How Do I Check My Credit Report for Free?

You Have a Right to See Your Own Report

Every American is entitled to free credit reports from all three major bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. The only government-authorized source is AnnualCreditReport.com. Through 2026, Equifax also offers six additional free reports per year on top of the standard one.

This is different from Credit Karma, Credit Sesame, or your bank's free score. Those show you a score and partial data. Your official credit report shows every account, every payment, every inquiry, and every public record tied to your name. You need the full picture to find problems.

Where to Go (and Where NOT to Go)

Go here: AnnualCreditReport.com — the only federally authorized source for free reports from all three bureaus.

Don't go here: FreeCreditReport.com, CreditScore.com, or any site that requires a credit card to "start your free trial." These are commercial products, not the government-mandated free reports.

You can also request reports by phone at 1-877-322-8228, or by mail using the Annual Credit Report Request Form.

What to Look For

When you get your reports, you're looking for five things:

Incorrect personal information. Wrong name spellings, addresses you've never lived at, employers you've never worked for. These don't affect your score directly but can signal mixed files — your data crossed with someone else's.

Accounts you don't recognize. If there's a credit card, loan, or collection you didn't open, flag it immediately. This could be identity theft or a reporting error.

Wrong payment history. Payments marked as late that you paid on time. This is the most common error and the most damaging to your score.

Incorrect balances. Accounts showing higher balances than what you actually owe inflate your utilization ratio.

Old debts that should have aged off. Most negative items must be removed after seven years. If something's still showing past that window, dispute it.

What to Do If You Find Errors

If you find anything wrong, file a dispute with each bureau where the error appears. You can do this online, and it's free. The bureau has 30 days to investigate. If the information can't be verified, it must be removed — and your score improves.

Pro tip: pull one bureau's report every four months instead of all three at once. That way you're monitoring year-round for free.