Texas has its own credit reporting law in Chapter 20 of the Texas Business and Commerce Code. It works alongside the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act. Both laws require credit bureaus to handle disputes and limit how long negative items can be reported. Section 20.05 bars most bankruptcies older than 10 years and most judgments, tax liens and other items older than seven years. Those limits do not apply to credit or life insurance of $150,000 or more, or to jobs paying $75,000 or more a year.
Texas adds a rule on surprise medical bills. Section 20.05 bars a bureau from reporting certain medical collections, no matter their age. These are out-of-network balances owed to emergency care or facility-based providers by a consumer who had a health plan when the care was given. Section 20.034 lets a consumer place a security freeze, which the bureau must put in place within five business days.
Texas also gives consumers their own remedy against credit bureaus. Under Section 20.09, a willful violation can bring three times actual damages or $1,000, whichever is greater. A negligent violation can bring actual damages or $500, whichever is greater. Both come with attorney's fees and costs. A bureau that does not fix a file within 10 days after a judgment for inaccurate reporting can owe $1,000 a day until it does. These claims often sit next to federal FCRA claims against the bureau and the furnisher. Texas has four federal districts: the Northern District (Dallas, Fort Worth and others), the Southern District (Houston and others), the Eastern District (Tyler, Plano and others) and the Western District (San Antonio, Austin, El Paso and others).
Where Texas FCRA cases are filed
FCRA claims are federal, so they go to a United States District Court. Cases from Texas are heard in 4 federal districts:
- Northern District of TexasCourthouses: Abilene, Amarillo, Dallas, Fort Worth, Lubbock, San Angelo, Wichita Falls.Our attorneys are admitted here
- Southern District of TexasCourthouses: Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Galveston, Houston, Laredo, McAllen, Victoria.Our attorneys are admitted here
- Eastern District of TexasCourthouses: Beaumont, Lufkin, Marshall, Plano, Sherman, Texarkana, Tyler.Our attorneys are admitted here
- Western District of TexasCourthouses: Alpine, Austin, Del Rio, El Paso, Midland, Pecos, San Antonio, Waco.Our attorneys are admitted here
Texas laws that add to the FCRA
- Texas Consumer Credit Reporting Law (Tex. Bus. & Com. Code ch. 20)
Texas's own credit reporting statute. It covers consumer disclosures, dispute procedures, security freezes and limits on what credit bureaus can report. Read it - Prohibited Information in Consumer Reports (Tex. Bus. & Com. Code 20.05)
Bars bankruptcies older than 10 years and most other negative items older than seven years. It also bars certain out-of-network emergency and facility-based medical collections. Exceptions apply for credit or life insurance of $150,000 or more and jobs paying $75,000 or more. Read it - Security Freeze (Tex. Bus. & Com. Code 20.034)
Lets a consumer ask a credit bureau to freeze their file. The bureau must place the freeze within five business days and send a confirmation and PIN within 10 business days. Read it - Civil Remedies Against Credit Bureaus (Tex. Bus. & Com. Code 20.09)
Lets a consumer recover the greater of three times actual damages or $1,000 for a willful violation, or the greater of actual damages or $500 for a negligent one, plus attorney's fees. A bureau that does not correct a file within 10 days after a judgment can owe $1,000 per day. Read it
Common credit report errors
- Accounts that aren't yours, including mixed-file and identity theft accounts
- Late payments you didn't make, or payments not credited
- Paid, settled or discharged debts still shown as owed
- Collections reported past the seven-year limit or re-aged
- A deceased indicator on a living person's file
Learn how these cases work on our credit report lawsuits page, or read our lawsuit guides for Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
Frequently asked questions
Can a surprise medical bill show up on my Texas credit report?
Texas law bars credit bureaus from reporting certain medical collections. These are out-of-network balances owed to emergency or facility-based providers when you had a health plan at the time of care. If one appears on your report, you can dispute it with the bureau.
Can I sue a credit bureau under Texas law as well as the FCRA?
Yes. Section 20.09 of the Texas Business and Commerce Code lets consumers sue credit bureaus for willful or negligent violations of Chapter 20, with minimum damages and attorney's fees. A case can include both federal FCRA claims and Texas claims. The Texas remedies apply to credit bureaus, not to lenders or collectors.
How long can negative items stay on a Texas credit report?
Under Texas law, most negative items cannot be reported after seven years and most bankruptcies after 10 years. Those time limits do not apply to large credit transactions or life insurance of $150,000 or more, or to jobs paying $75,000 or more a year.
How long do I have to file an FCRA lawsuit in Texas?
FCRA deadlines are the same everywhere: generally two years from when you discover the violation, and no more than five years from when it happened (15 U.S.C. § 1681p). Waiting can cost you the claim.
Sources
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
- Tex. Bus. & Com. Code ch. 20 (Texas Legislature)
- Tex. Bus. & Com. Code 20.05 (Public.Law)
- Tex. Bus. & Com. Code 20.034 (Public.Law)
- Tex. Bus. & Com. Code 20.09 (Public.Law)
- Tex. Gov't Code 411.0851 (Public.Law)
- Tex. Gov't Code 411.0755 (Public.Law)
- Tex. Gov't Code 411.075 (Public.Law)
- Tex. Prop. Code 92.3515 (Public.Law)
- Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. 1681 et seq. (FTC)
Updated November 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.