usc 15 § 1681r
Unauthorized disclosures by officers or employees (COMMERCE AND TRADE (15 U.S.C.))
Operative Text
Any officer or employee of a consumer reporting agency who knowingly and willfully provides information concerning an individual from the agency’s files to a person not authorized to receive that information shall be fined under title 18, imprisoned for not more than 2 years, or both.
Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681r, it is a federal criminal offense for an officer or employee of a consumer reporting agency to intentionally and deliberately share information from a consumer's file with someone who is not legally permitted to receive it. A violation can result in federal fines, imprisonment of up to two years, or both. This provision targets insider misconduct at credit bureaus and similar agencies, establishing personal criminal liability for employees who abuse their access to consumer data.
Plain English — not legal advice.
While 15 U.S.C. § 1681r primarily governs consumer reporting agency personnel rather than landlords directly, property owners and managers who receive consumer report data are part of the authorized-recipient framework this law protects. A compliant operator ensures that any consumer report information obtained for tenant screening is accessed only through proper permissible-purpose channels and is not reshared with unauthorized parties. Understanding this provision helps operators recognize that the agencies supplying credit data are themselves bound by strict criminal penalties for improper disclosure.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
15 U.S.C. § 1681r gives consumers a basis to understand that agency employees who deliberately leak their file information to unauthorized parties face federal criminal consequences. If a tenant believes a consumer reporting agency employee improperly disclosed their personal file data, general enforcement paths include filing a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), or consulting a tenant-rights or consumer-rights organization for guidance. Because this provision carries criminal penalties, reports of suspected violations may also be directed to federal law enforcement authorities.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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