A credit denial can arrive as a short letter with a long list of questions. The document you need is usually called an adverse action notice. It should explain the main reason for the decision, or tell you how to request that explanation. If a credit report helped shape the decision, it should also identify the report source and provide other details you can use to review the decision.

This guide, published August 13, 2026, explains what to look for, how to request missing information, and how to check the report behind the denial. It covers federal rules in general. Your situation may involve additional facts or state requirements, so check the official sources linked below or consult a qualified professional for guidance about your circumstances.

  1. Find the notice date. The 60-day period for requesting reasons or obtaining a free report generally runs from the date on the adverse action notice.
  2. Read the reason section closely. Look for specific main reasons, or instructions explaining how to ask for them.
  3. Check whether a credit report was used. If it was, look for the score used, the key factors affecting that score, and the reporting company's contact information.
Close-up of an adverse action notice on a desk with reading glasses and a pen, with the date, reasons, and contact sections marked for review.
A close-up of an adverse action notice with the notice date, stated reasons, credit score details, and credit reporting company contact information marked for review.
  1. Save the whole record. Keep the notice, envelope or electronic message, application records, and any request you send.
  2. Request missing reasons in writing. Follow the method in the notice and send the request within 60 days when the notice gives you that option.
  3. Request the report directly from the named company. If the denial relied on that report, the notice should identify the company and you generally can request a free copy within 60 days.
  4. Compare the report with your records. Check names, addresses, accounts, balances, payment history, inquiries, and other information for errors or unfamiliar activity.

What an adverse action notice does

An adverse action notice is the formal explanation that follows certain unfavorable credit decisions. It applies when a creditor refuses credit in substantially the amount or on substantially the terms requested. It can also apply when a creditor changes an existing account in an unfavorable way or refuses a requested increase in a credit limit.

A different result may be treated differently if the creditor makes a counteroffer and the applicant accepts it. For example, an applicant may request one set of terms and receive another offer instead. The effect of that offer depends on what happened next and on the facts of the transaction. Regulation B, the federal rule implementing the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, contains the relevant definitions. You can review its notification provisions through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Regulation B page.

Two federal laws may be involved. The Equal Credit Opportunity Act, or ECOA, focuses on fair access to credit and transparency around the decision. The Fair Credit Reporting Act, or FCRA, addresses the use of consumer reports, which are commonly called credit reports when they contain credit history information. A creditor may combine the ECOA and FCRA information in one notice.

What the notice should contain

The notice must either state the specific main reasons for the denial or explain how to request those reasons. A phrase such as “credit score” may not tell you much by itself. The purpose of the notice is to identify the principal factors that affected the decision in a way that gives you meaningful information. If the notice says you can request more detail, the request generally must be made within 60 days of the notice date.

When a credit report was used, the notice should include the numerical credit score used in the decision and the key factors that affected that score. A credit score is a number calculated from information in a credit report. The factors might point to items such as payment history or amounts owed, but the exact wording depends on the scoring method and the information considered.

The notice should also give the name, address, and telephone number of the credit reporting company that supplied the report. It should explain that you can dispute inaccurate information and add information that makes the report more complete. The CFPB describes these requirements and the free-report right in its guidance on credit applications denied because of a credit report.

How to request the reasons and the report

Start with the notice itself. It may provide a mailing address, online process, or other instructions for requesting the reasons. The available federal guidance does not establish one universal delivery method for every request, so follow the instructions in the notice. If the notice gives no clear instructions, a written request can create a useful record of what you asked and when you asked it.

Keep a copy of the request and proof of when it was sent. A simple request can identify the application, include the notice date, and ask for the specific principal reasons for the decision. Avoid sending original documents unless the instructions require them. A request for reasons is different from a dispute. The first asks the creditor to explain its decision. The second challenges information in a consumer report.

If the decision was based on a credit report, request the free report from the reporting company named in the notice. The 60-day period matters here too. The Federal Trade Commission's consumer guidance on free credit reports provides general information about accessing reports, while the adverse action notice should identify the company connected with your application.

How to review and dispute report errors

Read every section of the report, not only the account that seems connected to the denial. Look for accounts you do not recognize, incorrect late payments, wrong balances, duplicate entries, outdated personal information, and inquiries you did not authorize. An unfamiliar item may be an error, identity theft, or an account that belongs to someone with a similar name. The report alone may not answer which one.

You can dispute inaccurate information with the credit reporting company and with the company that supplied the information, often called the furnisher. Send enough detail for the recipient to understand the issue. Include copies rather than originals of supporting records, and keep a copy of everything submitted. The reporting company must investigate disputed information and correct errors it finds.

Federal sources do not provide a single investigation timeline in the material covered here, and they do not resolve every possible outcome. If the response does not address the problem, review the CFPB's current consumer information and the FTC's guidance for next steps. Consider also checking your state's consumer protection resources, because state rules may provide additional procedures.

If the notice is missing or incomplete

The sources reviewed do not provide one complete procedure for every situation in which no adverse action notice arrives. You can contact the creditor in writing and ask for the decision's reasons and for any notice required for the application. Include the application date and the contact information used on the application. Keep the request focused and retain proof that you sent it.

If the notice omits information that should appear when a credit report was used, ask the creditor to provide the score, key score factors, and the reporting company's name, address, and telephone number. If the notice gives reasons but they are too general to understand, ask whether the creditor will provide the principal reasons in more specific terms.

For unresolved concerns, start with official agency information rather than an informal summary. Regulation B includes federal agency information, and the CFPB publishes the current version of the rule and related consumer materials. The CFPB's sample notification forms can also help you recognize the kinds of information an adverse action notice may contain. These materials explain federal requirements, but they cannot determine whether a particular decision or notice complied with the law.

Please seek a professional. This article is general information, not financial, tax or insurance advice. Please seek a licensed financial, tax or insurance professional about your own situation.