How to Take Hard Inquiries Off Your Credit Report

A hard inquiry on your credit report indicates a lender or creditor has reviewed your credit history, typically when you apply for new credit like a credit card, mortgage, or auto loan. Recognizing these inquiries is important, especially if you find one you don’t recognize, as it may require investigation.

Understanding Hard Inquiries

A hard inquiry, also known as a “hard pull” or “hard credit check,” occurs when a lender reviews your credit report during a credit application. This happens when you apply for credit, such as a credit card, mortgage, auto loan, personal loan, or a credit line increase. Lenders use hard inquiries to assess your creditworthiness and determine the risk of extending credit.

Each hard inquiry is recorded on your credit report and can cause a small, temporary dip in your credit score, often by fewer than five points. While the impact is usually minimal and short-lived, multiple inquiries in a short period may signal higher risk to lenders. Hard inquiries remain on your credit report for up to two years, though their impact on your score typically diminishes after about 12 months.

It is important to distinguish hard inquiries from “soft inquiries,” which do not affect your credit score. Soft inquiries occur when you check your own credit report, a lender pre-approves you for an offer, or for background checks. Legitimate hard inquiries, those you authorized, cannot be removed before their natural expiration. The focus of removing hard inquiries is solely on those that are inaccurate or unauthorized.

Identifying Removable Inquiries

Identifying potentially removable hard inquiries begins with obtaining and reviewing your credit reports. You are entitled to a free copy once every 12 months from each of the three major credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Access your reports weekly for free at AnnualCreditReport.com, online, by phone, or by mail.

Once you have your credit reports, examine the hard inquiries section. Look for unfamiliar company names, dates that don’t align with your applications, or multiple inquiries from the same lender not related to rate shopping for a single loan type. A company name on your report might differ from the brand you applied to; contact the listed company to verify legitimacy before disputing.

Situations indicating a removable inquiry include identity theft, where someone fraudulently applied for credit in your name, resulting in inquiries for accounts you never opened. Another scenario is a clerical error by the lender, such as an accidental hard pull instead of a soft pull, or an inquiry mistakenly placed due to a similar name or Social Security number. If you cannot recall authorizing an inquiry, it may be disputable, as credit bureaus must verify its legitimacy.

The Dispute Process

After identifying an inaccurate or unauthorized hard inquiry, initiate a dispute to have it removed if it cannot be verified as legitimate. Gather all relevant documentation before starting. This includes:
A copy of your credit report with the disputed inquiry highlighted.
Personal identification, such as a government-issued ID.
Proof of address, like a utility bill.
Supporting evidence clarifying why the inquiry is inaccurate or unauthorized.
For identity theft, a police report or an Identity Theft Report from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

First, consider contacting the creditor or lender who made the inquiry. It might have been an error, and they may remove it quickly. Provide them with the inquiry date, company name, and your account information, explaining why you believe it’s inaccurate. If they confirm an error, request they notify all three major credit reporting agencies to remove the inquiry.

If contacting the creditor doesn’t resolve the issue, or if the inquiry is unauthorized due to fraud, dispute it directly with each of the three major credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. While online portals and phone options are available, submitting disputes by certified mail is often recommended for documentation.

When disputing by mail, clearly state you are disputing an unauthorized or inaccurate hard inquiry. Include copies of all supporting documents, keeping your originals.

For online disputes, navigate to each bureau’s website dispute center, sign in, and follow prompts to select the inquiry, state the reason, and upload documentation. If disputing by phone, clearly state you are disputing an unauthorized inquiry to the fraud department. Credit bureaus are generally required to investigate within 30 days. After investigation, they will notify you of the outcome; if unauthorized, the inquiry will be removed.