The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies— Equifax,
Experian and TransUnion—to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once
every 12 months. The three companies have set up one central website, toll-free telephone number and
mailing address through which you can order your free credit report. The Federal Trade Commission
(FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, wants you to know that if you want to order your free
annual credit report online, there is only one authorized website www.annualcreditreport.com.
You can order your credit report by going through one central website www.annualcreditreport.com or
go to the FTC’s website at consumer.ftc.gov which has the official link. You can also call the toll free
number 1-877-322-8228 or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form on the FTC website
above and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. Do
not contact the three nationwide credit reporting companies directly. They only provide free annual credit
reports through the website, phone number and address above.
When ordering your free annual credit report online you must provide your name, address, Social Security
number and date of birth. If you have moved in the last two years, you may have to give your previous
address. To maintain the security of your file, each nationwide consumer reporting company also may ask
you for information that only you would know, like the amount of your monthly mortgage payment. Each
company may ask you for different information. That’s because the information each company has in your
file may come from different sources.
Once you have filled out certain information online, you will be directed to individual websites operated by
the three nationwide consumer reporting companies. You may get offers to buy additional products or
services while on the companies’ websites, such as credit scores or credit monitoring products, but you are
not required to make a purchase to receive your free annual credit reports.
If you request your report online, you should be able to access it immediately. If you order your report by
calling toll-free 1-877-322-8228, or order your report by mail using the Annual Credit Report Request
Form, your request will be processed and mailed to you within 15 days of receipt.
Whether you order your report online, by phone or by mail, it may take longer to receive your report if the
nationwide credit reporting company needs more information to verify your identity.