A person who finds an error in a background report can dispute it with the consumer reporting agency that prepared it. Under 15 U.S.C. 1681i(a)(1)(A), when a person disputes the completeness or accuracy of an item and notifies the agency directly, or through a reseller, the agency conducts a reasonable reinvestigation free of charge. The agency determines whether the information is inaccurate and records its current status, or deletes the item, before the end of the 30-day period that begins when it receives the notice of the dispute.
Under 1681i(a)(1)(B), the 30-day period may be extended by up to 15 additional days if the agency receives relevant information from the person during the 30 days. Under 1681i(a)(1)(C), there is no extension when the information is found to be inaccurate or incomplete, or cannot be verified, within the 30 days.
Under 1681i(a)(6), the agency gives the person written notice of the results no later than 5 business days after completing the reinvestigation. The notice includes a statement that the reinvestigation is completed and a consumer report based on the person's file as revised.
An employer that takes adverse action based on a report must tell the person of the right to dispute it with the agency and to get a free copy of the report within 60 days, as covered in What Must an Adverse Action Notice after a Background Check Include?. The advance notice before adverse action also gives the person a chance to explain negative information, as covered in What Must an Employer Do Before Rejecting an Applicant over a Background Check?.
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