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Credit deadlines: every federal clock on one ruler

From one hour to ten years, each deadline the guides on this site rest on, shortest first, with the guide that explains it.

Reviewed by Jake Lawrence on 17 sources1 min read

28 clocks from 14 guides

28 federal clocks on a ruler from one hour to ten years; each mark links to its row below
Each step to the right is ten times as long. Pick a mark to jump to its row.

Within a week

  1. 1 hourfor a bureau to lift a freeze you asked it to lift online or by phoneHow to freeze your credit, and how it differs from a fraud alert
  2. 1 business dayfor a bureau to place a freeze you asked for online or by phoneHow to freeze your credit, and how it differs from a fraud alert
  3. 3 business daysfor a bureau to place a freeze you asked for by mail, counted from when it gets the requestHow to freeze your credit, and how it differs from a fraud alert
  4. 5 daysafter a collector first contacts you, for it to give you the validation informationHow to make a debt collector prove the debt
  5. 4 business daysfor a bureau to block fraudulent items once it has your Identity Theft ReportIdentity theft recovery: the first steps, in order
  6. 5 business daysafter a bureau finishes a dispute investigation, for it to send you the resultsHow to dispute a credit report error
  7. 7 daysthe window in which more than seven calls about one debt is presumed to be harassmentYour rights when a debt collector calls

Within a month

  1. 15 daysafter a student loan garnishment notice is mailed, to ask for a hearing before any orderFederal student loans in default: what can happen and the ways out
  2. 30 daysfrom receiving a validation notice, to dispute in writing and pause collectionHow to make a debt collector prove the debt
  3. 30 daysfor a bureau to finish investigating a disputeHow to dispute a credit report error
  4. 30 daysfor a lender to send its decision once your application is completeWhat a credit denial letter must tell you
  5. 30 daysof written notice, at least, before federal student loan garnishment startsFederal student loans in default: what can happen and the ways out

Within a year

  1. 60 daysafter a denial, to ask for the reasons and claim the free reportWhat a credit denial letter must tell you
  2. 60 daysafter a rental denial, to claim a free copy of the screening reportDenied an apartment because of a screening report: your rights
  3. 60 daysat least, to answer before a federal tax refund is taken for a student loanFederal student loans in default: what can happen and the ways out
  4. 90 daysfor a lender that reports a charge-off to report when the delinquency beganWhat a charge-off means, and whether you still owe it
  5. 180 daysafter a delinquency begins, when the seven-year reporting period for a collection starts to runCollections on your credit report: how long they stay and what paying changes
  6. 270 dayswithout a payment, after which most federal student loans are in defaultFederal student loans in default: what can happen and the ways out
  7. 365 dayspast the date of service before unpaid medical debt over $500 could appear on your reportMedical bills and your credit report
  8. 1 yearthat an initial fraud alert lastsIdentity theft recovery: the first steps, in order
  9. 1 yearof inquiries your report must list, other than for employmentHard and soft credit inquiries: which ones count, and what to do about one you do not recognize
  10. 1 yearfrom a collector's violation, to file a lawsuit under the Fair Debt Collection Practices ActDebt collectors on text, email and social media: the rules

Years

  1. 2 yearsof employment inquiries your report must listHard and soft credit inquiries: which ones count, and what to do about one you do not recognize
  2. 5 yearsthat an opt-out of prescreened offers lasts when made through the bureaus' systemHard and soft credit inquiries: which ones count, and what to do about one you do not recognize
  3. 7 yearsthat a collection or charged-off account can be reportedCollections on your credit report: how long they stay and what paying changes
  4. 7 yearsthat most negative information, a late payment included, can be reportedA late payment on your credit report: how long it stays and what a goodwill letter is
  5. 7 yearsthat an extended fraud alert lasts, with an Identity Theft ReportIdentity theft recovery: the first steps, in order
  6. 10 yearsthat a bankruptcy can stay on a reportDenied an apartment because of a screening report: your rights

How to read the ruler

The ruler runs from one hour on the left to ten years on the right. Each step to the right is ten times as long as the step before it, which is how a few hours and a decade fit on one line. Every mark is a clock that one of the guides on this site states, and every row under the ruler names that guide. Pick a mark to jump to its row.

What these clocks are

  • Federal clocks. Many states add their own deadlines or longer protections. Check your state.
  • Counted two ways. Some clocks count business days and some count calendar days. Each row says which.
  • Started by an event. Most clocks start when something happens or arrives: a notice, a dispute, a denial. A clock that starts on receipt is why the guides suggest certified mail with a return receipt, so you can prove the date.

When a notice prints a date

A validation notice prints the last day of your dispute window, and court and garnishment papers carry their own dates. When a paper you received prints a date, that date is the one to keep.

When a clock has passed

A missed clock does not always end the right behind it. You can still dispute a debt after the 30-day validation window, for example. The collector no longer has to pause collection, and it still may not report the debt to the bureaus without saying you dispute it (see how to make a debt collector prove the debt). Read the guide before you decide a door has closed.

Sources

  1. 15 U.S.C. 1681c-1, fraud alerts and security freezes (Cornell LII)law.cornell.edu accessed 2026-10-24
  2. 15 U.S.C. 1681c-2, block of information resulting from identity theft (Cornell LII)law.cornell.edu accessed 2026-10-24
  3. CFPB: 12 CFR 1006.34, the validation noticeconsumerfinance.gov accessed 2026-10-24
  4. 15 U.S.C. 1681i, procedure in case of disputed accuracy (Cornell LII)law.cornell.edu accessed 2026-10-24
  5. CFPB: 12 CFR 1006.14, harassing, oppressive or abusive conduct (the call limits)consumerfinance.gov accessed 2026-10-24
  6. 20 U.S.C. 1095a, wage garnishment for defaulted federal student loans (Cornell LII)law.cornell.edu accessed 2026-10-27
  7. 15 U.S.C. 1692g, validation of debts (Cornell LII)law.cornell.edu accessed 2026-10-24
  8. CFPB: 12 CFR 1002.9, notifications (Regulation B, adverse action)consumerfinance.gov accessed 2026-10-24
  9. CFPB: What should I do if my rental application is denied because of a tenant screening report?consumerfinance.gov accessed 2026-10-27
  10. 31 U.S.C. 3720A, reduction of tax refund by amount of debt (Cornell LII)law.cornell.edu accessed 2026-10-27
  11. 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2, responsibilities of furnishers of information (Cornell LII)law.cornell.edu accessed 2026-10-27
  12. 15 U.S.C. 1681c, requirements relating to information in consumer reports (Cornell LII)law.cornell.edu accessed 2026-10-24
  13. CFPB: What happens if I default on a federal student loan?consumerfinance.gov accessed 2026-10-27
  14. CFPB: Do medical bills affect my credit?consumerfinance.gov accessed 2026-10-27
  15. 15 U.S.C. 1681g, disclosures to consumers (Cornell LII)law.cornell.edu accessed 2026-10-27
  16. 15 U.S.C. 1692k, civil liability of debt collectors (Cornell LII)law.cornell.edu accessed 2026-10-27
  17. 15 U.S.C. 1681b, permissible purposes of consumer reports (Cornell LII)law.cornell.edu accessed 2026-10-27

How this page was made

This page was drafted with a language model from the sources listed above. Jake Lawrence read it against those sources and signed it on October 27, 2026.

The text signed has the fingerprint 93a5ac77d1023ac4. Change one word and the fingerprint changes with it; a signed page whose fingerprint moves comes down until the editor reads and signs it again.

Legal information, not legal advice. Nothing here answers one reader's specific situation; state law can add to every rule above.

Found an error? See Corrections.

Credit deadlines: every federal clock on one ruler | Credit Help