How long does bankruptcy stay on your credit report?

What does the law say about each kind of entry?

The Fair Credit Reporting Act lists information that a credit report generally may not include once it is too old. The bankruptcy case and the debts around it fall under different lines of that list.1 2

When does the reporting period start?

The law counts the period for a bankruptcy from the date of entry of the order for relief or the date of adjudication. It does not name the discharge date as the starting point. In a Chapter 13 case, where the discharge comes years after filing, that difference matters.1 2 4

The limit is a ceiling. The law says what may no longer be reported after the period ends, and the CFPB describes it as up to 10 years. The CFPB also notes the period can be longer in certain circumstances.1 2

The time limits also have exceptions. They do not apply to reports used for certain large loans, large life insurance policies or jobs above a set salary, so older negative information can appear in those reports.2 5

Do the debts in your bankruptcy follow the same clock?

No. The bankruptcy case is one entry. Each account that was sent to collection or charged off is its own entry, and it falls under the seven-year limit for that kind of item.2

A discharge does not erase the history of an account. What it does is release you from personal liability for the debt. If a report shows a discharged debt as a balance you still owe, you have the right to dispute it.6 7 8

Who puts a bankruptcy on your credit report?

Not the court. Bankruptcy courts do not report or provide information to any consumer reporting agency. Bankruptcy filings are public records, with few exceptions, and the courts are not responsible for verifying or validating what appears in credit reports.9

That means a problem with how your case is reported is taken up with the credit bureaus and the companies that supply them with information, not with the bankruptcy court. The courts point to the FTC and the CFPB for information on disputing credit report data.9

What can you do about your report?

You cannot shorten the period for an accurate entry, but you can make sure the entries are right.

1. Get your reports. You have the right to one free copy of your credit report each year from each of the three major consumer reporting companies through AnnualCreditReport.com, and the FTC says the three bureaus now let people check each report once a week for free there.10 5
2. Look for debts that were discharged but still show a balance owed, and for entries that are older than the limits above.2
3. Dispute what is wrong, in writing, with both the credit reporting company and the company that supplied the information. Disputing is free, and the credit reporting company must investigate and report the results back to you.7 8
4. Do not pay anyone who promises to remove a bankruptcy that is reported accurately. No one can legally remove negative information that is both accurate and current.5

What does the reporting period not tell you?

It does not tell you whether a lender will approve you. The FTC describes bankruptcy as generally a last option because of its long-term negative effect on credit. How any one lender treats a past bankruptcy is that lender's decision, and this guide does not predict credit scores.11

It also does not allow every kind of adverse treatment. Employers, public or private, may not discriminate against a person only because that person was a bankruptcy debtor or did not pay a debt that was discharged, and a government agency may not deny or revoke a license for that reason alone.6 12