Two statutes run every honest credit dispute.

Every consumer reporting agency shall maintain reasonable procedures designed to avoid violations of section 1681c of this title and to limit the furnishing of consumer reports to the purposes listed under section 1681b of this title. These procedures shall require that prospective users of the information identify themselves, certify the purposes for which the information is sought, and certify that the information will be used for no other purpose. Every consumer reporting agency shall make a reasonable effort to verify the identity of a new prospective user and the uses certified by such prospective user prior to furnishing such user a consumer report. No consumer reporting agency may furnish a consumer report to any person if it has reasonable grounds for believing that the consumer report will not be used for a purpose listed in section 1681b of this title.

A consumer reporting agency may not prohibit a user of a consumer report furnished by the agency on a consumer from disclosing the contents of the report to the consumer, if adverse action against the consumer has been taken by the user based in whole or in part on the report.

(1) Notice requirement. A consumer reporting agency shall provide to any person—

(2) Content of notice. The Bureau shall prescribe the content of notices under paragraph (1), and a consumer reporting agency shall be in compliance with this subsection if it provides a notice under paragraph (1) that is substantially similar to the Bureau prescription under this paragraph.

A person may not procure a consumer report for purposes of reselling the report (or any information in it) unless the person discloses to the originating consumer reporting agency the identity of the end-user and each permissible purpose under section 1681b for which the report is furnished. A reseller must establish reasonable procedures ensuring the report is resold only for a permitted purpose — requiring each downstream recipient to identify each end user, certify each purpose, and certify no other use — and make reasonable efforts to verify those identifications and certifications before reselling. (A narrow carve-out applies to certain federal-agency classified-eligibility procurements.)

(A) In general. Subject to subsection (f) and except as provided in subsection (g), if the completeness or accuracy of any item of information contained in a consumer's file at a consumer reporting agency is disputed by the consumer and the consumer notifies the agency directly, or indirectly through a reseller, of such dispute, the agency shall, free of charge, conduct a reasonable reinvestigation to determine whether the disputed information is inaccurate and record the current status of the disputed information, or delete the item from the file in accordance with paragraph (5), before the end of the 30-day period beginning on the date on which the agency receives the notice of the dispute from the consumer or reseller.

(B)/(C) Extension. The 30-day window may extend up to 15 additional days if the consumer sends relevant information mid-window — unless the item is already found inaccurate/incomplete or is determined unverifiable during the original 30 days.

Before the expiration of the 5-business-day period beginning on the date the agency receives notice of a dispute, the agency shall provide notification of the dispute to any person who provided any item of information in dispute, at the address and in the manner established with the person. The notice shall include all relevant information regarding the dispute received from the consumer or reseller; the agency shall promptly provide any further relevant information received afterward.

Notwithstanding paragraph (1), an agency may terminate a reinvestigation if it reasonably determines the dispute is frivolous or irrelevant, including by reason of a failure by the consumer to provide sufficient information to investigate. On such a determination, the agency shall notify the consumer not later than 5 business days after making it, with the reasons and identification of any information required to investigate (which may be a standardized form).

In conducting any reinvestigation under paragraph (1) with respect to disputed information in the file of any consumer, the consumer reporting agency shall review and consider all relevant information submitted by the consumer in the period described in paragraph (1)(A) with respect to such disputed information.

The agency must send written results within 5 business days of completing the reinvestigation — a completion statement, a revised report, notice of your right to a description of the procedure used, and your right to add a statement. On request it must describe its procedure within 15 days. If it simply deletes the item within 3 business days, an expedited track lets it skip some notice steps, provided it gives prompt phone notice and written confirmation.

(b)/(c) Statement of dispute. If the reinvestigation doesn't resolve it, you may file a brief statement (the agency can hold it to ~100 words) — and later reports carrying that item must note it as disputed and include your statement or a fair summary.

(d) Notification of deletion. On request, the agency will tell anyone who recently pulled your report that the item was deleted or disputed.

(f) Resellers. Largely exempt from the full reinvestigation duty, but if a dispute is their own fault they must fix or delete within set timelines; otherwise they convey it to the supplying agency.

(g) Veteran's medical debt. A dedicated deletion track where the VA has assumed liability.