Authorization Fair Credit Reporting Act

Use a Authorization Fair Credit Reporting Act 2015 template to make your document workflow more streamlined.

What this credit authorization does

An Authorization Fair Credit Reporting Act form gives a consumer’s written permission for a party to obtain or use a consumer report for a stated purpose. The form normally identifies the consumer, the requesting party, and the scope of authorization, then records the consumer’s signature and date. The Fair Credit Reporting Act governs permissible purposes and consumer-report handling; the authorization does not replace those duties. With signNow, the requester can upload the authorization, place fields, send it to the consumer, capture the signature, and retain the completed document with its audit trail.

Employment screening

Employers and background-screening providers use the authorization to document a consumer’s permission before obtaining a consumer report for a permissible employment-related purpose.

Financial and housing review

Financial-services and property-management teams use signed authorizations to organize consumer-report permissions alongside applicant or customer records, subject to FCRA duties and applicable state law.

Setting	Recommendation
Authentication method	Email verification with SMS OTP
Signature type	Typed or drawn electronic signature
Audit trail	Retain completion certificate and event history
Document retention	Follow applicable FCRA and state policy
Encryption	TLS 1.2/1.3 and AES-256

Complete the authorization in signNow

Use this sequence to collect a traceable authorization before requesting a consumer report.

Upload form:
Upload the authorization PDF to signNow.
Place fields:
Let signNow detect fields, then add consumer and date fields.
Add signer:
Enter the authorized recipient’s email address.
Send request:
Send the authorization for electronic signature.
Verify completion:
Review the signed form and completion certificate.
Retain record:
Store the authorization with its audit trail.

Authenticate signer:

Record the signer’s email, authentication method, and completed identity check.

Timestamp actions:

Capture the exact date and time for every signing action.

Hash document:

Apply a document hash before and after the authorization is completed.

Seal record:

Preserve the signed file and event history in a tamper-evident record.

Track activity:

Log signer actions, IP information, field changes, and completion events.

Retrieve audit trail:

Export the completed authorization and audit trail for controlled retention.

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Organizations seek alternatives when they need different pricing models, stronger native automation, simpler bulk affidavit workflows, or more flexible identity-verification options than those available in a legacy envelope-based vendor.

Protecting signed credit authorizations

Transit encryption:

TLS 1.2/1.3 in transit

Storage encryption:

AES-256 at rest

Security certification:

SOC 2 Type II certified

Information security:

ISO 27001 certified

Electronic signatures:

ESIGN and UETA compliant

Health data protection:

HIPAA compliant with BAA

Find and fill out the correct authorization fair credit reporting act

airSlate SignNow helps you fill in and sign documents in minutes, error-free. Choose the correct version of the editable PDF form from the list and get started filling it out.

Versions	Form popularity	Fillable & printable
IRS 13340 2015	4.8 Satisfied (5196 Votes)
IRS 13340 2003	4.8 Satisfied (141 Votes)

Connect authorization records to business systems

Route signed credit-report authorizations into CRM, HR, ERP, and cloud-storage workflows using named signNow integrations.

Privacy pitfalls to avoid

Including sensitive identifiers or report details in an authorization creates unnecessary exposure if access permissions are too broad.
A missing signature date or unclear purpose can make the authorization difficult to match to the requested consumer report.
Sending the authorization to the wrong recipient can disclose consumer information and weaken the evidence of consent.
Failing to restrict completed forms to authorized staff increases the risk of unauthorized report access or disclosure.

Limits and state-law considerations

Notarization rules

May require a valid notarization

Wills and codicils

Excluded from electronic records law

Court orders

Court filing rules still apply

Real-estate deeds

State recording rules may require acknowledgment

Best practices for authorization records

Accurate fields, controlled access, and complete audit evidence make a Fair Credit Reporting Act authorization easier to verify and retain.

Map retention to the governing rule

Define the record category before selecting a retention period. Tax-related records generally follow three years from filing under IRC §6501(a), while HIPAA-related authorization records follow six years under 45 CFR §164.530(j). Apply longer state or industry requirements where applicable.

Export the full completion record

Export the completed authorization together with its signNow audit trail and completion certificate. Preserve the signer identity evidence, timestamps, delivery history, and document version so the record can be reproduced during a dispute or compliance review.

Restrict access to consumer data

Limit access to staff with a documented business need. Use role-based permissions, controlled sharing, and separate storage for consumer-report authorizations so sensitive identifiers are not exposed through broad team folders or public links.

Reconcile authorization details before use

Review stored authorizations for accuracy before requesting a report. Confirm the named consumer, requesting party, stated purpose, signature, date, and associated audit trail match the transaction and remain readable throughout the retention period.

Retention periods for related records

The authorization itself has no single universal retention period; apply the rule governing the record set and business purpose in which it is maintained.

Three years for tax records

Retain tax-related authorization records for three years from filing under IRC §6501(a), or six years when 25% or more income is understated.

Six years for HIPAA records

Retain HIPAA-related authorization records for six years from creation or last effective date under 45 CFR §164.530(j).

Six years for broker records

Retain broker-dealer books and records for six years under 17 CFR §240.17a-4.

Three years for payroll records

Retain payroll records for three years under 29 CFR §516.5 when the authorization is part of covered payroll documentation.

Thirty years for exposure records

Retain OSHA exposure records for 30 years under 29 CFR §1910.1020 when the authorization accompanies covered exposure documentation.

Features	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	Dropbox Sign
Starting annual price	$8/user/month, Business plan	Not verified	Not verified	Not verified	Not verified
Free trial	7 days, no credit card	Not verified	Not verified	Not verified	Not verified
Bulk send	Business Premium, $15/user/month	Not verified	Not verified	Not verified	Not verified
Audit trail	Included with Business plan	Not verified	Not verified	Not verified	Not verified
HIPAA compliance	Available with required BAA	Not verified	Not verified	Not verified	Not verified
Annual invite allowance	100 signature invites per user	Not verified	Not verified	Not verified	Not verified

Troubleshoot authorization workflows

Resolve field, identity, consent, plan, and enforceability questions before relying on a completed credit-report authorization.

Upload the original authorization PDF again and confirm that signature, date, and consumer-identification fields are placed on the correct page. signNow’s field detection can be reviewed before sending; incomplete placement should be corrected manually.

Confirm the consumer’s email address, resend the signing request, or generate a new signing link. The signNow audit trail records delivery and signing events, so retain the final completion record with the authorization.

Use SMS authentication or another available signer-authentication control when the authorization contains sensitive consumer information. Authentication strengthens attribution but does not replace the FCRA permissible-purpose requirement.

Business is priced at $8 per user monthly when billed annually and includes audit trails. Business Premium is $15 per user monthly annually and adds bulk send; confirm the plan’s invite allowance before sending at scale.

For consumer-facing electronic records, provide the ESIGN disclosure, explain the right to receive paper records, confirm electronic access, and provide withdrawal procedures under 15 U.S.C. §7001(c).

Electronic signatures generally have legal effect under ESIGN and applicable UETA rules when intent, consent, attribution, and record retention are established. New York uses ESRA, and FCRA duties remain separate from signature validity.

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