Debt Bondage Repair Act Initiative

Credit Repair for Survivors of Human Trafficking: the Debt Bondage Repair Act Initiative 

Many human trafficking survivors experience financial abuse. When trying to rebuild their lives, survivors of human trafficking often find that their credit is destroyed, and their credit reports reflect negative information that was the result of the abuse they endured. Poor credit makes it difficult for survivors of human trafficking to find housing, become employed, or access credit to make important purchases like buying a car.  

As of July 25, 2022, because of a law called the Debt Bondage Repair Act, many victims and survivors of human trafficking can have information that resulted from their trafficking experience blocked from their credit reports.  

How can victims block trafficking-related information from their credit reports? 

To block trafficking-related information from their credit reports, victims of human trafficking need to submit the following to each credit reporting agency where they would like to remove adverse information: 

1. Proof of identity 

To allow for flexibility, there is no single way to prove identity. Examples that are likely to satisfy the requirements include: a driver’s license, government identification, passport or utility bills.  

1. Trafficking victim determination 

This may include documents from courts or from federal, state, local, or tribal governmental entities. Non-governmental organizations may be able to provide documentation of your status as a victim of trafficking. 

1. Identification of adverse information 

Adverse information could include prior evictions, loan defaults, unpaid bills, or criminal convictions that were the result of their trafficking.  

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) provides a sample template letter you can use to write to consumer reporting agencies.  

What role does NC DOJ play in helping survivors seek relief under the Debt Bondage Repair Act? 

To help expand access to this relief, the North Carolina Department of Justice (NC DOJ) is seeking organizations serving human trafficking victims in North Carolina that would like to be authorized to provide victim verification documentation for purposes of obtaining this form of credit repair. Authorized organizations will be able to provide documentation to survivors, or their advocates, verifying human trafficking victim status.  NC DOJ does not provide documentation directly to trafficking survivors to affirm their trafficking experience.    

NC DOJ is currently accepting applications from North Carolina based, non-profit organizations that would like to become authorized as a victim services provider that can offer this documentation under the Debt Bondage Repair Act. Organizations are eligible to apply if they meet one of the following three categories: (1) currently enrolled in the NC DOJ Address Confidentiality Program, (2) are listed on the NC Human Trafficking Commission Resource List, or (3) are Council for Women and Youth Involvement grantees. While this federal regulatory relief is not available to victims of domestic violence who are not also victims of human trafficking, we recognize that some organizations serve both populations and encourage all interested organizations to apply.   

Please note that only non-profit organizations will be authorized and individuals are not eligible to be certified.  

To apply, a representative of an eligible organization should complete this brief online application form. You will receive a response in approximately four weeks.  

For questions about becoming certified, please contact ncago@ncdoj.gov.   

Additional Resources 

• Polaris Factsheet on the Debt Bondage Repair Act 
• Ask CFPB: I’m a victim of trafficking. How can I block items from my credit report that are the result of trafficking? 
• Guide for Applying for Credit Repair under the Debt Bondage Repair Act from the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (English and Spanish)