• As ordered by a court or a federal grand jury subpoena. Section 604(a)(1)
• As instructed by the consumer in writing. Section 604(a)(2)
• For the extension of credit as a result of an application from a consumer, or the review or collection of a consumers account. Section 604(a)(3)(A)
• For employment purposes, including hiring and promotion decisions, where the consumer has given written permission. Sections 604(a)(3)(B) and 604(b)
• For the underwriting of insurance as a result of an application from a consumer. Section 604(a)(3)(C)
• When there is a legitimate business need, in connection with a business transaction that is initiated by the consumer. Section 604(a)(3)(F)(i)
• To review a consumers account to determine whether the consumer continues to meet the terms of the account. Section 604(a)(3)(F)(ii)
• To determine a consumers eligibility for a license or other benefit granted by a governmental instrumentality required by law to consider an applicants financial responsibility or status. Section 604(a)(3)(D)
• For use by a potential investor or servicer, or current insurer, in a valuation or assessment of the credit or prepayment risks associated with an existing credit obligation. Section 604(a)(3)(E)
• For use by state and local officials in connection with the determination of child support payments, or modifications and enforcement thereof. Sections 604(a)(4) and 604(a)(5)

B. Users Must Provide Certifications

C. Users Must Notify Consumers When Adverse Actions Are Taken

1. Adverse Actions Based on Information Obtained From a CRA

• The name, address, and telephone number of the CRA (including a toll-free telephone number, if it is a nationwide CRA) that provided the report.
• A statement that the CRA did not make the adverse decision and is not able to explain why the decision was made.
• A statement setting forth the consumer's right to obtain a free disclosure of the consumer's file from the CRA if the consumer makes a request within 60 days.
• A statement setting forth the consumer's right to dispute directly with the CRA the accuracy or completeness of any information provided by the CRA.

2. Adverse Actions Based on Information Obtained From Third Parties Who Are Not Consumer Reporting Agencies

3. Adverse Actions Based on Information Obtained From Affiliates

D. Users Have Obligations When Fraud and Active Duty Military Alerts are in Files

E. Users Have Obligations When Notified of an Address Discrepancy

F. Users Have Obligations When Disposing of Records

II. CREDITORS MUST MAKE ADDITIONAL DISCLOSURES

III. OBLIGATIONS OF USERS WHEN CONSUMER REPORTS ARE OBTAINED FOR EMPLOYMENT PURPOSES

A. Employment Other Than in the Trucking Industry

• Make a clear and conspicuous written disclosure to the consumer before the report is obtained, in a document that consists solely of the disclosure, that a consumer report may be obtained.
• Obtain from the consumer prior written authorization. Authorization to access reports during the term of employment may be obtained at the time of employment.
• Certify to the CRA that the above steps have been followed, that the information being obtained will not be used in violation of any federal or state equal opportunity law or regulation, and that, if any adverse action is to be taken based on the consumer report, a copy of the report and a summary of the consumer's rights will be provided to the consumer.
• Before taking an adverse action, the user must provide a copy of the report to the consumer as well as the summary of consumer's rights (The user should receive this summary from the CRA.) A Section 615(a) adverse action notice should be sent after the adverse action is taken.

B. Employment in the Trucking Industry

IV. OBLIGATIONS WHEN INVESTIGATIVE CONSUMER REPORTS ARE USED

• The user must disclose to the consumer that an investigative consumer report may be obtained. This must be done in a written disclosure that is mailed, or otherwise delivered, to the consumer at some time before or not later than three days after the date on which the report was first requested. The disclosure must include a statement informing the consumer of his or her right to request additional disclosures of the nature and scope of the investigation as described below, and the summary of consumer rights required by Section 609 of the FCRA. (The summary of consumer rights will be provided by the CRA that conducts the investigation.)
• The user must certify to the CRA that the disclosures set forth above have been made and that the user will make the disclosure described below.
• Upon the written request of a consumer made within a reasonable period of time after the disclosures required above, the user must make a complete disclosure of the nature and scope of the investigation. This must be made in a written statement that is mailed or otherwise delivered, to the consumer no later than five days after the date on which the request was received from the consumer or the report was first requested, whichever is later in time.




V. SPECIAL PROCEDURES FOR EMPLOYMEE INVESTIGATIONS



Section 603(x) provides special procedures for investigations of suspected misconduct by an employee or for compliance with Federal, state or local laws and regulations or the rules of a self-regulatory organization, and compliance with written policies of the employer. These investigations are not treated as consumer reports so long as the employer or its agent complies with the procedures set forth in Section 603(x), and a summary describing the nature and scope of the inquiry is made to the employee if an adverse action is taken based on the investigation.



VI. OBLIGATIONS OF USERS OF MEDICAL INFORMATION



Section 604(g) limits the use of medical information obtained from consumer reporting agencies (other than payment information that appears in a coded form that does not identify the medical provider). If the information is to be used for an insurance transaction, the consumer must give consent to the user of the report or the information must be coded. If the report is to be used for employment purposes - or in connection with a credit transaction (except as provided in regulations) the consumer must provide specific written consent and the medical information must be relevant. Any user who receives medical information shall not disclose the information to any other person (except where necessary to carry out the purpose for which the information was disclosed, or a permitted by statute, regulation, or order).



VII. OBLIGATIONS OF USERS OF "PRESCREENED" LISTS



The FCRA permits creditors and insurers to obtain limited consumer report information for use in connection with unsolicited offers of credit or insurance under certain circumstances. Sections 603(1), 604(c), 604(e), and 615(d). This practice is known as "prescreening" and typically involves obtaining from a CRA a list of consumers who meet certain preestablished criteria. If any person intends to use prescreened lists, that person must (1) before the offer is made, establish the criteria that will be relied upon to make the offer and to grant credit or insurance, and (2) maintain such criteria on file for a three-year period beginning on the date on which the offer is made to each consumer. In addition, any user must provide with each written solicitation a clear and conspicuous statement that:


• Information contained in a consumer's CRA file was used in connection with the transaction.
• The consumer received the offer because he or she satisfied the criteria for credit worthiness or insurability used to screen for the offer.
• Credit or insurance may not be extended if, after the consumer responds, it is determined that the consumer does not meet the criteria used for screening or any applicable criteria bearing on credit worthiness or insurability, or the consumer does not furnish required collateral.
• The consumer may prohibit the use of information in his or her file in connection with future prescreened offers of credit or insurance by contacting the notification system established by the CRA that provided the report. The statement must include the address and toll-free telephone number of the appropriate notification system.


In addition, the CFPB has established the format, type size, and manner of the disclosure required by Section 615(d), with which users must comply. The relevant regulation is 12 CFR 1022.54.



VIII. OBLIGATIONS OF RESELLERS





A. Disclosure and Certification Requirements



Section 607(e) requires any person who obtains a consumer report for resale to take the following steps:


• Disclose the identity of the end-user to the source CRA.
• Identify to the source CRA each permissible purpose for which the report will be furnished to the end-user.
• Establish and follow reasonable procedures to ensure that reports are resold only for permissible purposes, including procedures to obtain:

(1) the identify of all end-users;
(2) certifications from all users of each purpose for which reports will be used; and
(3) certifications that reports will not be used for any purpose other than the purpose(s) specified to the reseller. Resellers must make reasonable efforts to verify this information before selling the report.



B. Reinvestigations by Resellers



Under Section 611(f), if a consumer disputes the accuracy or completeness of information in a report prepared by a reseller, the reseller must determine whether this is a result of an action or omission on its part and, if so, correct or delete the information. If not, the reseller must send the dispute to the source CRA for reinvestigation. When any CRA notifies the reseller of the results of an investigation, the reseller must immediately convey the information to the consumer.



C. Fraud Alerts and Resellers



Section 605A(f) requires resellers who receive fraud alerts or active duty alerts from another consumer reporting agency to include these in their reports.



IX. LIABILITY FOR VIOLATIONS OF THE FCRA



Failure to comply with the FCRA can result in state government or federal government enforcement actions, as well as private lawsuits. Sections 616, 617, and 621. In addition, any person who knowingly and willfully obtains a consumer report under false pretenses may face criminal prosecution. Section 619.

The CFPB website, www.consumerfinance.gov/learnmore, has more information about the FCRA, including publications for businesses and the full text of the FCRA.



Citations for FCRA sections in the U.S. Code, 15 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.:


Section 602 Section 603 Section 604 Section 605 Section 605A Section 605B Section 606 Section 607 Section 608 Section 609 Section 610 Section 611 Section 612 Section 613 15 U.S.C. 1681 15 U.S.C. 1681a 15 U.S.C. 1681b 15 U.S.C. 1681c 15 U.S.C. 1681c-A 15 U.S.C. 1681c-B 15 U.S.C. 1681d 15 U.S.C. 1681e 15 U.S.C. 1681f 15 U.S.C. 1681g 15 U.S.C. 1681h 15 U.S.C. 1681i 15 U.S.C. 1681j 15 U.S.C. 1681k Section 614 Section 615 Section 616 Section 617 Section 618 Section 619 Section 620 Section 621 Section 622 Section 623 Section 624 Section 625 Section 626 Section 627 Section 628 Section 629 15 U.S.C. 1681l 15 U.S.C. 1681m 15 U.S.C. 1681n 15 U.S.C. 1681o 15 U.S.C. 1681p 15 U.S.C. 1681q 15 U.S.C. 1681r 15 U.S.C. 1681s 15 U.S.C. 1681s-1 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2 15 U.S.C. 1681t 15 U.S.C. 1681u 15 U.S.C. 1681v 15 U.S.C. 1681w 15 U.S.C. 1681x 15 U.S.C. 1681y Para información en español, visite www.consumerfinance.gov/learnmore o escribe al Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 1700 G Street N.W., Washington, DC 20552.

A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act



The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) promotes the accuracy, fairness, and privacy of information in the files of consumer reporting agencies. There are many types of consumer reporting agencies, including credit bureaus and specialty agencies (such as agencies that sell information about check writing histories, medical records, and rental history records). Here is a summary of your major rights under the FCRA. For more information, including information about additional rights, go to www.consumerfinance.gov/learnmore or write to: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 1700 G Street N.W., Washington, DC 20552.


• You must be told if information in your file has been used against you. Anyone who uses a credit report or another type of consumer report to deny your application for credit, insurance, or employment - or to take another adverse action against you - must tell you, and must give you the name, address, and phone number of the agency that provided the information.
• You have the right to know what is in your file. You may request and obtain all the information about you in the files of a consumer reporting agency (your "file disclosure"). You will be required to provide proper identification, which may include your Social Security number. In many cases, the disclosure will be free. You are entitled to a free file disclosure if:
• a person has taken adverse action against you because of information in your credit report;
• you are the victim of identity theft and place a fraud alert in your file;
• your file contains inaccurate information as a result of fraud;
• you are on public assistance;
• you are unemployed but expect to apply for employment within 60 days.
In addition, all consumers are entitled to one free disclosure every 12 months upon request from each nationwide credit bureau and from nationwide specialty consumer reporting agencies. See www.consumerfinance.gov/learnmore for additional information.
• You have the right to ask for a credit score. Credit scores are numerical summaries of your credit-worthiness based on information from credit bureaus. You may request a credit score from consumer reporting agencies that create scores or distribute scores used in residential real property loans, but you will have to pay for it. In some mortgage transactions, you will receive credit score information for free from the mortgage lender.
• You have the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information. If you identify information in your file that is incomplete or inaccurate, and report it to the consumer reporting agency, the agency must investigate unless your dispute is frivolous. See www.consumerfinance.gov/learnmore for an explanation of dispute procedures.
• Consumer reporting agencies must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information. Inaccurate, incomplete or unverifiable information must be removed or corrected, usually within 30 days. However, a consumer reporting agency may continue to report information it has verified as accurate.
• Consumer reporting agencies may not report outdated negative information. In most cases, a consumer reporting agency may not report negative information that is more than seven years old, or bankruptcies that are more than 10 years old.
• Access to your file is limited. A consumer reporting agency may provide information about you only to people with a valid need -- usually to consider an application with a creditor, insurer, employer, landlord, or other business. The FCRA specifies those with a valid need for access.
• You must give your consent for reports to be provided to employers. A consumer reporting agency may not give out information about you to your employer, or a potential employer, without your written consent given to the employer. Written consent generally is not required in the trucking industry. For more information, go to www.consumerfinance.gov/learnmore.
• You may limit "prescreened" offers of credit and insurance you get based on information in your credit report. Unsolicited "prescreened" offers for credit and insurance must include a toll-free phone number you can call if you choose to remove your name and address from the lists these offers are based on. You may opt out with the nationwide credit bureaus at 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688).
• You may seek damages from violators. If a consumer reporting agency, or, in some cases, a user of consumer reports or a furnisher of information to a consumer reporting agency violates the FCRA, you may be able to sue in state or federal court.
• Identity theft victims and active duty military personnel have additional rights. For more information, visit www.consumerfinance.gov/learnmore.


States may enforce the FCRA, and many states have their own consumer reporting laws. In some cases, you may have more rights under state law. For more information, contact your state or local consumer protection agency or your state Attorney General. For information about your federal rights, contact: TYPE OF BUSINESS: CONTACT:

1.a. Banks, savings associations, and credit unions with total assets of over $10 billion and their affiliates b. Such affiliates that are not banks, savings associations, or credit unions also should list, a. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau 1700 G. Street N.W. Washington, DC 20552 b. Federal Trade Commission: Consumer Response Center FCRA in addition to the CFPB: Washington, DC 20580 (877) 382-4357

2. To the extent not included in item 1 above: a. National banks, federal savings associations, and federal branches and federal agencies of foreign banks b. State member banks, branches and agencies of foreign banks (other than federal branches, federal agencies, and Insured State Branches of Foreign Banks), commercial lending companies owned or controlled by foreign banks, and organizations operating under section 25 or 25A of the Federal Reserve Act c. Nonmember Insured Banks, Insured State Branches of Foreign Banks, and insured state savings associations d. Federal Credit Unions a. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency Customer Assistance Group 1301 McKinney Street, Suite 3450 Houston, TX 77010-9050 b. Federal Reserve Consumer Help Center P.O. Box. 1200 Minneapolis, MN 55480 c. FDIC Consumer Response Center 1100 Walnut Street, Box #11 Kansas City, MO 64106 d. National Credit Union Administration Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) Division of Consumer Compliance and Outreach (DCCO) 1775 Duke Street Alexandria, VA 22314

3. Air carriers Asst. General Counsel for Aviation Enforcement & Proceedings Aviation Consumer Protection Division Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. Washington, DC 20423

4. Creditors Subject to the Surface Transportation Board Office of Proceedings, Surface Transportation Board Department of Transportation 395 E Street, S.W. Washington, DC 20423

5. Creditors Subject to the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 Nearest Packers and Stockyards Administration area supervisor

6. Small Business Investment Companies Associate Deputy Administrator for Capital Access United States Small Business Administration 409 Third Street, S.W., 8th Floor Washington, DC 20549

7. Brokers and Dealers Securities and Exchange Commission 100 F Street, N.E. Washington, DC 20549

8. Federal Land Banks, Federal Lank Bank Associations, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, and Production Credit Associations Farm Credit Administration 1501 Farm Credit Drive McLean, VA 22102-5090

9. Retailers, Finance Companies, and All Other Creditors Not Listed Above FTC Regional Office for region in which the creditor operates or Federal Trade Commission: Consumer Response Center, FCRA Washington, DC 20580 (877) 382-4357