FCRA File Disclosure Maximum Fee 2026 — $16 Effective January 1

FCRA File Disclosure Maximum Fee Increases to $16 for 2026

The CFPB has set the maximum allowable charge for FCRA file disclosures at $16 for calendar year 2026, up from $15.50. The annual adjustment is required by statute and reflects CPI changes. Consumers retain the right to free weekly file disclosures from the three major bureaus.

By Steven Bradley March 29, 2026 2 min read min read

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has published the maximum allowable charge for consumer file disclosures by consumer reporting agencies under the Fair Credit Reporting Act for calendar year 2026. The maximum fee is $16, an increase from the $15.50 maximum that applied in 2025. The adjustment was published at 90 Fed. Reg. 57,888 (Dec. 15, 2025).

The FCRA requires the CFPB to calculate and publish the maximum allowable file disclosure charge annually. The calculation is based on changes in the Consumer Price Index and is designed to maintain the real value of the fee ceiling over time. Consumer reporting agencies may charge no more than the published maximum for a file disclosure requested by a consumer who is not entitled to a free disclosure.

Free Disclosure Rights Are Unchanged

The fee adjustment does not affect consumers' rights to free file disclosures. Under FCRA Section 612 and the longstanding practice codified by the CARES Act, consumers are entitled to free weekly online file disclosures from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion through AnnualCreditReport.com. The free weekly disclosure right has been in effect since the COVID-19 pandemic and has not been modified.

Additional free disclosures are available to consumers who have been denied credit, employment, insurance, or housing based on information in a consumer report; who are victims of identity theft; who receive public assistance; or who are unemployed and expect to seek employment within 60 days.

The paid disclosure right — capped at $16 — applies primarily to situations where a consumer requests a disclosure through a channel other than the free annual disclosure program or where the consumer has already received a free disclosure during the relevant period and requests an additional one.

What CRAs Must Do

Consumer reporting agencies that charge for file disclosures must update their fee schedules to reflect the $16 maximum effective January 1, 2026. Charging more than the published maximum is a violation of FCRA Section 612 and may expose the CRA to civil liability under Section 616 or 617.

CRAs should also review their disclosure process for accuracy of the free disclosure notice — the required notice to consumers of their right to a free disclosure through the annual disclosure program. Courts have found FCRA violations where disclosure notices were technically accurate but misleading about the scope of free disclosure rights.

Source: 90 Fed. Reg. 57,888 (Dec. 15, 2025). This article is for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.