How Long Does a Judgement Appear on My Credit?

When you receive a judgment against you, it will show up on your credit report. At that point, your creditors and potential creditors will be able to see the judgment. This can influence lending decisions and make it more difficult to get credit again in the future. The length of time that the judgment stays on your credit report will vary, depending on the type.

Collection Accounts

When you do not pay a bill, the account will most likely go into collections. When this happens, the creditor will report the item as a negative on your credit report. The item will typically be reported to the credit bureaus approximately 180 days after it first becomes delinquent. From that point, it can appear on your credit report for about 7.5 years from the date that it is reported to the credit bureaus.

Bankruptcies

If you have a bankruptcy judgment against you, it is much more severe than simply allowing one account to go into collections. Because of this, you will be on your report for a longer period of time. With a bankruptcy judgment, it will remain on your credit report for a period of 10 years from the date of discharge. This applies regardless of whether you file for Chapter 7 liquidation bankruptcy or if you file for reorganization under Chapter 13.

Student Loans

The one exception to the 7.5-year rule on delinquent accounts is student loans. If you do not pay student loans and they remain delinquent, they can stay on your credit report indefinitely. The student loans will remain on your credit report for as long as they are outstanding. To remove the student loans from your credit report, you will have to pay them off. They also cannot be eliminated through filing for bankruptcy.

Tax Liens

Another type of negative item that could show up on your credit report is a tax lien. A tax lien is placed on your property when you do not pay your property taxes or your personal income taxes. When this occurs, it will remain on your credit report for seven years from the time you pay the lien. By comparison, other liens stay on your credit report for that amount of time regardless of when you pay.