How Long Do Hard Inquiries Stay on Your Credit Report?

When you apply for credit, such as a loan or credit card, a hard credit inquiry is added to your credit report. This can impact your credit score for up to a year, depending on the credit scoring model. It's important to understand how hard credit inquiries work to better manage your credit score.

Let’s explore hard inquiries, from how they impact your credit score and how long they stay on your credit report to tips for minimizing their impact.

What is a hard credit inquiry?

A hard credit inquiry is a request by a lender or creditor to review your credit file. This happens during the application process for products like credit cards and loans.

A hard credit inquiry gives lenders or creditors access to information on your credit report, such as your payment history and balances on credit cards and loans. It may also be referred to as a hard pull or hard credit check.

Hard credit inquiries are not the same as soft credit inquiries, which do not impact your credit score and may not require your permission.

How long do hard credit inquiries stay on your credit report?

Hard credit inquiries typically stay on your credit report for up to 2 years. However, keep in mind that the credit-score impact of each hard credit inquiry typically lessens with time. For example, a single hard credit inquiry may only impact your credit score for 1 year.

Do hard credit inquiries affect your credit score?

Hard credit inquiries can affect your credit score, though they usually only result in a small, temporary credit score drop. Although the impact is typically minor, multiple hard credit inquiries in a short period of time can have a bigger impact on your credit score. 

How to limit the impact of hard credit inquiries

In general, the fewer hard credit inquiries on your credit report, the better it is for your credit score. By restricting new credit applications to when you really need them, you may help minimize the number of hard credit inquiries on your credit report.

If you’re rate-shopping for loans, use pre-qualifications whenever possible to minimize the number of hard credit inquiries required. Those rely on a soft credit inquiry and can help you understand your approval odds for a specific product, such as a loan. Otherwise, try to keep your rate-shopping within a specific timeframe, usually between 14 to 45 days. Credit reporting agencies may only record a single hard credit inquiry to better reflect your behavior.

Monitoring your credit can also help you stay aware of any new inquiries added to your credit report. For example, you can get your free weekly credit report from each of the 3 major credit bureaus. To more easily manage future credit applications and maintain a good credit score, it’s wise to space them out.

Can you remove a hard credit inquiry from your credit report?

Legitimate hard credit inquiries can’t be removed from your credit report. However, if you find an inaccurate or unauthorized hard credit inquiry on your credit report, you may dispute it with the credit bureau (or bureaus) reporting that information, as well as the company that supplied that information.

Credit reporting agencies generally have up to 30 days (or 45 days, in certain situations) to complete their investigation into your dispute.

Although hard credit inquiries are typically a small factor when it comes to credit scores, it’s still important to consider their impact. By being mindful of their effect on your credit, you may be better positioned to plan strategies for building your credit and take advantage of the perks that come with an improved credit score.

Disclosure: This article is for educational purposes. It is not intended to provide legal, investment, or financial advice and is not a substitute for professional advice. It does not indicate the availability of any Citi product or service. For advice about your specific circumstances, you should consult a qualified professional.