How to get your free annual credit reports

Your personal credit report contains details about your financial behavior and identification information, including your payment history and debts owed. Experian^® collects and organizes data about your credit history from your creditor's and public records. We make your credit report available to current and prospective creditors, employers and others as permitted by law, which may speed up your ability to get credit. Getting a copy of your credit report helps you to better understand your credit standing and creditworthiness.

Ensure your credit history is complete and accurate

You have the right to dispute credit report information online, by mail or over the phone. Online may be the fastest and easiest method, and you can manage the process with Experian in the Dispute Center.

Detect signs of identity theft and take actions

If you find something inaccurate or suspicious, you can start taking proactive steps to help limit damage from identity theft.

• Add a fraud alert: Adding a fraud alert on your consumer credit report will tell creditors that you may be the victim of identity theft and they should take extra steps to confirm your identity before opening an account in your name.
• Freeze your credit: You can also freeze your credit file to limit who can access your credit report.

Your Social Security Number (SSN) is required to request your Annual Credit Report. A SSN is helpful when compiling your credit history because it is the only identifier uniquely assigned to each U.S. consumer.

Blind and visually impaired

Blind and visually impaired consumers can ask for annual credit reports in braille, large print, or audio formats. To request any of these formats, call toll free at 1-877-322-8228.

Deaf and hard of hearing

Deaf and hard of hearing consumers can access AnnualCreditReport.com’s TDD service by calling 7-1-1 and referring the relay operator to 1-800-821-7232.

Minors under 13 years of age

Experian does not knowingly maintain credit information on minors in our database. If you are a minor who is 14 years old or older, you may request a copy of your free Experian credit report. Credit reports for minors who are 13 years of age or under cannot be accessed online. You can request a minor’s credit report by mail using our online form.

Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)

An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is issued to individuals for tax purposes and would be recognized as an invalid SSN on your credit report.

If you do not have an SSN, you can submit your request for a free credit report in writing with:

• One copy of a government-issued identification card, such as a driver's license, state ID card or similar displaying your current address.
• One copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, insurance statement or similar.

Include the following identification information:

• Your full name including middle initial (and generation - Jr., II, III).
• Date of birth.
• Complete addresses for the past two years.

Once Experian receives the death certificate, we will add a "deceased indicator" to the credit file. This will help prevent any fraudulent activity using his identity. The credit bureaus delete credit accounts seven years after being notified of a death, which means that your loved one's credit report will no longer exist after all accounts have been removed. In addition to Experian, be sure to contact every creditor and notify them of the death to help prevent fraud.

Credit reports from AnnualCreditReport.com do not include credit scores, but you can get your free credit scores from Experian at any time. With your FICO^® Score powered by Experian data, you can also receive additional benefits for free, with no credit card required.

Yes, AnnualCreditReport.com is an official site and a safe and free way to check your credit reports. While AnnualCreditReport.com is a safe way to get a copy of your credit report, scammers may try to trick you into entering your personal information on look-alike websites. Help protect your information and watch out for credit report scams.

The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act) was signed into law in December 2003. The FACT Act, a revision of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, allows consumers to get one free comprehensive disclosure of all of the information in their credit file from each of the three national credit reporting companies once every 12 months through a Central Source.