How to Get a Copy of a Credit Report When You Are Refused Credit

If you are denied credit for any reason, you have the legal right to obtain a free copy of your credit report, thanks to the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003. Although the report does not include your credit score, it can help determine any inaccuracies or problems with your report.

Instructions

1

You should get a credit denial letter by mail. The institution that denied you credit must provide the reason, as well as the name of the credit agency that supplied the report. By law, credit denial letters must be provided within 30 days.

2

Find out which credit agency supplied the credit report (Equifax, Experian or TransUnion). The agency will be listed near the bottom of the credit denial letter. If reports from all three agencies were used, you can request a copy of each report.

3

Visit the agency website to get your free report (see Resources). You'll be asked to provide some personal information.

4

Request your free report by mail if you don't want to receive it online. Make a copy of the denial letter, your driver's license and a utility bill. Send these documents to the specific credit agency address, along with a short letter asking for your report by mail.