44-1694. Correction of credit reports

A. If any consumer disputes the accuracy of any item in the consumer's records with any consumer reporting agency, the consumer may give notice in writing to the consumer reporting agency specifying in what manner the report is inaccurate and the consumer reporting agency shall reinvestigate the inaccuracy at no charge to the consumer and record the current status of the disputed information. The consumer reporting agency shall provide forms for such notice and shall assist a consumer in preparing the notice when requested.

B. Within thirty days after receiving a notice of inaccuracy, a consumer reporting agency shall deny or admit the inaccuracy to the consumer in writing. If the consumer reporting agency denies the inaccuracy, the consumer reporting agency shall include the following information with the written results of the reinvestigation:

1. The basis for the denial.

2. A copy of the consumer's file that is based on the consumer's file as revised as a result of the reinvestigation, including the business name and address of any furnisher of information who was contacted in connection with that information and, if reasonably available, the telephone number of the furnisher.

3. A notice that states that, if requested by the consumer, the consumer reporting agency shall provide the consumer with a description of the procedure used by the consumer reporting agency to determine the accuracy and completeness of the information.

C. If the consumer reporting agency admits that the item is inaccurate, it shall immediately correct the item in its records and, on request by the consumer, it shall inform any person who within the last six months has previously received a report containing such inaccurate information.

D. A consumer may provide a statement to the consumer reporting agency and, unless there are reasonable grounds to believe that it is frivolous or irrelevant, the consumer reporting agency shall include the statement in the consumer's file if either of the following applies:

1. The statement is a written explanation regarding an item of information that the consumer reporting agency denies is inaccurate.

2. The statement is regarding the contents of the consumer's file. The consumer may provide such a statement at any time, and the consumer reporting agency shall not charge the consumer for the statement.

E. A consumer reporting agency may limit a consumer's statement as described in subsection D to not more than one hundred words if the consumer reporting agency provides the consumer with assistance in writing the statement.