usc 15 § 1681e

Compliance procedures (COMMERCE AND TRADE (15 U.S.C.))

In Force
Verified 9/13/2026 · Next check 10/13/2026
effective 9/13/2026FederalAffordable Housing Programs

Operative Text

usc 15 § 1681e
Every consumer reporting agency shall maintain reasonable procedures designed to avoid violations of  and to limit the furnishing of consumer reports to the purposes listed under . These procedures shall require that prospective users of the information identify themselves, certify the purposes for which the information is sought, and certify that the information will be used for no other purpose. Every consumer reporting agency shall make a reasonable effort to verify the identity of a new prospective user and the uses certified by such prospective user prior to furnishing such user a consumer report. No consumer reporting agency may furnish a consumer report to any person if it has reasonable grounds for believing that the consumer report will not be used for a purpose listed in .

Whenever a consumer reporting agency prepares a consumer report it shall follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy of the information concerning the individual about whom the report relates.

A consumer reporting agency may not prohibit a user of a consumer report furnished by the agency on a consumer from disclosing the contents of the report to the consumer, if adverse action against the consumer has been taken by the user based in whole or in part on the report.

A consumer reporting agency shall provide to any person—

who regularly and in the ordinary course of business furnishes information to the agency with respect to any consumer; or

to whom a consumer report is provided by the agency;

The Bureau shall prescribe the content of notices under paragraph (1), and a consumer reporting agency shall be in compliance with this subsection if it provides a notice under paragraph (1) that is substantially similar to the Bureau prescription under this paragraph.

A person may not procure a consumer report for purposes of reselling the report (or any information in the report) unless the person discloses to the consumer reporting agency that originally furnishes the report—

the identity of the end-user of the report (or information); and

each permissible purpose under  for which the report is furnished to the end-user of the report (or information).

A person who procures a consumer report for purposes of reselling the report (or any information in the report) shall—

establish and comply with reasonable procedures designed to ensure that the report (or information) is resold by the person only for a purpose for which the report may be furnished under , including by requiring that each person to which the report (or information) is resold and that resells or provides the report (or information) to any other person—

identifies each end user of the resold report (or information);

certifies each purpose for which the report (or information) will be used; and

certifies that the report (or information) will be used for no other purpose; and

before reselling the report, make reasonable efforts to verify the identifications and certifications made under subparagraph (A).

Notwithstanding paragraph (1) or (2), a person who procures a consumer report for purposes of reselling the report (or any information in the report) shall not disclose the identity of the end-user of the report under paragraph (1) or (2) if—

the end user is an agency or department of the United States Government which procures the report from the person for purposes of determining the eligibility of the consumer concerned to receive access or continued access to classified information (as defined in section 1681b(b)(4)(E)(i)  of this title); and

the agency or department certifies in writing to the person reselling the report that nondisclosure is necessary to protect classified information or the safety of persons employed by or contracting with, or undergoing investigation for work or contracting with the agency or department.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681e, consumer reporting agencies are required to maintain reasonable internal procedures that limit who can receive consumer reports and for what purposes. Agencies must verify the identity and stated purpose of anyone seeking a report, and they must follow procedures aimed at ensuring the maximum possible accuracy of the information in every report they prepare. The law also addresses the resale of consumer reports, requiring resellers to track end users and permissible purposes, and it prohibits agencies from blocking users from sharing report contents with consumers when an adverse action has been taken based on those reports.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on September 13, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Property owners and managers who use consumer reports—such as credit or background checks—as part of tenant screening are considered 'users' under 15 U.S.C. § 1681e and are expected to certify their permissible purpose when obtaining such reports. A compliant operator accurately identifies themselves to the consumer reporting agency, states the lawful purpose for the inquiry, and uses the report only for that stated purpose. When an adverse action such as a rental denial is based in whole or in part on a consumer report, operators generally do not interfere with the consumer reporting agency's obligation to allow disclosure of the report's contents to the applicant.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681e, consumer reporting agencies are required to follow reasonable procedures to ensure the accuracy of the information in reports prepared about you, and they may only furnish your report to parties with a verified, permissible purpose. If a landlord or other user takes an adverse action against you—such as denying your rental application—based on your consumer report, the law prohibits the reporting agency from blocking that user from sharing the report's contents with you. Tenants who believe a consumer reporting agency failed to follow proper accuracy or access procedures may consider filing a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) or consulting a tenant-rights or consumer-rights organization for guidance on available options.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated September 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Current
Sep 13, 2026
Click on timeline segments to view historical versions.

References Out

No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.

References In

No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.

Related Rules

§ 1437
Declaration of policy and public housing agency organization
§ 5.100
§ 5.100 Definitions.
§ 5.107
§ 5.107 Audit requirements for non-profit organizations.

Source Information

Snapshot SHA:
Fetched:Sep 13, 2026, 12:20 PM UTC