Free tool
Credit reporting clock calculator
The Fair Credit Reporting Act caps how long most negatives may appear. For collections and many lates, the clock starts at the date of first delinquency — the first missed payment to the original creditor that you never brought current — then runs 7 years + 180 days. This tool estimates that date. It does not file anything.
Estimated FCRA drop-off
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7 years + 180 days from DoFD (15 U.S.C. § 1681c).
Educational estimate only — not legal advice. This is the credit-reporting clock, not the state lawsuit statute of limitations. A collector moving the date (re-aging) is a dispute target. Numbers stay in your browser.
Full write-up: how long collections stay on a credit report. The lawsuit deadline is a different clock: statute of limitations on debt.
If the reported date looks newer than when you first fell behind, that can be re-aging — dispute it. How to dispute errors.
Frequently asked questions
When does a collection fall off my credit report?
Most collections must stop reporting 7 years plus 180 days after the date of first delinquency with the original creditor — not the date the collector bought or reported the debt.
Is this the same as the statute of limitations?
No. The FCRA clock is when the item must leave the credit report. The statute of limitations is how long a collector can sue you, and it is state law. They are different dates.
Does paying restart the 7-year clock?
No. Paying does not restart the FCRA reporting period. In some states a payment can restart the lawsuit clock. Confirm with a consumer attorney in your state before you pay an old debt.