Title 15 — Commerce and TradeRelease 119-73not60

§1666a Regulation of Credit Reports

Title 15 › Chapter 41— CONSUMER CREDIT PROTECTION › Subchapter I— CONSUMER CREDIT COST DISCLOSURE › Part D— Credit Billing › § 1666a

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

After a borrower gives the written dispute notice the law requires, a lender or its agent must not threaten to hurt the borrower’s credit for not paying the amount the borrower says is disputed. The lender also cannot report that amount as delinquent to others until it follows the law’s dispute steps and then gives the borrower the same extra time to pay as the original credit contract allows, which must be not less than ten days. If the borrower sends another written notice saying the amount is still disputed within that payment time, the lender must not report the borrower as delinquent unless the lender also tells the reporters that the debt is disputed and tells the borrower the name and address of each party getting the report. If the dispute is later resolved, the lender must notify those same parties about the resolution.

Full Legal Text

Title 15, §1666a

Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)After receiving a notice from an obligor as provided in section 1666(a) of this title, a creditor or his agent may not directly or indirectly threaten to report to any person adversely on the obligor’s credit rating or credit standing because of the obligor’s failure to pay the amount indicated by the obligor under section 1666(a)(2) of this title, and such amount may not be reported as delinquent to any third party until the creditor has met the requirements of section 1666 of this title and has allowed the obligor the same number of days (not less than ten) thereafter to make payment as is provided under the credit agreement with the obligor for the payment of undisputed amounts.

(b)If a creditor receives a further written notice from an obligor that an amount is still in dispute within the time allowed for payment under subsection (a) of this section, a creditor may not report to any third party that the amount of the obligor is delinquent because the obligor has failed to pay an amount which he has indicated under section 1666(a)(2) of this title, unless the creditor also reports that the amount is in dispute and, at the same time, notifies the obligor of the name and address of each party to whom the creditor is reporting information concerning the delinquency.

(c)A creditor shall report any subsequent resolution of any delinquencies reported pursuant to subsection (b) to the parties to whom such delinquencies were initially reported.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

15 U.S.C. § 1666a

Title 15 — Commerce and Trade

Last Updated

Apr 3, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60