What is a 609 letter?

Most everyone dislikes that sinking feeling you get when you check your credit score and see a significant drop-off. If you can’t think of a recent debt or negative statement that caused your credit score to decrease, consider writing a 609 letter to one of the three nationwide credit bureaus—Equifax®, Experian® or TransUnion®—to help fix your credit.

In short, a 609 letter is a method of requesting credit bureaus to remove false or negative information from your credit report. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) makes this dispute method possible.

Read on to learn what Section 609 is and how to effectively write a 609 letter to a credit reporting agency.

What is Section 609?

Section 609 of the FCRA explains consumers’ rights to access all information collected by credit reporting agencies. This section doesn’t explicitly state your right to contest inaccurate information, but it does detail your right to a copy of all the information in your credit file.

Under Section 609, credit bureaus are required to release the following:

• All information (open and closed accounts, inquiries, derogatory marks, collections) in the consumer’s credit files at the time of the request
• The sources where the information came from
• The identity of every person who obtained a consumer report

Note that if the request is for employment purposes, the gathered information will span two years preceding the requested date. For all purposes outside of employment, only the past year’s credit files will be released.

If you’re intrigued by what other protections you have under the FCRA, review this FCRA guide.

What is a 609 letter?

Credit bureaus and consumers have created the term “609 letter” as a way for consumers to get their foot in the door when disputing false credit claims. A 609 letter is a written request to credit reporting agencies to verify erroneous or unsubstantiated items on your credit report.

Actually, the FCRA never mentions the term “609 letter.” Section 611 explains your ability to legally dispute information you believe to be inaccurate or unverifiable. Per the FCRA, if the disputed information can’t be confirmed or verified, it will be removed.

Do 609 letters really work?

Yes, they can. A 609 letter is one method to begin disputing an error on your credit report. The caveat is that if the alleged information is verifiable or accurate, it will often remain on your credit report.

Therefore, 609 letters should be written and sent if you believe there’s unverifiable debt or false items on your credit report. If a mistake on your credit report exists, it will likely be removed.

However, if a credit bureau successfully verifies your debt, it will stay on your credit report. Depending on the case, you might continue to receive collection notifications.

Steps for writing and submitting a 609 letter

Before you write a 609 letter, it’s best to request a credit report. In fact, it’s in your best interest to request a credit report once a year to check for any negative items.

Carefully comb through your credit report to see if any falsified information exists. You can use this guide on how to read a credit report.

Note that your 609 letter doesn’t need to be notarized. It is recommend sending the letter via certified mail through the U.S. Post Office. This way, you can receive a mail receipt confirming delivery.

Here’s the information you’ll need to gather and make copies of before drafting your 609 letter:

• Credit report with accounts in question highlighted or circled
• Birth certificate
• Social Security card
• Passport (if applicable)
• Driver’s license or state-issued identification card
• Tax documents displaying your Social Security number
• Rental agreement or mortgage contracts with your name and address
• Utility bills with your name and address

609 letter template

Technically, if you wrote a 609 letter on the back of a napkin and sent the correct documents with it, a credit bureau would have to catalog and investigate the matter, but it’s best to send a more official and well-written letter.

Here’s a typical 609 letter:

Hello ________________________ (Equifax, Experian or TransUnion),

I am exercising my right under Section 609 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act to request information regarding these items listed on my consumer credit report.

Account Agency: ________________________
Account number: ________________________

Account Agency: ________________________
Account number: ________________________

Account Agency: ________________________
Account number: ________________________

Per Section 609, I am entitled to the verification and validation of all data for these accounts, along with each notation, dates and balances, whether reported or not. I am also entitled to the original credit application and contract that contains my signature.

For proof of my identity, I have included copies of my birth certificate, passport, Social Security card, driver’s license, W-2, property agreements and a utility bill.

I have also included a copy of my credit report and have circled or highlighted the accounts I am requesting verification for.

Sincerely,
[_______________________________]
Signature

Full Name: _______________________
Address: _______________________
City, State ZIP code: _______________________
SSN: _______________________
DOB: _______________________

The next step is to mail the completed letter to one of the three major credit reporting agencies.

• EQUIFAX Information Services, LLC:
  

P.O. Box 740256

Atlanta, GA 30374-0256

• EXPERIAN:

P.O. Box 4500

Allen, TX 75013

• TRANSUNION Consumer Solutions:

P.O. Box 2000

Chester, PA 19016-2000

You should now feel more confident using a 609 letter to dispute a negative statement on your credit report. If your unsubstantiated or false errors are not removed within 30-45 days from the date you received confirmation that your 609 letter was delivered, then it’s worth writing another dispute letter.