How Do You Get a Free Credit Report?
Learn where to get free credit reports from the official authorized source, how to request all three reports, and how to avoid lookalike sites.
The official place to get free credit reports from the nationwide credit bureaus is AnnualCreditReport.com. You can request reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion through the authorized service. Use the official site, phone, or mail request paths instead of lookalike sites that may sell monitoring or collect unnecessary information.
Free credit report request options
Online
You want the fastest official path
Mistyped lookalike domains
Phone
You prefer an offline request
Calling numbers from ads
You need a paper request path
Sending identity data to unofficial addresses
All three reports
You want a full error check
Assuming one bureau has every issue
One bureau report
You are checking a specific known problem
Missing errors at another bureau
Free report is not the same as paid monitoring
The official free report service gives you credit report access. Paid credit monitoring, credit scores, and identity-protection bundles are separate products and are not required just to review your report.
Get your report
- 1Go directly to AnnualCreditReport.com.
- 2Choose online, phone, or mail access.
- 3Select one, two, or all three nationwide bureau reports.
- 4Save or print the reports for your records.
- 5Review names, accounts, balances, collections, and hard inquiries for errors.
FAQ
Is AnnualCreditReport.com the official site?
Yes. AnnualCreditReport.com is the federally authorized website for free credit reports from the nationwide credit bureaus.
Can I get all three credit reports for free?
Yes. The official service lets you request free reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. You can choose one report or all three depending on what you need to review.
Does checking my own credit report hurt my score?
No. Checking your own credit report is not the same as a lender's hard inquiry and does not hurt your credit score.
Sources & method
We reviewed these references while writing this answer. Figures are estimates — confirm safety-critical work with a professional. Last updated June 7, 2026.
- Getting your credit reportsAnnualCreditReport.com · annualcreditreport.comSupports that AnnualCreditReport.com is the federally authorized site for free credit reports and provides online, phone, and mail request paths.
- Disputing Errors on Your Credit ReportsFederal Trade Commission · consumer.ftc.govSupports FTC guidance to get reports from the nationwide bureaus through AnnualCreditReport.com before checking or disputing errors.