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Public Records on Your Credit Report

January 12, 2012

11 comments | Comment on this Article

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Public records on your credit report will negatively affect your credit score and can stay on your credit report for seven years or more. While it’s best to avoid them, if you already have one reported on your credit report, there are a few things you should know.

What is a public record?

A public record is a legal document that is issued by the county, state or federal government, and is typically viewable to the public. Examples of public records include bankruptcies, court judgments, tax liens, foreclosures, past due child support and wage garnishment.

Since only financial information is reported to credit bureaus, criminal activity cannot appear as a public record on your credit report.

How will it affect my credit?

Adverse public records, such as bankruptcies, judgments and tax liens, can be recorded on your credit report and will negatively affect your credit score. Even if a payment has been made, having a public record on your credit report can still impact your credit score. Only time will lessen the impact of a public record on your credit. Typically, they’ll remain on your credit report for seven years. However, bankruptcies can remain on your report for up to ten years, and an unpaid tax lien will remain on your credit indefinitely.

To see how a tax lien, foreclosure, overdue child support or wage garnishment would affect your credit score, check out the Credit Simulator.

What can I do?

Check your credit report for free at AnnualCreditReport.com and find out which credit bureaus are reporting your public record. If you believe the public record on your credit report is inaccurate, you can dispute it as an error to the bureau.

If the public record is accurate, make sure you’ve paid any overdue accounts. Then call up each credit bureau reporting the record to find out for how much longer it will be on your credit report. In the meantime, keep the rest of your credit in good health by making on-time bill payments and maintaining a credit utilization rate of less than 30 percent.

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how long can a judgement stay on your credit report

mommy56 3 months ago

to the best of my knowledge it's 7 - 10 years to fall off your credit report entirely. i'm not positive about that though. i would ask a tax attorney if you need to know for certain.....

chiefster8 3 months ago

I sold my condo in a short sale so my credit went from 805 to 685. I've been unemployed for three years. I need to move back to the city to get a job but that means getting an apartment. What do apt managers look at in credit reports? And I at risk for paying a full deposit? What can I do to improve my credit since I'm not working???

tigerbaby3 3 months ago

Unless your Condo was repossessed it makes no sense that your credit would be so adversely affected. Nevertheless, most landlords would jump for joy at a FICA score in the high 600's so i wouldn't worry about that. they do however normally require first and last months rent as a deposit prior to moving in and unless they're saints you rarely get it back at the end regardless of how well you clean it etc. your credit won't improve overnite, but the "reasonable person" approach usually works when you ask if the "deposit" can be spread out over 2 - 3 Mths to enable you to get the place. your credit history alone tells a smart Landlord that your no kind of "Dirt-Bag" so i wouldn't sweat it too much there "Tiger-Baby" sounds to me like the planets are aligned in your favor..........the few benefits we get for leading the life of a Good Person!! Good luck to ya!!!!

chiefster8 3 months ago

Most property managers look to see that you are on time with your payments now. They also look to see if you owe landlords money or if you have unpaid bounced checks. Our company gives leniency for medical bills. A short sale should not adversely affect you being able to rent something. And unlike the popular myth that no matter how good you clean something, you should get your deposit back when you move. People who say otherwise usually have unpaid rent and late fees and don't do the cleaning or do a crappy job and don't take their 24 hours to go back and do it right.

triciadn 2 months ago

I paid a tax prepare person to do my taxes, I recieved a refund the Irs said I wasnt entitled this mistake was made 5 years ago. The Irs contacted me and said I had 10 days to respond or further actions would take place. After Two months of payments they posted it on my credit anyway. I make two payments a month, until its paid in full. Today the IRS contacted me stating I was in default of my payment agreement, because the computer does not combine the payments so It only see half payment. Even though I am current. Irs rep said it would be taking off the public lien once it is paid. I found no proof in this. dup

creditright 2 months ago

I was wondering if anyone knew how long a bankruptcy stays on your credit report? It has been 10 years for me and I would think it was time it came off. Mabye it never does I don't know. Any thoughts or comments would help. Thank you.

ladyj1980 2 months ago

It stays on for 10 YRS, nut sometimes you have to request the credit bureaus to remove it after this timefame if not done automatically

Mrbullfrog80 2 months ago

I had a tax lien from 1997 and it took till 2003 for me to finnally get the irs to say that i didnt owe it anymore. Last year I pulled my credit reports and it was still on there. I found paperwork to dispute this and the only one that didnt take it clearly off my report was experian even after having me dispute it three times. what do I do now?

gikerd2 1 month ago

I saw a judgement on my credit report from a lawyer representing some woman who was involved in a car accident with me in Florida I think in 2007. Progressive insurance paid them 20,000. but she sued me for more money 15,000.00 personal injury. Progressive insurance said that was all she was getting from them. And now it is showing up on my credit report. I never went to any court house nor spoke with these people and would not have known it if I had not checked my report. Have you ever heard of such? and What should I do? I don't mind waiting for it to drop off if that is best.

Ballarina 2 weeks ago

Why does CreditKarma bother to send emailed notices, when you can't FIND what they're referencing on the stupid CreditKarma site? You guys used to be great, but every since you subscribed to the GoDaddy school of jacked-up web design, your site is less than useless. Tired of wasting my time looking for thinbgs on it, in amongst all the ads.

Biscuit1001 6 days ago