Everyone can get a free report annually from each bureau at
www.annualcreditreport.com.
Residents of some states such as Maryland, Massachusetts, and New Jersey can get an ADDITIONAL report for free or at a reduced rate. See the table at
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/cc/20010223c.asp.
In addition to the annual report, if you have been denied credit, insurance or a job you have a right to a free copy of the report they relied on. Also if you are receiving public assistance or are unemployed you can get free reports in addition to your annual reports (conditions apply). Ditto if you're a victim of fraud.
Make sure you get only a FICO score. You can get a free estimate of your FICO score (expressed as a range) at
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/fico/calc.asp?lpid=BKRATE29.