Insurers check a shared industry database before they quote you. Federal law gives you the right to see it free once a year - and to correct what is wrong.
Last reviewed August 2026 by Dev Gaymes, Licensed Insurance Advisor · Editorial policy
Before an insurer offers you a rate, it checks a shared industry database most people have never heard of. It is run by MIB, Inc., and under federal law you have the right to see your own file for free, once a year, and to correct anything wrong in it. Here is how - and why it is worth doing before you apply, not after.
There is a lot of misunderstanding here, so precisely:
Sources: MIB consumer guidance and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's listing of nationwide specialty consumer reporting agencies.
You only have an MIB Consumer File if you have applied for individually underwritten life, health, disability income, long-term care or critical illness insurance in roughly the last seven years. Group coverage through an employer does not create one. If you have never applied individually, the request will simply come back empty.
Request it at mib.com or call 866-692-6901. Only you can request your own file. No insurance company, agent, or broker can pull it for you - including us.
Full legal name, plus any former names used on past applications, your Social Security number, date of birth, and current mailing address. MIB verifies your identity before releasing anything, which is a safeguard, not an obstacle.
Under the FCRA you get one free disclosure every 12 months. You do not need a reason and you do not need to have been declined. Where a company must provide the report free annually on request, it has fifteen days to do so.
MIB records are codes representing conditions or hazardous activities, not narrative medical notes. If something looks unfamiliar, that is exactly what you are looking for.
You have a federal right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information at no cost, and MIB must reasonably investigate - generally within about 30 days. Correcting an error before an application is far easier than explaining it during one.
Opens mib.com in a new tab. Free once every 12 months. Or call 866-692-6901.
The extra free copy after an adverse action. If you are declined, rated, or offered modified coverage and the notice indicates an MIB record influenced that decision, you are entitled to another free copy - separate from your annual one. The window runs from when you receive the notice. Those letters are easy to file away unread; that one is worth opening.
The dispute process. If an entry is wrong or incomplete, you can dispute it at no cost and MIB must investigate reasonably. If the information is found incorrect, the company that supplied it has to correct it and notify others it was shared with. Doing this before your next application is far simpler than mid-underwriting.
MIB, Inc. is a nationwide specialty consumer reporting agency operating under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act. It is owned by its member insurance companies and maintains coded records of information disclosed on individually underwritten life, health, disability income, long-term care and critical illness applications. It stores coded entries representing medical conditions and hazardous activities such as private aviation or rock climbing, not full medical records or doctor's notes. MIB does not hold information from group coverage through an employer.
Yes. Under the FCRA you are entitled to one free disclosure of your consumer file every 12 months from each nationwide specialty consumer reporting agency, and MIB is one. You do not need a reason, you do not need to have been declined, and requesting it does not affect your insurance eligibility or your credit score. If a company must provide your report free annually on request, it has to do so within fifteen days of receiving the request.
Only if you have applied for individually underwritten life, health, disability income, long-term care or critical illness insurance in roughly the last seven years. Coverage obtained through an employer group plan does not create a file. If you have never applied for individual coverage, MIB most likely has no record on you at all, and the request will come back empty.
Request it directly from MIB, not through an insurance company or agent. Go to mib.com and use the consumer file request, or call MIB's toll-free number at 866-692-6901. You will provide identifying details so MIB can locate your file, including your full legal name and any former names used on applications, Social Security number, date of birth and current mailing address. MIB verifies your identity before releasing anything.
You have the right under the FCRA to dispute information you believe is inaccurate or incomplete, at no cost. MIB must conduct a reasonable investigation. If information is found to be incorrect, the company that supplied it must correct the error and notify others it was shared with. Disputes are generally investigated within about 30 days, so it is worth resolving before you submit a new application rather than during one.
Yes, and this is separate from your annual free disclosure. If you receive an adverse action notice indicating that an MIB record influenced a decision to decline, rate or modify your coverage, you are entitled to an additional free copy. The window to request it runs from the date you receive the notice, so read those letters carefully rather than filing them away.
No. Requesting your own consumer report is not visible to insurers as an inquiry and does not affect eligibility, underwriting, or your credit score. Insurers only see MIB information when you authorize them to during an application. Checking your own record is simply exercising a federal right.
It is worth doing if you have applied for individual coverage in the last seven years, especially if a previous application was declined, rated or withdrawn, or if you were surprised by a past offer. Knowing what a carrier will see lets you correct genuine errors first and explain legitimate entries up front, rather than discovering the problem when an offer comes back worse than expected.
DG Life Group is not affiliated with MIB, Inc. or MIB Group, Inc., and receives no compensation related to consumer file requests. We link to MIB because it is the only place you can obtain your own file. Only you can request your own MIB Consumer File - no agent or insurer can request it on your behalf. Process details, timeframes and contact information are drawn from MIB’s published consumer guidance and CFPB materials and may change; MIB’s own site governs. This page is general education, not legal advice. For questions about your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, consult a qualified attorney or the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.