How Long Things Stay on Your Credit Report (Complete Timeline)

Nothing stays on your credit report forever. Even bankruptcy eventually falls off. Here's exactly how long each type of item remains — and when its impact fades.

Complete Credit Report Timeline

Item Type	On Report	Affects Score
Late Payment (30-180 days)	7 years	Heavy impact first 2 years, fades after
Collection Account	7 years*	From original delinquency date
Charge-Off	7 years	From date of charge-off
Hard Inquiry	2 years	Only affects score for 12 months
Chapter 7 Bankruptcy	10 years	From filing date
Chapter 13 Bankruptcy	7 years	From filing date
Foreclosure	7 years	From date of foreclosure
Repossession	7 years	From date of repossession
Civil Judgment	7 years	Most no longer appear (since 2017)
Tax Lien (Unpaid)	Indefinite*	Most removed since 2018
Closed Account (Good)	10 years	Positive history stays longer

*Collections are measured from the original delinquency date with the original creditor — not when it was sent to collections. This prevents "re-aging" of old debts.

Key Timing Rules

The 7-Year Clock Starts From...

Late payments: Date of the missed payment
Collections: Original delinquency date (first missed payment on original account)
Charge-offs: Date account was charged off (usually ~180 days delinquent)
Bankruptcy: Filing date

⚠️ Paying Doesn't Restart the Clock

A common myth: Paying an old debt restarts the 7-year clock. This is false. The reporting period is tied to the original delinquency date. Paying a collection doesn't extend how long it stays on your report.

When Impact Actually Fades

Items affect your score most when they're fresh:

Hard inquiries: Stop affecting score after 12 months (stay visible for 2 years)
Late payments: Biggest impact in years 1-2, significantly less after year 3
Collections: Impact diminishes over time, especially after 2-3 years
Bankruptcy: Major impact years 1-2, gradual recovery possible by years 3-4

💡 Score Recovery Timeline

You don't have to wait 7-10 years for a good score. Most people can rebuild to 700+ within 2-3 years of a major negative event by adding positive payment history on new accounts.

Special Cases

Medical Debt

Since 2022-2023, special rules apply:

Paid medical collections are removed entirely
Medical debt under $500 is not reported
12-month waiting period before unpaid medical debt can appear

Student Loans

Federal student loan defaults follow the same 7-year rule. However, defaulted loans can be "rehabilitated" — which removes the default status from your credit report while keeping the account history.

Positive Information

Good news: Positive accounts stay on your report for 10 years after closing. An old credit card you closed in good standing continues helping your average age of accounts for a decade.

What If Items Don't Fall Off?

Items should automatically disappear at expiration. If they don't:

Calculate the drop-off date — Original delinquency date + 7 years (+ 180 days for collections)
Dispute with bureaus — Cite the FCRA 7-year rule
Provide documentation — Original statements showing delinquency date
File CFPB complaint — If bureaus don't comply

Can You Remove Items Early?

Sometimes:

Errors: Dispute anything inaccurate — wrong dates, amounts, account status
Goodwill letters: Ask creditors to remove one-time late payments as courtesy
Pay for delete: Negotiate with collections to remove in exchange for payment
Medical debt: Pay it and it's removed automatically now

You cannot remove accurate negative information simply because you don't like it. The FCRA protects accurate reporting.

The Bottom Line

Credit report timelines:

Most negative items: 7 years from delinquency date
Chapter 7 bankruptcy: 10 years from filing
Hard inquiries: 2 years visible, 12 months scoring impact
Positive accounts: 10 years after closing

Impact fades over time even while items remain visible. Focus on adding positive history rather than waiting for old negatives to disappear.