According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, delinquent accounts will stay on a report for a minimum of 7 years. If it is a "charge-off" meaning you didn't pay it, and let the debt ride until the time that the company effectively "writes it off", then the time period is 7 years plus 180 days from the date of the delinquency. If it is just some late payments for which you eventually caught back up, then it is just 7 years from the date u missed the payment. For more info go to [1]