How Long Does Bad Credit Stay on Your Credit Report?
Updated May 2026 · US focused · FCRA verified · 8 min read
You missed some payments. Maybe you had a collection. Maybe something worse. Now you want to know one thing — how long is this going to follow me?
The answer depends on what the negative item is. Most stay for 7 years. Some disappear sooner. One type stays for 10.
Here is the exact timeline for every type of negative mark — verified against the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) — plus what you can actually do to recover faster.
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All timeframes below are governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and confirmed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) as of 2026:
| Negative Item | How Long It Stays | Clock Starts From |
|---|---|---|
| Late payments | 7 years | Date of the missed payment |
| Collections | 7 years + 180 days | Date of original delinquency |
| Charge-offs | 7 years + 180 days | Date of original delinquency |
| Repossession | 7 years | Original delinquency date |
| Foreclosure | 7 years | Original delinquency date |
| Chapter 13 bankruptcy | 7 years | Filing date — not discharge date |
| Chapter 7 bankruptcy | 10 years | Filing date — not discharge date |
| Hard inquiries | 2 years | Date of the inquiry |
| Medical debt collections | Removed | Paid medical collections removed by all 3 bureaus since 2022 |
Each Item Explained
Late payments — 7 years
A payment reported 30, 60, or 90+ days late stays on your report for 7 years from the date it was missed. The later it was, the harder it hits your score. But the impact fades significantly after 2 years — especially if you have had nothing negative since.
Collections — 7 years and 180 days
The clock starts from the original delinquency — not when it was sold to a collector. This matters because collectors sometimes re-report the debt as if it is new. That is illegal under the FCRA. If you see a collection with a date that looks wrong, dispute it immediately at annualcreditreport.com.
Charge-offs — 7 years and 180 days
A charge-off means your lender wrote the debt off as a loss. It does not mean you no longer owe it. The debt can still be sold to a collector and they can still pursue you. But the charge-off itself stays on your report for 7 years and 180 days from original delinquency.
Chapter 7 bankruptcy — 10 years
The longest negative item on a US credit report. Ten years from the filing date — not the discharge date. If you filed in January 2022 and were discharged in August 2022, the 10-year clock started in January 2022.
Chapter 13 bankruptcy — 7 years
Because Chapter 13 involves a repayment plan rather than a full discharge, it stays for 7 years rather than 10. Again the clock starts from the filing date.
Hard inquiries — 2 years
Every time you apply for credit a hard inquiry is recorded. It typically drops your score by 5 to 10 points and disappears after 2 years. The impact on your score is usually minimal after 12 months.
Medical debt — largely removed since 2022
All three major bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — removed paid medical collection accounts in 2022. In April 2023 they also removed unpaid medical collections under $500. Larger unpaid medical collections may still appear — always check your report and dispute anything inaccurate.
Does Paying Off a Debt Remove It From Your Report?
No — not automatically.
Paying off a collection or late payment does not make it disappear. The negative mark stays until the 7-year clock runs out. What changes is the status — from unpaid to paid — which lenders view more favourably.
The exception is a goodwill deletion. You write to the creditor and ask them to remove the negative mark as a gesture of goodwill — especially if you have been a good customer otherwise and the issue was a one-off. Some creditors do it. Many do not. But it costs nothing to ask.
You can also dispute errors — if the information reported is inaccurate in any way. Wrong amount, wrong date, account that is not yours. Disputes must be investigated within 30 days under the FCRA.
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Try the Free AI Credit Score Roadmap →How to Recover Your Credit Score Faster
You cannot make time move faster. But you can make the next 7 years count while you wait for negative items to drop off.
Pay everything on time from today
Payment history is 35% of your score. Every on-time payment from this point forward starts rebuilding the picture. Set up autopay so you never miss again.
Keep credit utilisation under 10%
This is 30% of your score and one of the fastest things you can change. Pay down balances and keep them low. Under 10% of your available credit used is the target.
Dispute any errors immediately
Check all three reports at annualcreditreport.com. Anything inaccurate — wrong date, wrong amount, account you do not recognise — file a dispute. Bureaus must investigate within 30 days. Errors removed can jump your score significantly.
Add a secured card or credit builder account
New positive accounts reporting to the bureaus start to dilute the negative history over time. A secured card used correctly and paid in full monthly rebuilds trust with the bureaus month by month.
Do not close old accounts
Length of credit history is 15% of your score. Closing accounts shortens your average account age and reduces available credit — both hurt your score. Keep old accounts open even if you do not use them.
Related credit score guides:
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The Credit Repair Blueprint gives you a step-by-step recovery plan with dispute letter templates for every situation — late payments, collections, charge-offs and more.
Get the Credit Repair Blueprint — $17 →Frequently Asked Questions
How long does bad credit stay on your report?
Most negative items — late payments, collections, charge-offs, repossessions, foreclosures — stay for 7 years under the FCRA. Chapter 7 bankruptcy stays for 10 years. Hard inquiries disappear after 2 years.
Does paying off collections remove it from my report?
Not automatically. The collection stays until the 7-year clock runs out but the status changes to paid. You can request a goodwill deletion in writing — some creditors will remove it, many will not. Always worth asking.
Can I remove negative items early?
Only if they are inaccurate. Dispute errors at annualcreditreport.com and the bureau must investigate within 30 days. Accurate negative information cannot be legally removed before the FCRA timeframe ends regardless of what any credit repair company promises.
When does the 7-year clock start?
For late payments — the date of the missed payment. For collections and charge-offs — the date of the original delinquency that led to them, not when they were reported or sold. This is important because some collectors illegally re-report old debt with newer dates.
How quickly can I rebuild my credit score?
With consistent on-time payments and low utilisation most people see meaningful improvement within 6 to 12 months even with negative items still on their report. The negative marks fade in impact over time even before they are removed. Use the AI Credit Score Roadmap to see your projected timeline.
DebtShift is not a licensed financial advisor. This article is for informational purposes only. All timeframes are based on the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and CFPB guidance current as of May 2026. For free credit support contact the NFCC at nfcc.org.