A bureau may add up to 15 days to the usual 30 if you send relevant information during the first 30 days, and a dispute made after a free annual report from the centralized source has a 45-day limit. The extension does not apply if the item is found inaccurate or unverifiable.
The default deadline for a credit bureau reinvestigation is 30 days from receipt of your dispute. There are two ways it can stretch to 45 days.
1. You send more information during the 30 days
Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681i(a)(1)(B), the 30-day period may be extended by not more than 15 additional days if the bureau receives information from you during that 30-day period that is relevant to the reinvestigation.
The statute limits this extension. It does not apply if, within the original 30 days, the bureau determines that the disputed information is inaccurate or incomplete, or finds that it cannot be verified. In that situation the item must be corrected or deleted without waiting for the extra time.
Practical point: sending a supplemental letter late in the 30-day window can push the deadline back. When possible, include all of your supporting documents with the first dispute.
2. The dispute follows a free annual report
Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681j(a)(3), if you dispute information after receiving your free annual disclosure through the centralized source (AnnualCreditReport.com), the reinvestigation must be completed within 45 days after the bureau receives the request.
The FTC notes that the three nationwide bureaus have also permanently extended free weekly online reports at AnnualCreditReport.com. Because the 45-day rule turns on how the report was obtained, treat 30 days as your working deadline and 45 days as the outer limit in these two situations.
What does not extend the deadline
Nothing in § 1681i lets a bureau extend the deadline simply because the furnisher has not responded. If the furnisher does not verify the item in time, the information is treated as unverifiable and must be promptly deleted or modified under § 1681i(a)(5)(A).
For the standard timeline and the 5-business-day deadlines that run inside it, see our guide on how to dispute credit report errors.
Related
- How to Dispute Credit Report Errors With Equifax, Experian and TransUnion
- What Is the FCRA? The Fair Credit Reporting Act in Plain English
Sources
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681i(a)(1) — Reinvestigation time limits (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681j(a)(3) — Reinvestigations following free annual reports (Cornell LII)
- FTC — Free Credit Reports
Updated November 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.