# Say, that free credit report law! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 8, 2004, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-that-free-credit-report-law/268236 "2004-10-08T18:13:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-that-free-credit-report-law/268236/1 "2004-10-08T18:13:47Z")
Wasn’t that supposed to go into effect sometime this year? When can I start getting my free yearly report, and how do I go about requesting it? ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-that-free-credit-report-law/268236/2 "2004-10-08T18:23:37Z")
I live in Maryland which has a law that you are entitled to a free credit report every year. I found the phone numbers for the credit reporting firms: Equifax: (800) 685-1111, [www.equifax.com](http://www.equifax.com) Experian (formerly TRW): (888) 397-3742, [www.experian.com](http://www.experian.com) TransUnion: (800) 888-4213, [www.transunion.com](http://www.transunion.com) and ordered them. As I recall they don’t make it easy to figure out how to get your legally mandated free report and I had to probe a bit. Hope this helps. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-that-free-credit-report-law/268236/3 "2004-10-08T18:29:45Z")
Your free report that the FACT ACT entitles you to can not be secured from the agencies listed. The Credit Reporting Agencies (CRAs) listed are setting up a ‘central source’ which will have web and toll free access to make your request as per your FACTA right. That info is not yet publsihed. The Free FACTA Report will be rolled out in quarters over 2005, to reduce the impact of a massive spike. From West to East, roughly following time zones. If you wish to secure a free report because you were deined credit, employment or other opportunity…or you live in a state that entitles you to a free report, then you can contact the CRAs directly. Seeking your free report as per the FACT ACT will require you contact the ‘central source’, where you can get all three with one request. Details will be publsihed in national media. Also see the [FTC.gov](http://FTC.gov) site for info. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Composer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/898d66/32.png) [@The\_Composer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Composer)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-that-free-credit-report-law/268236/4 "2004-10-08T18:56:47Z")
**Philster-** I’ve never had a problem obtaining free copies of my credit report by requesting them directly from the credit agences. I live in Georgia, for what it’s worth. We’re entitled to 2 free reports per year. I always get at least one report per year. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-that-free-credit-report-law/268236/5 "2004-10-08T19:07:15Z")
Thanks **Philster**. I was not aware that the reports would not be coming from the credit bureaus. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-that-free-credit-report-law/268236/6 "2004-10-09T01:44:36Z")
> [@The Composer](#): > > **Philster-** > > I’ve never had a problem obtaining free copies of my credit report by requesting them directly from the credit agences. I live in Georgia, for what it’s worth. We’re entitled to 2 free reports per year. > > I always get at least one report per year. I defer you to this paragraph, which you might have overlooked: “If you wish to secure a free report because you were denied credit, employment or other opportunity… **or you live in a state that entitles you to a free report,** then you can contact the CRAs directly” Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-that-free-credit-report-law/268236/7 "2004-10-09T03:30:42Z")
I’ll jump in and thank **Philster** , too. My company had a “Financial Fitness Fair” earlier this year, and someone from a consumer credit counseling agency came and spoke to us. She mentioned that there was a law in the works that would guarantee everyone at least one free credit report per year, but didn’t say that it would be provided through a “clearinghouse” type of place. All she did was grumble about the fact that the President hadn’t signed it yet. _{grin}_ I, too, assumed that I would have to contact the credit agency directly. Information GOOD. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-that-free-credit-report-law/268236/8 "2004-10-09T11:12:19Z")
Here’s the breakdown by state and date for FACTA: [ul] [li]Western states (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming) will become eligible on Dec. 1, 2004.[/li][li]Midwestern states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin) will become eligible on March 1, 2005.[/li][li]Southern states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas ) will become eligible on June 1, 2005;[/li][li]Eastern states (Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia), Puerto Rico, and all U.S. territories become eligible on Sept. 1, 2005.[/li][/ul]