How to File an FCRA Complaint

When a Background Check Company Won't Fix Your Report

You disputed an error on your background check. The consumer reporting agency (CRA) either ignored your dispute, sent back a form letter saying the information was "verified as accurate," or corrected it only for the error to reappear on your next report. Now what?

The Fair Credit Reporting Act gives you a specific escalation path: file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). These agencies have enforcement authority over CRAs, and their complaint databases drive real investigations. In recent years, the CFPB and FTC have secured settlements totaling tens of millions of dollars against screening companies that failed to maintain reasonable accuracy procedures — including a pending $2.25 million FTC settlement with RentGrow in July 2026 for tenant screening failures.

The FCRA Section 611 Dispute Process (What Should Have Happened)

Before filing a federal complaint, make sure you've followed the Section 611 dispute process correctly. This matters because the CFPB and FTC will ask whether you disputed directly with the CRA first.

Under FCRA Section 611, when you send a written dispute to a CRA:

1. The CRA has 30 days to investigate (extendable to 45 days if you provide additional information during the investigation)
2. The CRA must forward your dispute to the data furnisher — the entity that provided the disputed information (court, law enforcement agency, or another data source)
3. The data furnisher must investigate and report back to the CRA
4. The CRA must notify you of the results in writing and provide a free copy of your updated report if any changes were made

If the CRA deletes or modifies the disputed item, they must also notify any employer or other party who received the report in the last two years (for employment reports) or six months (for all other reports), if you request it.

The key evidence to preserve: your original dispute letter, the certified mail receipt proving delivery, the CRA's response (or documentation of no response), and any supporting records like certified court dispositions or your official state rap sheet or FBI report showing the discrepancy.

How to File a CFPB Complaint

The CFPB is the primary federal regulator for consumer reporting agencies. Their complaint portal is at consumerfinance.gov/complaint.

What to include:

• Select "Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports" as the product category
• Identify the specific CRA (company name) you're complaining about
• Describe the error — what your report shows versus what official records show
• Explain that you already disputed the error directly with the CRA and the outcome
• Attach supporting documentation: your dispute letter, the CRA's response, certified court records, your official government rap sheet, or other evidence

What happens after you file:

The CFPB forwards your complaint to the CRA, which is generally asked to respond within 15 days (or 60 days if the complaint is still being worked). The company's response is added to your complaint record. The CFPB doesn't resolve individual disputes, but it tracks complaint patterns — a cluster of complaints about the same company can trigger an enforcement investigation.

Your complaint also becomes part of the CFPB's public Consumer Complaint Database, which consumer attorneys and journalists regularly mine. Companies know this, and CFPB-routed complaints tend to get more serious attention than direct disputes.

How to File an FTC Complaint

The FTC shares enforcement authority over FCRA with the CFPB. File at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

The FTC doesn't intervene in individual disputes either, but its complaint database feeds enforcement priorities. The FTC is particularly active on tenant screening (the RentGrow settlement) and employment background check accuracy.

Filing with both agencies isn't required, but it doesn't hurt. The CFPB complaint is generally the stronger path because the CFPB has more direct regulatory authority over CRAs and its complaint process asks the company to respond.

When to Consider Legal Action

If a CRA's failure to correct inaccurate information has caused you tangible harm — a lost job, a denied apartment, a revoked professional license application — you may have a private right of action under FCRA.

FCRA allows consumers to sue CRAs for:

• Negligent noncompliance — the CRA failed to follow reasonable procedures. Damages include actual losses.
• Willful noncompliance — the CRA knowingly or recklessly violated FCRA. Damages include statutory damages of $100 to $1,000 per violation, plus potential punitive damages and attorney's fees.

Many consumer rights attorneys take FCRA cases on contingency (no upfront cost to you) because the statute provides for attorney's fees when the consumer prevails.

Before consulting an attorney, gather your documentation: the original error, your dispute correspondence, the CRA's response, evidence of the harm you suffered, and your official government records showing the correct information. The Record Self-Audit Toolkit helps you build this paper trail by walking through how to order your FBI Identity History Summary and state rap sheets — the official, fingerprint-backed records that serve as ground truth in any dispute.

State-Level Complaint Options

Many states have their own consumer protection statutes that mirror or exceed FCRA protections. Your state attorney general's consumer protection division can accept complaints about background check companies operating in your state. Some states — California, Illinois, New York, and others — provide additional remedies including higher statutory damages or shorter permissible reporting windows.

Check whether your state has a dedicated background check or tenant screening complaint process. In states with recent Clean Slate laws, enforcement of sealed-record protections is an active priority, and complaints about sealed records appearing on commercial screening reports may get expedited attention.