What happens after you file a dispute: the 30-day timeline
Last updated: Sources checked: September 2026
A bureau must complete its investigation within 30 days of the date it receives your dispute. It can take up to 15 more days if you send it relevant information during those 30 days. The count starts when the bureau receives the dispute, not when you send it. After the investigation, the bureau must send you the results in writing.
Use the dispute deadline calculator to find the dates from your receipt date.
The sequence
| When | What happens | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Day you mail or submit | Keep copies. Mail certified with a return receipt, or save the online confirmation. | Best practice |
| Bureau receipt date | The 30-day investigation period starts. | FCRA section 611(a)(1)(A) |
| Within 5 business days of receipt | The bureau notifies the furnisher of your dispute and passes along the information you sent. | FCRA section 611(a)(2) |
| Day 30, up to day 45 | The investigation is due. Up to 15 more days are allowed if you sent relevant information during the 30 days. | FCRA section 611(a)(1)(B) |
| Within 5 business days of completion | The bureau sends you the results and, if your report changed, an updated report. | FCRA section 611(a)(6) |
| If the answer is “verified” | You may request a description of how the bureau checked, add a statement, dispute with the furnisher, or complain to the CFPB. | FCRA sections 611(a)(7), 611(b), 623(a)(8) |
The clock starts on receipt
If you mail a dispute on the 1st and it arrives on the 6th, the 30 days run from the 6th. That is why the return receipt matters. Without it, you cannot show the bureau’s receipt date.
The extension
If you send the bureau relevant information during the 30 days, it can add up to 15 days. That means sending a second packet of documents during the investigation can push the deadline out. Send everything you have with your first dispute when you can.
What the bureau does
The bureau forwards your dispute to the furnisher and asks it to check its records. The furnisher reports back. If the information is inaccurate, incomplete, or cannot be verified, the bureau must delete or modify it. If the furnisher confirms it, the bureau can leave it in place.
If the deadline passes
If 30 days (or 45, if extended) pass with no result, you can follow up in writing, and you can file a complaint with the CFPB. See how to file a CFPB complaint. Keep your confirmation or return receipt, because it shows when the period started.
What you receive
The results arrive in writing. The notice must include, among other things, a statement that the investigation is complete, an updated copy of your report if it changed, and a notice of your right to request a description of the procedure used and to add a statement to your file.
Do this today
Find your confirmation number or return receipt, write down the receipt date, and enter it in the deadline calculator.