By Gayle SatoDo Library Fines Affect Your Credit Score?
By Gayle Sato
Quick Answer
- Library fines don’t affect your credit because libraries don’t report to the major credit bureaus.
- Overdue library fees can be sent to collections and may affect your credit score if they’re $100 or more.
- Avoid credit issues by settling up with your library ASAP.
Once upon a time, overdue library fines could haunt your credit report, showing up by surprise when you applied for a new loan or credit card. For the most part, that's no longer the case. Today, library fines generally don't affect your credit scores, since libraries don't report overdue fines to the three major credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax).
You may still want to pay off your library fees to avoid late notices and potential collections that could negatively affect your credit—and impact your ability to use the library's services. Here's more about the potential consequences of unpaid library fees.
Why Library Fines Likely Won't Hurt Your Credit
Library fines do not appear on your credit reports at all three credit reporting agencies. In 2016, national consumer credit reporting agencies agreed to change the types of public information that appear on credit reports.
Among other reforms, the National Consumer Assistance Plan eliminated "the reporting of debts that do not arise from a contract or agreement to pay," such as traffic tickets or fines. As a result, libraries no longer report this information directly to credit bureaus.
At the same time, many libraries have been moving toward a fine-free model that does away with overdue fines altogether. At fine-free libraries, you might still be charged for replacing a lost or damaged book, making photocopies, renting a meeting room or any number of other miscellaneous fees or services. However, you probably won't face escalating fines for the copy of "Wuthering Heights" you didn't know was hiding under your couch, as you might have in decades past.
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What Happens if Your Library Fees Are Sent to Collections?
Having your library fees sent to a third-party collection agency can affect your credit, especially if your fees add up to $100 or more. While libraries don't report to credit bureaus, a collection agency might.
A collection account on your credit report has the potential to lower your credit score significantly, and it typically appears as negative information on your credit report for up to seven years.
Note: Small-dollar collections may not affect your credit scores, even if they appear on your credit reports. Scoring models for FICO® ScoreΘ 8, 9 and 10, some of the most widely used versions of your FICO® Score, ignore collection accounts in which the original balance was less than $100, whether the accounts are paid or unpaid.
In general, libraries aren't keen to send your account to collections. When they happen, collection efforts are likely to focus on recovering lost materials, bringing accounts current and restoring your account to good standing.
Tip: If you're worried that library fines, collection accounts or any other negative items might be affecting your credit, check your credit reports from all three credit reporting agencies (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax) at AnnualCreditReport.com. You'll see exactly what does—and doesn't—appear in your credit files.
Learn more: How Does Debt Collection Work?
How to Resolve Library Fines
If you owe money to your public or school library (or suspect that you do), contact them to resolve the issue. You can ask for an explanation of charges on file and dispute charges you believe are in error.
They may have an amnesty program in place that can reduce or eliminate what you owe, especially if you incurred fees while you were still a minor. The Los Angeles County Public Library, for example, has a program called The Great Read Away that offers library cardholders 21 and younger $5 in account credit for every hour of reading they do. Other library systems may cap your fees at an affordable flat dollar amount to prevent fines from spiraling out of control.
Even if you won't face credit consequences for late fees or lost books, consider settling your library debt anyway. Reminder notices, collections and old-fashioned guilt aren't fun to live with, and coming clean may lighten your conscience. Contributing to the health of your local library by paying fines or replacing lost books is also good citizenship, which in itself deserves credit.
What Types of Public Records Do Affect Your Credit?
The only type of public record that may appear on your credit reports is bankruptcy. A Chapter 7 bankruptcy stays on your credit report for up to 10 years; a Chapter 13 bankruptcy appears for seven years. Otherwise, public records that may have shown up on your credit report in years past no longer do, including:
- Library fines
- Tax liens
- Traffic or parking tickets
- Civil judgments
Other items that are not included in your credit report: your income, bank accounts and their balances, investments and indications that credit applications have been denied.
Learn more: Understanding Your Experian Credit Report
The Bottom Line
Although chances are slim that library fines from your past will ruin your credit, worrying about this possibility—or a million other potential surprises—can keep you up at night. You can stay on top of changes to your credit by signing up for free credit monitoring from Experian. You'll receive alerts whenever there's a change to your credit file, so you won't be surprised when you're applying for a new loan or credit card.
If you're getting ready to apply for a credit card or loan, you may be able to improve your credit score powered by Experian data by factoring in on-time payments for utilities, phone bills and even streaming services for free using Experian Boost®ø, a free feature of your Experian account.
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About the author
Gayle Sato
Gayle Sato writes about financial services and personal financial wellness, with a special focus on how digital transformation is changing our relationship with money. As a business and health writer for more than two decades, she has covered the shift from traditional money management to a world of instant, invisible payments and on-the-fly mobile security apps.
Read more from Gayle