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A hard inquiry, also called a "hard pull" or "hard credit check," occurs when you apply for a loan, credit card or line of credit.
Hard inquiries show up on your credit reports for up to two years and can affect your credit score. While that impact is usually minimal and temporary, it's important to understand when they happen, how they'll impact you and why it's best to keep them to a minimum.
What Is a Hard Inquiry?
A hard inquiry is a request by a lender to view your credit report as part of an application for credit.
Anytime you apply for credit, the lender will evaluate your creditworthiness in a process known as underwriting. Part of the process typically involves pulling one or more of your credit reports to assess your past and current financial behavior, such as payment history and balances on loans and credit cards. A record of the credit check will be added to each credit report the lender viewed.
You'll typically incur a hard inquiry in the following situations:
- Applying for a credit card
- Opening a line of credit
- Buying a vehicle with an auto loan
- Purchasing a home with a mortgage loan
- Applying for a personal loan
- Applying for a private student loan or a federal direct PLUS loan
- Requesting a credit line increase on a credit card
In some cases, you may also undergo a hard credit check when a landlord reviews your credit history for a lease application.
How Do Hard Inquiries Affect Your Credit Score?
Hard inquiries can affect your credit score negatively, though the impact is usually negligible and temporary. A single hard inquiry will usually take fewer than five points off your FICO® Score☉ , with this score impact remaining for up to a year.
That said, having multiple hard pulls occur in a short period of time can have a compounding effect on your score because it could indicate that you're relying too much on new credit to manage your money.
The good news is that you won't be penalized for rate shopping. More specifically, if you submit multiple applications for a mortgage loan, auto loan or student loan to compare rates, FICO® Score calculations will count them as a single inquiry if you complete your rate shopping within a set period—45 days for newer FICO® Score models and 14 days for older versions.
Learn more >> How Many Hard Inquiries Is Too Many?
How Long Does a Hard Inquiry Stay on Your Credit Report?
A hard inquiry will stay on your credit report for two years from the inquiry date. However, while lenders can see all inquiries made during that time, the inquiries only directly affect your credit score for one year.
That means that when you apply for a credit card, for instance, you may initially see a small drop in your credit score. Over time, that impact will diminish, and with responsible credit behavior, you'll recover from the drop fairly quickly.
Hard Inquiry vs. Soft Inquiry
As you review your credit reports, you'll likely also see soft inquiries. While hard and soft inquiries both remain on your reports for two years, their purpose and credit impact are different.
Here's a comparison of the key differences between hard and soft inquiries.
| Hard Inquiry vs. Soft Inquiry | |
|---|---|
| Hard Inquiry | Soft Inquiry |
| Can temporarily lower your credit score | Doesn't affect your credit score |
| Typically occurs when you apply for credit | May occur for a variety of reasons |
| Requires your permission | May not require your permission |
| Remains on your credit reports for two years | Remains on your credit reports for two years |
While a hard inquiry is the result of an application for credit, a soft inquiry is not related to a specific loan or credit card application. A soft inquiry occurs when you check your own credit or when a company wishes to prequalify you for a loan offer, but you haven't yet submitted a full application. Unlike hard inquiries, soft credit checks have no impact on your credit score.
Examples of Soft Inquiries
- Checking your credit score
- Prequalifying for a credit card or loan
- Employment background checks
- Applying for a rental
- Requesting utilities or insurance
Can You Remove Unauthorized Credit Inquiries?
You can't remove legitimate hard inquiries from your credit reports. However, if you notice an inquiry that you don't recognize, you have the right to file a dispute with the credit reporting agencies.
Before you do, consider reaching out to the listed creditor. Some lenders may use a partner firm to run credit checks, so it may be accurate even if you don't recognize the associated company name. However, if you've confirmed it's an unauthorized credit check, here's how you can dispute it with Experian:
- Review your credit report. If you have a fraudulent hard inquiry on your report, you may also have a new, unauthorized credit account. Double-check your credit report to make sure you don't have any other signs of identity theft.
- Call the dispute number. You can't dispute inquiries through Experian's online dispute process. However, if you believe you're a victim of identity theft, call the phone number listed on your Experian credit report.
- Take other steps to safeguard your information. Disputes are usually resolved within 30 days but may take up to 45 days in some cases. In the meantime, you have the right to freeze your credit to prevent further hard inquiries.
Learn more >> How to Remove Hard Inquiries From Your Credit Report
The Bottom Line
Hard inquiries are an inevitable part of your credit file, but it's still important to try to minimize them by being strategic about when and how you apply for credit.
To keep an eye on hard inquiries' impact on your credit, monitor your credit score regularly. With Experian's free credit monitoring service, you'll be able to view your FICO® Score and Experian credit report anytime. You'll also get real-time alerts when changes, including new inquiries, are made to your report.
