The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a federal law or statute that promotes the accuracy, fairness, and privacy of information in the files of consumer reporting agencies. Consumer reporting agencies include credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion), and specialty agencies that sell information about consumers' check writing histories, employment histories, insurance claims, medical records or payments, and residential or tenant history.

The FCRA is located in the United States Code at 15 U.S.C. §§1681-1681u. Banks and other financial institutions are generally not considered consumer reporting agencies under the FCRA—but depending on how similar their information-sharing practices are to those of a consumer reporting agency, they can be required to comply with the FCRA.

A consumer can exercise many of the rights provided by the FCRA through the websites of the three main credit reporting agencies: https://www.experian.com/, https://www.equifax.com/personal/, and https://www.transunion.com/. The toll-free telephone numbers for the credit reporting agencies are: Experian (1-888-397-3742); Equifax (1-888-548-7878); and TransUnion (1-800-916-8800).

States may enforce the FCRA, and many states have their own consumer reporting laws. In some states, consumers may have more rights under state law. For more information, contact your state or local consumer protection agency or your State Attorney General's office.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a federal statute that ensures the accuracy, fairness, and privacy of consumer information held by consumer reporting agencies, which includes credit bureaus and specialty agencies. In New York, as in other states, the FCRA provides a framework for the regulation of the collection, dissemination, and use of consumer information. While banks and financial institutions are not typically considered consumer reporting agencies, they may be subject to the FCRA if their practices are similar to those of a consumer reporting agency. New York residents can exercise their rights under the FCRA, such as disputing inaccuracies on their credit reports, by contacting the three main credit reporting agencies directly through their websites or toll-free numbers. Additionally, New York may have state laws that offer further protections to consumers beyond those provided by the FCRA. For more specific information regarding New York's consumer reporting laws or to address a particular issue, individuals should contact the New York State Attorney General's office or a state consumer protection agency.