement of dispute to an Equifax report?
Equifax says you can ask it to add a consumer statement of 100 words or less, specific to your dispute, which is included each time your report is accessed. You can request it:
- By mail to Equifax Information Services LLC, P.O. Box 740256, Atlanta, GA 30374-0256, with a cover sheet listing your full name, current address, date of birth and dispute confirmation number
- By phone at 1-888-378-4329, where an agent will add it
You can edit or remove the statement later by writing to the same address. Under § 1681i(d), you can also ask Equifax to notify anyone who received your report for employment in the past two years, or for any other purpose in the past six months, of a deletion or your statement. The FTC notes that the bureau may charge a fee to send a statement to past recipients.
What if Equifax verifies an error?
Equifax lists three options: dispute directly with the lender or creditor (and ask it for account documents), file a new dispute with additional information, or add a consumer statement. You also have rights under the statute:
- Ask how it was verified. Equifax must give you a description of the reinvestigation procedure within 15 days of your request (§ 1681i(a)(7)).
- Do not keep re-sending the same dispute. A repeat dispute with nothing new may be treated as frivolous, and the deadline to sue keeps running.
- Talk to a lawyer if you sent clear proof and the item stayed.
Equifax’s dispute handling has drawn regulator attention. On January 17, 2025, the CFPB issued a consent order requiring Equifax to pay a $15 million civil penalty. The CFPB found that Equifax failed to properly reinvestigate disputes, failed to prevent reinsertion of deleted information, gave inadequate notice of results, and showed excessive deference to furnishers, and that it reported identity-theft information it should have blocked. Those are findings about Equifax’s practices, not about your file.
What does the furnisher have to do?
When Equifax forwards your dispute, the bank, lender or collector has its own duties under 15 U.S.C. § 1681s-2(b). It must investigate, review all relevant information Equifax sends, report the results to Equifax, report any inaccuracy to the other nationwide bureaus it reported to, and modify, delete or permanently block information that is inaccurate, incomplete or unverifiable. It must finish before Equifax’s deadline.
These duties start when a bureau notifies the furnisher. A dispute sent only to the lender does not trigger the furnisher duties you can enforce in court, which is why disputing with Equifax matters.
Can you sue Equifax?
Yes, in the right case. The FCRA lets consumers sue a credit bureau that fails to follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy (§ 1681e(b)) or fails to conduct a reasonable reinvestigation (§ 1681i), including ignoring the documents you sent or reinserting deleted information without proper certification and notice.
For a negligent violation, you may recover actual damages (such as a credit denial, a higher rate or emotional distress) plus attorney’s fees and costs (§ 1681o). For a willful violation, you may recover actual damages or statutory damages of $100 to $1,000, punitive damages as the court allows, and attorney’s fees and costs (§ 1681n). The furnisher may be liable too under § 1681s-2(b).
The deadline is the earlier of two years after you discover the violation or five years after it happened (§ 1681p). For more on the bureau itself, see our Equifax guide.
Get a free case review
If you sent Equifax a documented dispute and the error stayed, came back, or cost you a loan, apartment or job, talk to an FCRA lawyer. Bring your Equifax report, a copy of your dispute and Equifax’s results letter. The case review is free, and we work on contingency: no fee unless we win.
Frequently asked questions
What is Equifax's dispute mailing address?
Equifax's help pages use Equifax Information Services LLC, P.O. Box 740256, Atlanta, GA 30374-0256 for dispute-related mail. Equifax's contact page also links a mail-in dispute form; mail it to the address printed on the form. Send copies, not originals, by certified mail with a return receipt.
What is the Equifax dispute phone number?
Equifax's contact page lists 1-888-EQUIFAX (1-888-378-4329), open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday. The FTC and CFPB also list (866) 349-5191 for Equifax disputes. Follow up any phone dispute in writing.
How long does Equifax have to investigate a dispute?
Generally 30 days from when Equifax receives your dispute, or up to 45 days if you send more relevant information during the first 30 days (15 U.S.C. § 1681i(a)(1)). Equifax must send you written results within five business days after it finishes.
How long can an Equifax consumer statement be?
Equifax says you can ask it to add a consumer statement of 100 words or less, specific to your dispute. You can add it by mail or by calling 1-888-378-4329, and edit or remove it later in writing.
Can I sue Equifax?
Yes, in the right case. Equifax is a consumer reporting agency under the FCRA. You may be able to sue if it reported inaccurate information without reasonable procedures to assure accuracy (§ 1681e(b)) or failed to reasonably reinvestigate your dispute (§ 1681i). A claim generally must be filed within two years after you discover the violation and no more than five years after it happened (§ 1681p).
Sources
- Equifax, Credit report dispute
- Equifax, Contact us
- Equifax, What steps can I take if I do not agree with the dispute investigation results?
- CFPB, Equifax company listing
- CFPB, Enforcement action: Equifax, Inc. and Equifax Information Services LLC (2025)
- CFPB, CFPB Orders Equifax to Pay $15 Million for Improper Investigations of Credit Reporting Errors (Jan. 17, 2025)
- CFPB, How do I dispute an error on my credit report?
- FTC, Disputing Errors on Your Credit Reports
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681i, procedure in case of disputed accuracy (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681s-2, responsibilities of furnishers (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681e, accuracy of reports (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681n, willful noncompliance (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681o, negligent noncompliance (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681p, time limit to sue (Cornell LII)
Updated November 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.