usc 15 § 1681v
Disclosures to governmental agencies for counterterrorism purposes (COMMERCE AND TRADE (15 U.S.C.))
Operative Text
Notwithstanding or any other provision of this subchapter, a consumer reporting agency shall furnish a consumer report of a consumer and all other information in a consumer’s file to a government agency authorized to conduct investigations of, or intelligence or counterintelligence activities or analysis related to, international terrorism when presented with a written certification by such government agency that such information is necessary for the agency’s conduct or such investigation, activity or analysis and that includes a term that specifically identifies a consumer or account to be used as the basis for the production of such information. The certification described in subsection (a) shall be signed by a supervisory official designated by the head of a Federal agency or an officer of a Federal agency whose appointment to office is required to be made by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. If a certification is issued under subparagraph (B) and notice of the right to judicial review under subsection (d) is provided, no consumer reporting agency that receives a request under subsection (a), or officer, employee, or agent thereof, shall disclose or specify in any consumer report, that a government agency described in subsection (a) has sought or obtained access to information or records under subsection (a). The requirements of subparagraph (A) shall apply if the head of the government agency described in subsection (a), or a designee, certifies that the absence of a prohibition of disclosure under this subsection may result in— a danger to the national security of the United States; interference with a criminal, counterterrorism, or counterintelligence investigation; interference with diplomatic relations; or danger to the life or physical safety of any person. A consumer reporting agency that receives a request under subsection (a), or officer, employee, or agent thereof, may disclose information otherwise subject to any applicable nondisclosure requirement to— those persons to whom disclosure is necessary in order to comply with the request; an attorney in order to obtain legal advice or assistance regarding the request; or other persons as permitted by the head of the government agency described in subsection (a) or a designee. A person to whom disclosure is made under subparagraph (A) shall be subject to the nondisclosure requirements applicable to a person to whom a request under subsection (a) is issued in the same manner as the person to whom the request is issued. Any recipient that discloses to a person described in subparagraph (A) information otherwise subject to a nondisclosure requirement shall inform the person of the applicable nondisclosure requirement. At the request of the head of the government agency described in subsection (a) or a designee, any person making or intending to make a disclosure under clause (i) or (iii) of subparagraph (A) shall identify to the head or such designee the person to whom such disclosure will be made or to whom such disclosure was made prior to the request. A request under subsection (a) or a non-disclosure requirement imposed in connection with such request under subsection (c) shall be subject to judicial review under . A request under subsection (a) shall include notice of the availability of judicial review described in paragraph (1). Nothing in shall be construed to limit the authority of the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation under this section. Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, any consumer reporting agency or agent or employee thereof making disclosure of consumer reports or other information pursuant to this section in good-faith reliance upon a certification of a government agency pursuant to the provisions of this section shall not be liable to any person for such disclosure under this subchapter, the constitution of any State, or any law or regulation of any State or any political subdivision of any State. On a semi-annual basis, the Attorney General shall fully inform the Committee on the Judiciary, the Committee on Financial Services, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives and the Committee on the Judiciary, the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate concerning all requests made pursuant to subsection (a). In the case of the semiannual reports required to be submitted under paragraph (1) to the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate, the submittal dates for such reports shall be as provided in .
Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681v, consumer reporting agencies are required to hand over a consumer's full credit file and report to certain government agencies conducting international terrorism-related investigations or intelligence activities, provided those agencies submit a written certification meeting specific requirements. The certification must be signed by a sufficiently senior federal official and must identify the specific consumer or account at issue. In many cases, the agency receiving such a request is legally prohibited from disclosing that the request was ever made, though judicial review of both the request and any nondisclosure requirement is available, and the Attorney General must report on these requests to designated congressional committees on a semi-annual basis.
Plain English — not legal advice.
15 U.S.C. § 1681v is a federal provision directed at consumer reporting agencies rather than landlords or property managers, so it does not impose direct compliance obligations on rental housing operators. However, landlords who use consumer reports in tenant screening should be aware that the credit files underlying those reports may be subject to government access and nondisclosure requirements outside of their control or knowledge. A compliant operator generally relies on the consumer reporting agency's own legal obligations under this section and focuses their own FCRA compliance efforts on the permissible-purpose and adverse-action notice requirements that do apply directly to them.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681v, a government agency may obtain your full consumer report and credit file for counterterrorism or intelligence purposes without your knowledge, and in many circumstances the consumer reporting agency is legally barred from telling you this occurred. The provision does include a judicial review mechanism, meaning the underlying request and any nondisclosure order can be challenged in court, though the process for doing so is governed by separate federal law. If you have concerns about how your consumer report information may have been accessed or shared under this provision, tenant-rights organizations or attorneys familiar with federal privacy and consumer protection law can help you understand the general landscape of your rights.
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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