Medical Debt & Credit Reports in Delaware
State ban recorded. Delaware has a medical-debt credit-reporting ban recorded from 2025. The enacted measure is SS 1 for SB 156, not HB 140. It was signed July 29, 2025, took effect October 27, 2025, and prohibits reporting medical debt to consumer reporting agencies or including it on consumer reports. Consumer Finance Monitor's October 8, 2026 cross-check classifies Delaware as a ban; federal-preemption enforceability is contested.
Last updated: October 23, 2026
Delaware status
- Protection status
- State ban recorded
- Law year
- 2025
The enacted measure is SS 1 for SB 156, not HB 140. It was signed July 29, 2025, took effect October 27, 2025, and prohibits reporting medical debt to consumer reporting agencies or including it on consumer reports. Consumer Finance Monitor's October 8, 2026 cross-check classifies Delaware as a ban; federal-preemption enforceability is contested.
Will this medical debt show?
Open the checker with Delaware selected, then enter the amount, payment status, and months delinquent.
CHECK A DEBT IN DE →Why the state protection is contested
CDIA v. Paxton, 2026 WL 2322668 (W.D. Tex. Aug. 10, 2026), held that the FCRA preempted a state medical-debt reporting ban. A CFPB interpretive rule published October 28, 2025 also supports preemption. Whether Delaware's protection is enforceable may be litigated, although credit bureaus may still honor it voluntarily.
The federal floor for Delaware residents
These nationwide bureau policies apply before the checker reaches the state layer. They protect residents even when no separate statewide ban appears in the reviewed data.
What residents can check next
- Get all three reports. Use AnnualCreditReport.com and note which bureau, if any, displays the account.
- Compare the entry with your records. Check whether it is paid, below $500, still inside the 12-month grace period, or covered by the state record above.
- Dispute inaccurate reporting separately. Send the relevant documents to each bureau displaying the item and preserve its response.
- Ask the provider about charity care. Request the written financial-assistance policy and keep any application or decision with the billing records.