Most negative items fall off a credit report after about seven years, but some bankruptcies can last up to ten years and certain older public records (like tax liens) can follow different rules depending on when and how they were reported. Understanding those timelines helps you know when a black mark should disappear and when to dispute something that is hanging around too long.
Big picture: the “7‑year rule”
In the U.S., the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) caps how long most negative information can be reported, which is usually seven years from the event that made the account go bad. The clock normally starts at the date of first delinquency—the first missed payment that leads to the account never being brought current again, not each later collection or sale.
Most negative accounts and late payments: up to 7 years from the first serious delinquency date.
Some public records and bankruptcies: up to 10 years, depending on the type.
A key point for readers: the timeline is about reporting, not whether the debt is legally collectible, which is governed by separate statute‑of‑limitations laws.
Late payments: 7 years from first serious miss
Late payments are usually listed as 30, 60, 90, 120 days late and so on, all tied to the same account. If you never catch up and the account stays delinquent until it is charged off or closed, all of those related late marks must be removed seven years after the original delinquency that started the chain.
If you fall behind but then bring the account current and keep it current, the late mark still can stay up to 7 years from the month it happened.
If you never bring it current, the entire negative account history tied to that first missed payment must drop off by the 7‑year point.
When readers see lates older than seven years from that first miss, they can treat them as “obsolete” and dispute them as outdated.
Collections and charge‑offs: 7 years plus up to 180 days
Collections and charge‑offs often confuse people because the account may move between collectors or show multiple entries, but the reporting clock does not restart each time it is sold. For most debts, the maximum reporting period is about 7 years from the date of first delinquency, with the law allowing up to an extra 180 days to account for the time a lender typically waits before charging off or sending it to collections.
A collection or charge‑off may appear for up to 7 years plus 180 days from when you first fell behind on the original account, not from when the collection agency got it.
If the original account must be removed because the 7‑year window has passed, any related collection entries tied to that same debt should also be removed.
Blog readers should note that paying a collection does not restart the federal reporting clock, even though it may change how the item is labeled (for example, “paid collection”).
Bankruptcies: 7 to 10 years
Bankruptcy is one of the longest‑lasting marks on a credit report, and its timeline depends on the chapter filed. The bankruptcy case itself is a public record entry, and then each account included in the bankruptcy is also reported with its own aging clock.
Chapter 7 bankruptcy can be reported for up to 10 years from the filing date under federal rules.
Chapter 13 bankruptcy may also be reportable for up to 10 years, but many major bureaus choose to remove completed Chapter 13 cases after about 7 years as a business policy.
The individual debts discharged in bankruptcy typically must be removed within about 7–7½ years from the bankruptcy filing date or from the original delinquency, whichever applies, so readers should watch for accounts that linger beyond that window.
Tax liens and other public records
Public records on credit reports have changed over the past several years, with many consumer credit files no longer showing most civil judgments or many types of tax liens, but older entries can still appear on some reports or specialty background checks. When they do show, their timelines are often similar to or somewhat longer than the standard 7‑year rule.
Historically, many civil judgments and tax liens could appear for 7 years or more, depending on state law and whether the obligation remained unpaid.
Even where reporting is allowed, bureaus often choose to purge older public records to reduce errors and comply with evolving standards, so recent reports may show fewer liens than in the past.
For a blog, it helps to emphasize that anyone seeing very old public‑record negatives—especially beyond 7–10 years—should verify whether those items are still permitted and dispute if they are outdated or inaccurate.
When an item should drop off – and what to do if it doesn’t
A practical way to teach readers is to anchor everything to the “starting event” and then apply the standard window. If an item is still showing after that, it is a strong candidate for a dispute.
Identify the date of first delinquency or filing (for late payments, collections, charge‑offs, and bankruptcies) and count forward 7–10 years, depending on the item.
If the negative mark remains after that window, file a written dispute with each bureau that is still reporting it, and include dates and any documents; bureaus generally must investigate and respond within about 30 days.
A closing reassurance for readers: the impact of negative items usually fades long before they vanish completely, and combining disputes of outdated errors with consistent positive habits—on‑time payments and lower balances—can rebuild a healthier profile even while some older marks are still aging off.
