How long does a negative item stay on my credit report?

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA §605), most negative items come off about 7 years after the date of first delinquency — the first missed payment that was never brought current. Charge-offs and collections use 7 years plus 180 days from that original date. Chapter 7 bankruptcy can stay 10 years from filing; Chapter 13 usually drops at 7. Hard inquiries fall off after 2 years. The key point people miss: the clock starts at the original delinquency, not when the debt was charged off, sold, or last paid.

Does paying or settling a collection remove it from my credit report?

Usually no. Paying or settling an accurate negative item does not delete it or reset the clock — it stays the full 7 years and may simply update to show 'paid' or 'settled.' For most accounts, 'pay for delete' can't legitimately speed up removal of accurate information. Medical collections are the exception: under current bureau policy, a paid medical collection is removed, and medical collections under $500 aren't reported at all.

What is re-aging, and why does it matter?

Re-aging is when a collector reports a newer delinquency date than the real one to keep an account on your report longer than 7 years. It's illegal under the FCRA. If an old item is still showing, pull your free report at annualcreditreport.com, find the date of first delinquency the bureau is using, and dispute it if it's wrong — disputing is free.

Is falling off my credit report the same as the statute of limitations?

No — they're two different clocks. How long a debt appears on your credit report (about 7 years) is separate from how long a creditor has to sue you on it (the statute of limitations, which varies by state and debt type). A debt can be too old to sue on but still show on your report, or vice versa. Use the statute of limitations checker for the lawsuit clock.

What happened to the rule banning medical debt from credit reports?

A federal rule finalized in early 2025 would have removed most medical debt from credit reports, but a federal court struck it down in 2025, so it isn't in effect in 2026. What still applies are the credit bureaus' voluntary policies: paid medical collections are removed, collections under $500 aren't reported, and unpaid medical debt waits about a year before it can appear. Some states have added their own protections.

Do you collect the information I enter?

No. The whole tool runs in your browser — the item type and date are never sent to us or stored. If a result links to a provider, you're sent to that provider's own website; we never collect your financial information.

When will this fall off your credit report? Credit report timeline checker

Most negative items come off your credit report about seven years after the account first went delinquent — but the start date, the exceptions, and what paying does (and doesn't do) trip almost everyone up. Pick the item and its start date below for an estimated fall-off date, then read the part people get wrong. Everything runs in your browser; we never see or store what you enter.

The 7-year rule, and when the clock really starts

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA §605) caps how long most negative information can stay on your report at about seven years. Chapter 7 bankruptcy is the main exception — it can report for ten years from the filing date — while a hard inquiry drops after two. The detail that matters most is when the clock starts: it runs from the date of first delinquency, the first payment you missed and never brought current. It does not restart when the account is charged off, sold to a debt buyer, or when you make a later payment. Charge-offs and collections add a statutory extra 180 days to that seven years.

Paying does not erase it — and that's not a scam, it's the law

One of the most common myths is that paying a collection wipes it from your report. For an accurate item, it doesn't: it stays the full period and may simply update to "paid" or "settled." That's why paying a credit-repair company to "remove" accurate negative items rarely delivers — they can't legally speed up removal of information that's correct. There's a real exception for medical debt (paid medical collections are now removed, and those under $500 aren't reported), but for ordinary debt, resolving the balance is worth doing for other reasons — stopping new damage, ending collection calls — not because it deletes the mark.

Re-aging is illegal — check your date

Because the seven years runs from the original delinquency, some collectors report a newer date to keep an item on your report longer. That's called re-aging, and it violates the FCRA. If an old account is still showing when it should have dropped, get your free report at annualcreditreport.com, find the date of first delinquency the bureau lists, and dispute it for free if it's wrong. You never have to pay to remove an item that the law already requires to come off.

This is not the statute of limitations

Falling off your credit report and the statute of limitations are two separate clocks that people constantly mix up. The credit-report clock (about seven years) controls how long a debt is visible. The statute of limitations controls how long a creditor can sue you on it, and it varies by state and debt type. A debt can be too old to be sued on but still show on your report — or it can be off your report while a lawsuit is still possible. If you're worried about being sued rather than about your score, check that clock instead.

When will this fall off your credit report?

The 7-year rule, and when the clock really starts

Paying does not erase it — and that's not a scam, it's the law

Re-aging is illegal — check your date

This is not the statute of limitations

Still owe the balance behind the mark?

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