How long does a default stay on your credit file in Australia?

Five years from the date the default was listed, not from the date it was paid. Paying a default updates it to 'paid', which lenders view more favourably, but the listing itself remains for the full five years unless it was recorded incorrectly or unlawfully.

How long do credit enquiries stay on your credit file?

Five years from the date the credit provider made the enquiry. Enquiries you did not authorise, or duplicates from a single application, can be raised with the provider or credit reporting body.

How long does repayment history information stay on your credit file?

Two years. Repayment history is a month-by-month record showing whether each repayment on a credit account was made on time, and only the most recent 24 months are held.

How long does a serious credit infringement stay on your credit file?

Seven years from the date it was listed. A serious credit infringement is recorded where a credit provider believes on reasonable grounds that a person has evaded their obligations and cannot be contacted after reasonable attempts.

How long does a court judgement stay on your credit file?

Five years from the date the judgement was given. Judgements entered without proper service, or later set aside, can be raised with the credit reporting body.

How long does bankruptcy stay on your credit file?

Personal insolvency information stays on your credit file for five years from the date the bankruptcy or debt agreement began, or two years from the end of the arrangement, whichever is later. The entry on the National Personal Insolvency Index is a permanent public record.

Can a listing be removed before its retention period ends?

Only where it is inaccurate, out-of-date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading, or was recorded unlawfully. Accurate, complete, current and lawfully recorded listings cannot be removed and stay for the full period. You can raise a correction request yourself, free of charge, with the credit provider or the credit reporting body.

Credit file reference

How long does it stay on your credit file?

Every listing on an Australian credit file has a set retention period under the Privacy Act 1988 and the Privacy (Credit Reporting) Code. Pick a listing type below to see how long it lasts and when the clock starts.

Check how long a listing stays on your credit file

Select a listing type to see its retention period, when the clock starts, and what can be looked at while it is still showing.

Choose a listing type

Default (payment default)

Stays on your credit file for 5 years, counted from the date the default was listed — not the date you paid it.

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Work out when it is due to drop off

Enter the date the default was listed and we will show the approximate date this listing is due to come off your credit file.

An estimate only, based on the date you enter. The date shown on your credit report is what applies. Nothing entered here is sent to us or stored.

What it is

Recorded where a payment of $150 or more was at least 60 days overdue and the required written notices were sent to your last known address.

What can be looked at while it is showing

Whether the amount met the threshold, whether both required notices were actually sent, whether the account was yours, whether the debt was in dispute at the time, and whether the same debt has been listed twice after being sold.

Default removal

General information only, current as at the date of publication. This is not financial, credit or legal advice. Retention periods are set by law — accurate, complete, current and lawfully recorded listings cannot be removed early.

Credit file retention periods at a glance

The table below sets out how long each type of listing is held by Australian credit reporting bodies, and the date each period is counted from.

How long each type of listing stays on an Australian credit file
Listing type	How long it stays	Counted from
Default (payment default)	5 years	the date the default was listed — not the date you paid it
Serious credit infringement	7 years	the date the infringement was listed
Credit enquiry (credit application)	5 years	the date the credit provider made the enquiry
Repayment history information (RHI)	2 years	the month each repayment was due
Financial hardship information	12 months	the month the hardship arrangement applied
Court judgement (consumer credit related)	5 years	the date the judgement was given
Consumer credit liability information	2 years after the account is closed	the date the credit account was closed
Personal insolvency information	5 years, or 2 years from the end of the arrangement — whichever is later	the date the bankruptcy or debt agreement began

Waiting it out is not always the only option

A listing that is accurate, complete, current and lawfully recorded stays for its full period, and no one can shorten that. What can be looked at is whether the listing met the rules in the first place — the thresholds, the written notices, the identity of the account holder, the dates and the amounts. Where a listing is inaccurate, out-of-date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading, or was recorded unlawfully, it can be challenged and corrected.

A OK Credit Repair reviews credit files against those requirements and, where there are grounds, raises the matter with the credit provider or credit reporting body on your behalf. Assessments are free and potential fees are confirmed in writing before any fee-bearing work begins.

Check your own credit file first

You are entitled to a free copy of your credit report from each credit reporting body, and the files can differ. Reading yours is the only way to know which listings you have and when each one is due to drop off.

You can also raise a correction request yourself, free of charge, with the credit provider or the credit reporting body, and escalate to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority at no cost. Free financial counselling is available through the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007.

Free credit file assessment

Common questions

How long does a default stay on your credit file in Australia?: Five years from the date the default was listed, not from the date it was paid. Paying a default updates it to 'paid', which lenders view more favourably, but the listing itself remains for the full five years unless it was recorded incorrectly or unlawfully.
How long do credit enquiries stay on your credit file?: Five years from the date the credit provider made the enquiry. Enquiries you did not authorise, or duplicates from a single application, can be raised with the provider or credit reporting body.
How long does repayment history information stay on your credit file?: Two years. Repayment history is a month-by-month record showing whether each repayment on a credit account was made on time, and only the most recent 24 months are held.
How long does a serious credit infringement stay on your credit file?: Seven years from the date it was listed. A serious credit infringement is recorded where a credit provider believes on reasonable grounds that a person has evaded their obligations and cannot be contacted after reasonable attempts.
How long does a court judgement stay on your credit file?: Five years from the date the judgement was given. Judgements entered without proper service, or later set aside, can be raised with the credit reporting body.
How long does bankruptcy stay on your credit file?: Personal insolvency information stays on your credit file for five years from the date the bankruptcy or debt agreement began, or two years from the end of the arrangement, whichever is later. The entry on the National Personal Insolvency Index is a permanent public record.
Can a listing be removed before its retention period ends?: Only where it is inaccurate, out-of-date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading, or was recorded unlawfully. Accurate, complete, current and lawfully recorded listings cannot be removed and stay for the full period. You can raise a correction request yourself, free of charge, with the credit provider or the credit reporting body.

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