A nationwide specialty consumer reporting agency, under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. § 1681a(x)), is a consumer reporting agency that compiles and maintains files on consumers on a nationwide basis relating to medical records or payments, residential or tenant history, check writing history, employment history, or insurance claims. The CFPB's consumer page on specialty consumer reporting agencies describes specialty consumer reporting companies as companies that collect and share information about your employment history, transaction history with a business, or repayment history for a specific product or service.
Five subjects in the definition: medical records or payments; residential or tenant history; check writing history; employment history; insurance claims (§ 1681a(x)(1)–(5)).
One free file disclosure during any 12-month period, on request: § 1681j(a)(1)(A) requires these agencies to make all disclosures under § 1681g once during any 12-month period upon request of the consumer and without charge, except an agency that has not been furnishing consumer reports to third parties on a continuing basis during the 12-month period preceding the request, with respect to consumers residing nationwide (§ 1681j(a)(4)).
15 days: a report requested under that paragraph must be provided not later than 15 days after the date on which the request is received (§ 1681j(a)(2)).
Where you'll see it
The CFPB points to its list of consumer reporting companies, which it says includes the three nationwide consumer reporting companies, Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian, and several other reporting companies that have identified themselves as consumer reporting companies. Per the CFPB, specialty reports may be compiled from your history of opening or using bank accounts (including bounced checks or overdrafts), apartment rental history, including evictions and unpaid billing, car insurance claims, homeowners and renters insurance claims, employment, and medical records or payments, and the information collected depends on the reporting company and its industry.
The rule behind it
The term "nationwide specialty consumer reporting agency" means a consumer reporting agency that compiles and maintains files on consumers on a nationwide basis relating to— (1) medical records or payments; (2) residential or tenant history; (3) check writing history; (4) employment history; or (5) insurance claims.
The free annual disclosure in 15 U.S.C. § 1681j(a)(1)(A) still refers to these agencies by their old designation, subsection (w) of § 1681a. A note in the U.S. Code says that subsection was redesignated § 1681a(x) by Pub. L. 111–203 in 2010.
Any nationwide specialty consumer reporting agency shall have a streamlined process for accepting and processing consumer requests for annual file disclosures.
Under § 1022.137(a)(1), that process must enable consumers to request annual file disclosures by a toll-free telephone number. If a consumer requests an annual file disclosure through another method, § 1022.137(e) says the agency must either accept the request or instruct the consumer how to make it using the streamlined process.
What the CFPB says
Specialty consumer reporting companies collect and share information about your employment history, transaction history with a business, or repayment history for a specific product or service.
You might not know these reports exist unless you run into a problem, such as not getting a job, lease, insurance, or checking account, or when a utility or cell phone company asks you to put down a deposit before starting service with you.
Specialty agency vs. nationwide consumer reporting agency
Both are consumer reporting agencies under § 1681a(f): a person that, for monetary fees, dues, or on a cooperative nonprofit basis, regularly engages in whole or in part in the practice of assembling or evaluating consumer credit information or other information on consumers for the purpose of furnishing consumer reports to third parties, and which uses any means or facility of interstate commerce for the purpose of preparing or furnishing consumer reports. What § 1681a(p) calls a consumer reporting agency that compiles and maintains files on consumers on a nationwide basis is defined by credit: it regularly engages in the practice of assembling or evaluating, and maintaining, for the purpose of furnishing consumer reports to third parties bearing on a consumer's credit worthiness, credit standing, or credit capacity, both public record information and credit account information from persons who furnish that information regularly and in the ordinary course of business, regarding consumers residing nationwide. On its consumer pages, the CFPB calls Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian the three nationwide consumer reporting companies. A nationwide specialty agency under § 1681a(x) is defined instead by the five file types above. Section 1681j(a)(1)(A) applies the free disclosure once during any 12-month period, upon request, to both groups. For a § 1681a(p) agency, § 1681j(a)(1)(B) applies it only if the request is made using the centralized source established for that purpose. For both groups, § 1681j(a)(4) excludes an agency that has not been furnishing consumer reports to third parties on a continuing basis during the 12-month period preceding the request, with respect to consumers residing nationwide.
Questions people ask
What is a specialty consumer report?
Section 1681a, the FCRA's definitions section, defines "nationwide specialty consumer reporting agency" but not "specialty consumer report." The CFPB describes reports from specialty consumer reporting companies as compiled from your history of opening or using bank accounts, apartment rental history, car, homeowners and renters insurance claims, employment, and medical records or payments.
Can I get a free copy of a specialty consumer report?
From a nationwide specialty consumer reporting agency, § 1681j(a)(1)(A) provides all § 1681g disclosures once during any 12-month period upon request and without charge, subject to the § 1681j(a)(4) exception for an agency that has not been furnishing consumer reports to third parties on a continuing basis during the 12-month period preceding the request, with respect to consumers residing nationwide. Separately, under § 1681j(b), each consumer reporting agency that maintains a file on a consumer must make those disclosures without charge if the consumer requests them not later than 60 days after receiving a notification under § 1681m, or a notification from a debt collection agency affiliated with that consumer reporting agency stating that the consumer's credit rating may be or has been adversely affected.
Which companies are specialty consumer reporting agencies?
The FCRA defines the category, not a list of companies. The CFPB publishes a list of common consumer reporting companies, which, it says, includes the three nationwide companies and several other reporting companies that have identified themselves as consumer reporting companies.
How long does a specialty agency have to respond?
Under § 1681j(a)(2), a report requested under the free annual disclosure must be provided not later than 15 days after the date on which the request is received. Under § 1681j(a)(3), a reinvestigation requested after receiving a report under that subsection must be completed not later than 45 days after the date on which the request is received.
Can information in a specialty report be disputed?
A nationwide specialty agency is a consumer reporting agency, and the FCRA's dispute section, 15 U.S.C. § 1681i, covers disputes about the completeness or accuracy of any item of information contained in a consumer's file at a consumer reporting agency, subject to the exceptions in that section. How that reinvestigation works is on its own glossary entry.
Sources: 15 U.S.C. § 1681a · 15 U.S.C. § 1681j · 12 CFR § 1022.137 (Regulation V) · CFPB: What are specialty consumer reporting agencies and what types of information do they collect? · CFPB: Companies list
Sources last checked: October 23, 2026.
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