How long things stay on your credit report
Most negative information has an end date. Knowing it helps you spot items that should already be gone.
The main time limits
- Late payments: up to 7 years from the late payment.
- Collections and charge-offs: about 7 years from when you first fell behind on the original account (the "date of first delinquency").
- Chapter 7 bankruptcy: up to 10 years. Chapter 13 is usually removed after 7.
- Hard inquiries: about 2 years.
- Accounts paid as agreed: positive history can stay much longer, which helps you.
What does NOT restart the clock
Selling the debt to a collector, the collector reporting it again, or you making a payment does not change the date of first delinquency for credit reporting. If a collection shows a newer first-delinquency date than the original account, that is worth disputing.
Reporting time vs. lawsuit time
How long something can be reported is different from how long a creditor can sue you (each state's statute of limitations). An old debt can fall off your report and still be legally owed, or the other way around. Ask a lawyer or LawHelp.org about lawsuits.
Check your dates
Our AI report reader compares the dates on your report with these limits and flags items that look too old. You decide what to dispute.
Questions
Does paying a collection remove it?
Not by itself. A paid collection can still be reported until its 7-year date, but it should show a $0 balance. Some newer credit scores ignore paid collections.
Can a company remove accurate items early?
No one can force accurate, current information off your report before its time is up. You can ask the lender for a goodwill removal; they don't have to agree.
General information, not legal advice. Sources: CFPB, FTC. Checked November 2026.