A 609 letter is a request to a credit bureau for the information it holds about you, based on Section 609 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. It's useful for seeing your full file. It is not a way to force the bureau to delete accurate accounts.
What Section 609 actually says
Section 609 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act gives you the right to get the information in your credit file, along with the sources of that information. That's a right to see your file, not a separate right to have items deleted.
The myth to ignore
You'll find claims online that a 609 letter forces a bureau to delete any account it can't back up with your original signed contract. That's not what the law says. Section 609 doesn't require a bureau to have or send your original contract, and an account doesn't come off your report just because you sent a 609 letter.
Be careful with anyone selling 609 letters as a secret trick to wipe your report clean.
What actually removes errors: a dispute
Your right to challenge information is in Section 611 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. If you dispute an item with a credit bureau, it generally must investigate within 30 days (45 days in some cases) and must correct or delete information that is inaccurate, incomplete or can't be verified.
A 609 request can be a good first step: get your full file, find the errors, then dispute them.
Free 609 letter template
Send it to the bureau by certified mail. Include a copy of a photo ID and a proof of address, such as a utility bill. Black out anything you don't need to share.
[Your name] [Your address] [Date of birth] [Date] [Credit bureau name] [Credit bureau address] Re: Request for my file under Section 609 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act To whom it may concern, Under Section 609 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, I am requesting all information in my consumer file, including the sources of that information. Copies of my photo ID and proof of address are enclosed. Please send the information to the address above. Sincerely, [Your name]
Credit bureau dispute addresses
Each bureau also accepts disputes online. Check the bureau's website for its current mailing address before you send anything, as addresses change.
Next steps
- Get your free credit reports from all three bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com.
- Mark anything that's wrong: accounts that aren't yours, wrong balances, wrong dates, or accounts listed twice.
- Dispute each error with the bureau that reports it, and include any proof you have.