What Do Equifax Credit Report Codes Mean?

The code key lives on the last few pages of your full Equifax credit report, under a heading such as 'CODE KEY' or 'Explanation of Status Codes.'

1. Sign in at Equifax's personal credit‑report portal and request the complete report, not the one‑page summary.
2. Open the PDF or online view and scroll past the personal‑information section to the end of the document.
3. Locate the table titled 'CODE KEY,' usually positioned after the list of tradelines.
4. The table lists each alphanumeric status code on the left and a brief description on the right - this is what you'll decode in the next section.

The 10 most common Equifax status codes and what they mean are listed below.

• 0  - Open/Current - The account is active and payments are up to date.
• 1  - Closed - The creditor reports the account as closed, regardless of balance.
• 2  - Closed  -  Paid in Full - Balance is zero and the creditor confirms full payment.
• 3  - Past Due (30 days) - Payment is 30 days late; the code flags a short‑term delinquency.
• 4  - Past Due (60 days) - Payment is 60 days late; the risk level rises.
• 5  - Past Due (90 days or more) - Payment is 90 days or more overdue, often preceding a charge‑off.
• 6  - Charged Off - The creditor has written the debt off as a loss; the amount remains on the report.
• 7  - Collection - The account has been transferred or sold to a collection agency.
• 8  - Settlement - The creditor reports that the debt was settled for less than the full balance.
• 9  - Bankruptcy/Public Record - A federal or state bankruptcy filing or other public record linked to the account.

These codes appear in the section you located in the previous step, using the same terminology as the Equifax code key. Understanding each label prepares you for the next section, where we explore how each code can hurt your credit score. For deeper guidance, see Equifax's guide to reading a credit report.

Each status code on your Equifax credit report flags a specific credit event, and every negative flag can drag your score down. A '30' (30 days past due) signals a recent late payment, while a '31' (31‑59 days late) shows a deeper delinquency; both typically shave several points from a fair‑score range. A '41' (collection) or '44' (charge‑off) tells lenders you failed to pay a debt at all, often causing a double‑digit drop. More severe tags like '46' (bankruptcy) or '47' (tax lien) can plunge the score into the low‑hundreds and remain visible for years.

The impact multiplies when multiple codes appear, because scoring models weigh recent, severe, and repeated events higher than isolated, older ones. A '30' that ages into a '31' after 30 days will continue to harm the score, while a lingering '44' may keep the account in 'poor' status until it ages out, generally after seven years. Together, these codes raise borrowing costs, trigger loan denials, and limit credit‑card approvals. Understanding exactly how each code hurts your score prepares you for the next section on how long each code can stay on file.

Negative status codes - late payments, collections, charge‑offs, and most inquiries - generally stay on your Equifax credit report for seven years from the date of the event, while positive codes like on‑time payments may remain indefinitely.

Some public‑record entries differ: bankruptcies can linger up to ten years, tax liens up to seven years, and civil judgments up to seven years, although a small number of rare codes (e.g., certain court‑ordered garnishments) may persist for ten years. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau explains these timelines.

• Late payment (code L) - 7 years
• Collection account (code C) - 7 years
• Charge‑off (code O) - 7 years
• Hard inquiry (code I) - 2 years
• Bankruptcy (code B) - up to 10 years
• Tax lien (code T) - up to 7 years
• Civil judgment (code J) - up to 7 years
• Positive payment history (code P) - indefinite
• Other public records (e.g., court orders) - up to 10 years

Correct a wrong Equifax status code by filing a dispute, and follow these five steps.

1. Pull the latest Equifax credit report - download the PDF from Equifax.com, locate the code key (covered in the first section), and highlight the erroneous entry.
2. Gather supporting documents - collect billing statements, payment confirmations, or lender letters that prove the reported information is inaccurate.
3. Complete the online dispute form - log into your Equifax account, choose 'Dispute a Credit Report Item,' enter the exact code, and upload your proof.
4. Send a certified‑mail follow‑up - write a brief letter restating the dispute, attach copies of the same documents, and mail it to Equifax P.O. Box 105069, Atlanta, GA 30348. Keep the receipt.
5. Track the investigation - Equifax must respond within 30 days; check the status in your account or via the mailed response. If the code is corrected, download the updated report; if not, consider escalating to the CFPB or a consumer attorney.

Collect the specific documents that prove the reported status is inaccurate, then attach them to your dispute.

• Recent account statements showing on‑time payments for the period the code covers (PDF or printed copy).
• A written payoff or settlement confirmation from the creditor that states the account is closed in good standing (letter or email with account number).
• The original loan or credit agreement that details the terms and verifies the code does not match the contractual status.
• A notarized police report or FTC identity‑theft report if you suspect fraudulent activity (useful for codes linked to unauthorized accounts).
• Any correspondence from the creditor acknowledging an error and requesting correction (e‑mail thread or fax).

These pieces of proof satisfy Equifax's requirement for evidence and increase the likelihood the bad code will be removed.

Contact the creditor whenever the status code reflects information only the lender can verify or change, such as a '30‑day late' you actually paid on time, a 'closed' account you settled, or a 'partial payment' recorded incorrectly; the creditor can correct the data at the source and resend an updated feed to Equifax, often resolving the issue faster than a bureau dispute (steps to fix credit report errors).

Contact Equifax when the creditor has already confirmed the data is accurate but the code still appears on your Equifax credit report, when multiple lenders report the same erroneous code, or when the error involves a bureau‑specific entry like a duplicate or 'unknown account' that only Equifax can investigate and remove.

Pay the most damaging status codes first, then work down to the less harmful ones. Use the code key you decoded earlier to sort each entry by its typical impact on your Equifax credit report, remembering that most negative codes stay for up to seven years.

• Tier 1 - Critical: codes indicating charge‑offs, collections, repossessions, or bankruptcies (e.g., 20, 30, 40); they lower scores sharply and linger the longest, so clear them ASAP.
• Tier 2 - Moderate: codes for late payments of 30, 60 or 90 days (e.g., 10, 12, 13); they hurt scores noticeably but less than Tier 1, address them after the critical items.
• Tier 3 - Minor: codes for inquiries, closed accounts in good standing, or short‑term delinquencies (e.g., 5, 6, 7); they have limited score impact and may be paid later or ignored if cash is tight.

Identify mismatched status codes by pulling your Equifax, Experian and TransUnion reports, then matching each creditor entry side‑by‑side. Use the Equifax code key you located earlier to translate its symbols, and compare them with the other bureaus' legends; any deviation - such as an 'C' (closed) on Equifax versus 'CH' (closed‑by‑holder) on Experian - flags a mismatch that could affect your score.

When a discrepancy appears, note the account number, date, and differing codes, then contact the creditor to confirm the correct status; the bureau that shows the inaccurate code should be updated after the creditor's verification. Resolving these differences often uncovers errors that signal identity theft, which we explore in the next section.Consumer Finance Bureau guide on credit reports

Boost your Equifax score by fixing report errors, lowering credit‑card utilization, and improving recent activity.

1. Pull your latest Equifax credit report, locate any inaccurate or duplicate accounts, and file disputes online; a corrected record can add 10‑30 points within 30 days.
2. Trim balances on revolving cards so total utilization falls below 30 % of available limits; dropping from 45 % to 25 % often lifts the score 20‑40 points.
3. Prioritize on‑time payment of any current collections or late‑payment balances; once reported as paid, the negative impact lessens after 12 months.
4. Review authorized‑user entries; remove users linked to high‑utilization cards and add yourself to a low‑balance, long‑standing account to gain a modest bump.
5. Request deletion of expired negative items (older than seven years for most delinquencies); Equifax may remove them after verification, which can improve the score by up to 15 points.
6. Consider opening a secured credit card or reactivating an old account with a small credit line; the added positive history can raise the score gradually.
7. If you suspect a mixed or merged file, contact Equifax to separate unrelated records; a clean file ensures the model evaluates only your true credit behavior.

Rare codes appear in the Equifax credit report when a public record or a bankruptcy has been filed against you. These entries sit in the same status‑code column as the common items you decoded earlier, but they use distinct abbreviations that signal legal actions rather than ordinary credit activity. Because they stem from court filings, they generally stay on the report for a set period - bankruptcy for up to ten years, most tax liens and judgments for seven to ten years - unless a dispute proves them inaccurate.

Common rare codes include BK (bankruptcy filing), BK‑CH (Chapter 7 discharge), BK‑CD (Chapter 13 plan), LIEN (tax or mechanics lien), JUDG (civil judgment), and PP (public record such as a court case).

When you spot one, compare the filing date to the removal timeline and verify the creditor's name against the original court documents. If the code is wrong or the filing has been satisfied, follow the dispute steps outlined in section 5 and attach the court order or lien release as proof.