The credit reporting agencies collect information regarding bankruptcy cases from the Bankruptcy Court’s public records. No matter the status of your case (open, closed, discharged, dismissed, etc.) the credit reporting agencies can still report your case on your credit report for up to ten years.

No one can legally remove accurate information from a credit report. You can ask the credit reporting agencies (Equifax, TransUnion or Experian, see contact information below) for a free investigation of information in your file that you dispute as inaccurate or incomplete.

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, both the credit reporting agency and the information provider (that is, the person, company, or organization that provides information about you to a credit bureau) are responsible for correcting inaccurate or incomplete information in your report. The credit reporting agency will verify the item in question with the creditor, who must respond within 30 days. After the investigation is complete, the credit reporting agency will notify you of the outcome. If information on your credit report has changed or been deleted, you will receive a copy of the revised report.

(Compiled from U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Middle District of Louisiana)