How long does negative information stay on business credit reports?

If you’ve had credit problems, it may be at least a little reassuring to know that they likely won’t affect your personal credit reports for more than seven years, due to a federal law called the Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). 

But that law does not apply to business credit reports. There’s no limit on how long negative information can be reported on business credit reports, and each credit bureau sets its own policies for how long it keeps and uses information. 

Since negative information can hurt your business credit scores, it’s important to understand how long it can be included in your business credit reports. 

Business vs. personal credit reporting rules

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) protects consumers by limiting how long negative information can appear on personal (or consumer) credit reports. Most negative items, like late payments, collection accounts, or charge-offs, can’t be reported after seven years, while bankruptcies may be reported up to 10 years after filing. 

Business credit reports don’t operate under these rules. Personal and business credit reporting regulations are different, and the FCRA doesn't apply to commercial credit reporting. 

That means many of the benefits we have as consumers under that law don’t apply to these rules. For example: 

• Negative information can be reported on business credit reports indefinitely
• You have no automatic right to free annual business credit reports
• Unlike personal credit disputes, business credit bureaus aren’t legally required to respond within a specific timeframe.
• Anyone can purchase your business credit report without your permission

This doesn't mean this information will be reported forever, though. Each bureau has its own policies about how long they maintain different types of data. But those are voluntary policies, not legal requirements.

How long each business credit bureau reports negative data

Each of the major business credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax, and Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) — maintains different data retention policies. Understanding these timelines helps you know what to expect when lenders pull your reports.

Business credit reporting timelines at a glance

*Equifax doesn't report third-party collections, but creditors can mark accounts as "in collection" status. Information here about Equifax reporting policies was gathered independently by Nav.

Experian

Here's how long Experian keeps different types of information:

• Trade data: 36 months
• Bank, government and leasing data: 36 months
• Bankruptcies: 9 years and 9 months
• Judgments: 6 years and 9 months
• Tax liens: 6 years and 9 months
• Collections: 6 years and 9 months
• Uniform Commercial Code filings: 5 years
• Credit inquiries: 9 months

Dun & Bradstreet

Here are general Dun & Bradstreet Global Repository System data retention policies.

• Payment experiences: Generally, Dun & Bradstreet will use activity in the last 24 months to calculate a D&B PAYDEX^® score, but it also tracks data from 28 to 36 months from the last date of sale, so some information may be retained for more than 24 months. 
• Suits and judgments: Removed after 10 or more years of inactivity during its annual database cleaning
• Liens: Removed after 11 or more years of inactivity during annual database cleansing

Equifax

Equifax commercial credit reports generally follow these retention guidelines:

• Tradelines (accounts): Reported for up to 24 months, whether negative or positive
• Payment history impact on scores: May affect business credit scores for up to 5 years
• Bankruptcies: Generally 10 years from filing date (seven years for Chapter 12 and 13 cases)
• Judgments and liens: Generally seven years from filing date
• Collection accounts: Equifax doesn't report third-party collection data, but lenders or vendors can report an account as "in collection" status
• UCC filings: Not reported by Equifax

How to dispute errors on your business credit report

Here are some strategies for making sure your credit reports accurate: 

Check your credit reports

To make sure your credit reports are accurate, don't wait until you need financing to discover problems. Building or rebuilding strong business credit takes time. Get your business credit reports from all three major bureaus at least quarterly to catch issues early. 

Dispute mistakes

If you find errors on your credit reports — wrong payment dates, accounts that don't belong to you, outdated information that should have been removed — contact the business credit bureau right away. If you have documentation to support your dispute, you can include it, but it’s not required. 

Keep in mind the bureaus don’t share information with each other, so if the same mistake appears on more than one credit report, you’ll need to dispute it with each bureau. 

Learn how to dispute mistakes on business credit reports here. 

Follow up

Business credit disputes don't have the same federally mandated timelines as consumer disputes, but bureaus generally try to investigate mistakes within 30 days. If you don't hear back, follow up. Keep copies of all correspondence.

Contact the data furnisher 

Sometimes going directly to the company that reported the information can resolve issues faster than disputing with the credit bureaus. If a vendor reported a late payment in error, ask them to update the information with each bureau they shared it with. 

Monitor your progress 

After disputes are resolved, monitor your credit reports to make sure you don’t find additional mistakes, and to monitor your credit health and credit scores. Different lenders may pull reports from different bureaus, so try to check and monitor your reports with the major business credit bureaus. 

With Nav Prime, you can monitor your business credit reports and scores from multiple bureaus in one dashboard, to help monitor for changes that could impact your credit standing and financing opportunities.

Frequently asked questions