When a negative item has been on your credit report long enough, it's not just aging — it's legally required to be removed. The specific provision that governs this is FCRA § 605, which lists the maximum reporting periods for each type of adverse information. Citing § 605 by name in a dispute letter for an expired item is one of the most direct and effective dispute strategies available.
What FCRA § 605(a) Covers
Section 605(a) prohibits consumer reporting agencies from including in a consumer report: bankruptcies older than 10 years, civil suits or judgments older than 7 years, paid tax liens older than 7 years, accounts placed for collection older than 7 years, and any other adverse item older than 7 years. The provision also specifically applies to late payments, charge-offs, repossessions, and foreclosures.
How the 7-Year Period Is Measured
The 7-year period begins with "the date of commencement of the delinquency" — commonly called the date of first delinquency (DOFD). For a collection account, this is the date you first missed a payment on the original account that led to the collection, not the date the collection agency first reported it.
FCRA § 605(c): The Anti-Re-Aging Provision
Section 605(c) specifically addresses the problem of re-aging — when collectors or bureaus reset the date of first delinquency to make an old debt appear newer. Under § 605(c), the original creditor's date of first delinquency must be used, not any subsequent collector's reporting date. This provision exists precisely to prevent the re-aging trick.
How to Use § 605 in a Dispute Letter
If a negative item should have been removed based on the 7-year window, write a dispute letter stating: "I am disputing the inclusion of [account name/number] on my credit report. Under FCRA § 605(a), this item exceeded the maximum reporting period as of [date]. The date of first delinquency was [date], making the required removal date [date]. Please delete this item immediately."
What the Bureau Must Do
Once you cite § 605 with a specific date calculation, the bureau must verify the date of first delinquency. If the item is indeed past its reporting window, it must be removed. This is among the highest success-rate disputes because the legal standard is objective and date-based.