How Long Does Bankruptcy Stay on Your Credit Report?
4 Min Read | Last updated: July 23, 2026
How long a bankruptcy stays on a credit report varies, but it can last for years. Here are tips to manage credit before and after filing for bankruptcy.
At-A-Glance
- When someone declares bankruptcy, their circumstances can determine how their debt is restructured or discharged and how it affects their credit score.
- Chapter 7 bankruptcy may stay on your credit report for 10 years, while Chapter 13 can remain for seven years from the filing date.
- Even though bankruptcy can result in damage to your credit, there are steps that you can take to rebuild your credit over time.
Filing for bankruptcy may help you discharge certain types of debt, but the aftermath can stick to your credit report for years to come. Whether you’re preparing to file or rebuilding your credit after bankruptcy proceedings, you’ll need to know how long a bankruptcy stays on your credit report. Depending on the type of bankruptcy you filed, it could remain on your credit report for up to 10 years.1 However, that timeline could be shorter in some cases. We’ll explore what factors affect how long bankruptcies stay on your credit and how to rebuild your score.
How Long Bankruptcy Stays on Your Credit Report
There are a few factors to consider when determining how long a bankruptcy stays on your credit report. First is the type of bankruptcy filing. You’ll also want to keep the filing date in mind, since that’s when the countdown begins. Here are the different bankruptcy types and how long each stays on your report.2
| Bankruptcy Type | How Long It Stays on Your Credit Report |
|---|---|
| Chapter 7 | 10 years from filing date |
| Chapter 11 | 10 years from filing date |
| Chapter 12 | 10 years from filing date |
| Chapter 13 | Seven years from filing date |
Credit reporting agencies are mostly automated, so after this period, the bankruptcy automatically falls off your credit report. If the seven or 10-year mark passes from your filing date and the credit report entry doesn’t fall off, you can file a dispute through the credit bureaus.
The two most common forms of personal bankruptcy are Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. Each has its own rules and requirements.
Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
Chapter 7 bankruptcy is also known as liquidation bankruptcy. It involves the forfeiture of property to a trustee appointed by the bankruptcy court. The property is then sold and distributed among the creditors. The process typically takes three to four months from the filing date to the date your debts are discharged.3 This type of bankruptcy stays on your report for up to 10 years.4
Chapter 13 Bankruptcy
Chapter 13 is often used to reorganize debts and may allow filers to retain more of their assets compared to a liquidation. You need sufficient income to qualify for this type of bankruptcy, since you’re required to make restructured monthly payments to a trustee for a span of three to five years. Those funds are then used to repay your creditors. This type of bankruptcy can stay on your credit report for seven years.5
How Bankruptcy Affects Your Credit Score
The exact impact of bankruptcy on your credit score is hard to predict. It depends on your personal situation, but a bankruptcy could reduce your score by up to 200 points.6 This makes it more difficult to qualify for new forms of credit with favorable terms. It also impacts your ability to rent a home, since landlords often do credit checks before deciding to rent to you.
Credit scores are based on a calculation of five factors varying in weight, which are dictated by your financial behaviors. Since everyone approaches finances differently, bankruptcy doesn’t impact everyone in the same way. There may be a larger point deduction the higher your starting credit score is, according to FICO.7 Conversely, your credit score may see a smaller decrease if you’ve experienced other credit challenges that have already dropped your score.
The good news is that a bankruptcy doesn’t stick with you forever. Even before the bankruptcy falls off your credit report, you can take steps to rebuild your credit score.
Can You Remove Bankruptcy from Your Credit Report?
Unfortunately, you can’t remove a bankruptcy from your credit report if it’s accurate. Instead, you’ll need to wait for the applicable period to pass, at which point it should drop off automatically. It’s not often that a bankruptcy appears on your credit report mistakenly, but if you find one reported in error, you can submit a dispute with the credit bureaus to have it removed. You may also have to provide supporting documentation.
What About Dismissed Bankruptcies?
There’s a chance that your Chapter 13 bankruptcy could get dismissed if you fail to follow through with court orders or don’t qualify for that type of bankruptcy. You could also voluntarily dismiss the filing. When your bankruptcy gets dismissed, your debts aren’t discharged, which means creditors can continue to pursue you for payment, and the bankruptcy dismissal still stays on your credit for up to seven years.8
Rebuilding Your Credit After a Bankruptcy
There are no shortcuts to rebuilding your credit. The process takes determination, discipline, and a departure from the money habits that led to bankruptcy. But the impacts of a bankruptcy fade over time, and you can rehab your credit score even before a bankruptcy gets erased by following these six steps:
- Monitor Your Credit Report
The best way to track your credit score progress may be regularly checking your credit report. While it’s helpful to make note of where your score stands, it’s even more important to review your report for any errors that could be holding you back.
- Open a Secured Credit Card
Secured credit cards require a security deposit as collateral, making them easier to qualify for than traditional credit cards. Some secured cards still aren’t accessible to applicants with a recent bankruptcy, but these financial products can help you responsibly rebuild credit if you qualify. - Become an Authorized User
If you’re having trouble qualifying for a credit card of your own, becoming an authorized user on a trusted family member or friend’s credit card account could help you rebuild your credit history. Ideally, this person would have a strong credit history and make consistent on-time payments, which would reflect well on your credit history. - Consider a Credit-Builder Loan
A credit-builder loan is designed to help people with credit challenges build a positive payment record. Unlike a standard loan, a credit-builder loan requires you to make monthly payments into a locked savings account for the length of the loan. During the loan term, your payment history gets reported to the credit bureaus, which helps rebuild your score. - Pay Credit Card Bills on Time
Payment history makes up 35% of your FICO credit score, so paying your monthly bills on time is crucial to rebuilding a positive credit history. - Keep Credit Utilization Low
Your credit utilization ratio falls under the revolving credit section of your score. Keep this ratio low by using less than 30% of your available credit (and ideally even less).
As you navigate rebuilding your credit, remember that it takes time. The most effective tactic you can use is being consistent with your healthy credit habits, like paying bills on time, keeping your utilization low, and using credit responsibly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chapter 7 bankruptcy stays on your credit report for 10 years from the filing date, while Chapter 13 remains for seven years. So Chapter 7 affects your credit report for a longer period, though both types can have a significant impact on your credit score while they remain on your report.
If the bankruptcy information is accurate, you generally cannot remove it from your credit report before the standard reporting period ends—10 years for Chapter 7 and seven years for Chapter 13. However, if you find an error, such as a bankruptcy you didn’t file or an incorrect filing date, you have the right to dispute the inaccuracy with the credit bureaus.
The Takeaway
Understanding how bankruptcy impacts your credit score can help you decide the next best steps to improve your situation. In some cases, choosing the right type of bankruptcy with a legal or debt counselor can help eliminate debt and provide a fresh start. Bankruptcy filings appear on credit reports for seven to 10 years, but even with those long timelines, proper credit management can help raise a person’s credit score to higher levels, potentially sooner than you might think.
1,2 “How Long Does Bankruptcy Stay on Your Credit Report,” TransUnion
3,4,7 “Different Bankruptcy Types and Their Impact On Your Score,” MyFICO
5 “How Do I Get a Bankruptcy Removed From My Credit Report?,” United States Bankruptcy Court
6 “How Does Filing Bankruptcy Affect Your Credit?,” Experian
8 “How Long Does Information Stay on My Equifax Credit Report?,” Equifax
Ryan Lynch is a freelance writer, educator, and musician whose work concentrates on finance, STEM, and the arts.
All Credit Intel content is written by freelance authors and commissioned and paid for by American Express.
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