How to Remove Hard Inquiries From Your Credit Report

What Are Hard Inquiries?

A hard inquiry occurs when a lender checks your credit report as part of a credit application. Hard inquiries can temporarily lower your credit score by 5 to 10 points and remain on your credit report for 2 years.

Hard inquiries are different from soft inquiries, which occur when you check your own credit, when a lender pre-approves you for an offer, or when an employer checks your credit. Soft inquiries do not affect your credit score.

Multiple hard inquiries in a short period can significantly impact your credit score. However, rate shopping for mortgages, auto loans, and student loans within a 14-to-45-day window counts as a single inquiry.

When Hard Inquiries Can Be Removed

Hard inquiries that you did not authorize can be disputed and removed. If you find a hard inquiry from a lender you did not apply to, it could be a sign of identity theft or a clerical error.

Hard inquiries older than 2 years should automatically fall off your credit report. If you see hard inquiries that are more than 2 years old, dispute them with the credit bureau.

Hard inquiries associated with fraudulent accounts can be removed as part of the identity theft recovery process.

How to Dispute Hard Inquiries

Obtain your credit reports from all three major bureaus and identify any hard inquiries you do not recognize or did not authorize. Document each disputed inquiry with the lender name, date, and reason for disputing.

File a dispute with the credit bureau that is reporting the unauthorized inquiry. Mailing a dispute letter with a clear explanation is generally the most effective method because it creates a paper trail.

The credit bureau has 30 days to investigate your dispute. They will contact the lender that made the inquiry and request verification. If the lender cannot verify that you authorized the inquiry, it must be removed.

Minimizing the Impact of Legitimate Inquiries

Space out credit applications. Each hard inquiry lowers your score by 5 to 10 points, and the impact diminishes over time. If you are planning multiple credit applications, space them out over several months.

Use pre-qualification tools that perform soft inquiries. Many credit card issuers and lenders offer pre-qualification tools that check your eligibility using a soft inquiry, which does not affect your credit score.

Group rate shopping within a short window. When shopping for a mortgage, auto loan, or student loan, submit all applications within a 14-to-45-day window.