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How to Remove Hard Inquiries from Your Credit Report
Updated October 23, 2026 · Restore Your Credit editorial team · Educational information, not legal advice
Quick answer
You can remove a hard inquiry only if you didn't authorize it — dispute it with the bureau that shows it, and if it's from identity theft, file a report at IdentityTheft.gov. Inquiries you authorized stay for two years, but FICO scores only count them for 12 months and each usually costs just a few points.
Key facts
- Hard inquiries stay on your report for 2 years.
- FICO scores consider inquiries from the last 12 months; the effect is usually small (often under 5 points each).
- Rate shopping for a mortgage, auto or student loan within a short window (14–45 days, depending on the score) counts as one inquiry.
- Soft inquiries — checking your own credit, pre-approved offers, employer checks — don't affect your score.
- A lender needs a permissible purpose to pull your credit, usually your application.
Hard inquiries are among the least damaging items on a credit report, but unauthorized ones are worth removing, and they can be a warning sign of identity theft. Here's how to tell the difference and what to do.
Step by step
- 1
List hard inquiries on each report
Each bureau shows its own inquiries. Note the company, the date and the bureau.
- 2
Match each one to an application
Many inquiries appear under a bank's or lender's legal name, or a dealer's financing partner, not the store you visited. Check your emails and records before disputing.
- 3
Contact the company if you're unsure
Ask why they pulled your credit and on what authority. If they can't show an application or another permissible purpose, ask them to have it removed.
- 4
Dispute unauthorized inquiries
Dispute with each bureau showing the inquiry. Explain that you didn't apply or authorize the pull.
- 5
If it's fraud, act fast
File an identity theft report at IdentityTheft.gov, place a fraud alert or freeze your credit, and use the report to have fraudulent inquiries and accounts blocked.
Hard vs. soft inquiries
A hard inquiry happens when a lender checks your credit because you applied for credit — a card, loan, mortgage or sometimes an apartment or phone plan. It's visible to other lenders and can lower FICO and VantageScore scores slightly.
A soft inquiry happens when you check your own credit, a company sends a pre-approved offer, or an existing lender reviews your account. Soft inquiries are only visible to you and never affect your score.
Can you remove inquiries you authorized?
No. If you applied and the lender pulled your credit, the inquiry is accurate and can stay for two years. Letters that dispute every inquiry 'for lack of permissible purpose' don't change that, and bureaus can treat repetitive disputes as frivolous.
The good news: the effect is small and short. After 12 months, FICO scores ignore the inquiry entirely, even though it stays visible for two years.
Rate shopping doesn't stack up
Scoring models know people compare offers. FICO scores count multiple mortgage, auto or student loan inquiries within a short window as one — 45 days for newer FICO versions, 14 days for older ones. VantageScore groups inquiries made within 14 days. FICO doesn't group credit card applications, so space those out.
Frequently asked questions
How long do hard inquiries stay on a credit report?
Two years. FICO scores only count inquiries from the last 12 months.
How many points does a hard inquiry take off?
Usually only a few points, often under five, and the effect fades within a year. Several inquiries in a short time can matter more, especially with a thin credit file.
Can I remove hard inquiries I authorized?
No. Accurate inquiries can legally stay for two years. Only unauthorized or fraudulent inquiries can be removed.
Does checking my own credit hurt my score?
No. Checking your own credit is a soft inquiry and never affects your score.
Restore Your Credit makes software and educational resources. It is not a credit repair service, credit bureau, lender or law firm, and nobody can guarantee that accurate information will be removed or that your score will rise. You can dispute errors directly with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion for free.
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Create a free accountRelated guides
- Identity Theft on Your Credit Report: How to Remove Fraudulent Accounts Found accounts you didn't open? File at IdentityTheft.gov, freeze your credit, and use an identity theft report to have fraud blocked within 4 business days.
- How to Dispute Your Credit Report (and Get Errors Fixed) How to dispute errors on your Equifax, Experian and TransUnion credit reports: what to send, the 30-day investigation rule, and what to do if the bureau won't fix it.
- What Is a Good Credit Score? Ranges Explained A good FICO score is 670–739; 740+ is very good and 800+ exceptional. See FICO and VantageScore ranges, what lenders look for and how to move up a band.
- How to Improve Your Credit Score Fast The fastest legitimate ways to raise a credit score: pay down card balances, fix report errors, become an authorized user and avoid new late payments.