How to Remove Hard Inquiries From Your Credit Report

Which Hard Inquiries Can Be Removed

You can get a hard inquiry removed if you didn't authorize it — for example, a lender you never applied with, a dealership that shopped your application to lenders you didn't agree to, or an inquiry caused by identity theft. Companies need a "permissible purpose" under the Fair Credit Reporting Act to pull your report.

You generally can't remove an inquiry you did authorize, even if you were denied or changed your mind. Those stay for two years but only count in FICO scores for one year, and the impact is usually small — often fewer than five points per inquiry.

Step 1: Find Every Inquiry

Pull all three reports free at AnnualCreditReport.com. Inquiries are listed separately from accounts, and each bureau may show different ones. Write down the company name and date for anything you don't recognize.

Some names look unfamiliar because they're the lender's parent company or a dealer's financing partner. Search the name before disputing — if it matches something you applied for, it's authorized.

Step 2: Contact the Company That Pulled Your Report

Call or write to the company and ask why it pulled your report and what permissible purpose it had. If it can't show you applied, ask it to contact the bureau and request removal. Get the representative's name and a reference number.

If the inquiry is from fraud, also follow our identity theft steps — file an FTC report and freeze your credit so it doesn't happen again.

Step 3: Dispute With Each Bureau (Free Template)

Send a dispute to every bureau showing the inquiry. You can use each bureau's online dispute portal or mail the template below. Bureaus generally have 30 days to investigate.

[Your Full Name]
[Street Address]
[City, State ZIP]
Date of birth: [MM/DD/YYYY]
Last 4 of SSN: [XXXX]

[Date]

[Equifax / Experian / TransUnion dispute address]

Re: Dispute of unauthorized hard inquiry

To whom it may concern:

I am writing to dispute the following hard inquiry on my credit report, which I did not authorize:

Company: [Name as shown on report]
Date of inquiry: [MM/DD/YYYY]

I did not apply for credit with this company or give it permission to access my credit report. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. § 1681b), a company must have a permissible purpose to obtain my report. Please investigate and remove this inquiry under 15 U.S.C. § 1681i, and send me the results of your investigation.

[If identity theft: I have attached my FTC Identity Theft Report and request that this inquiry be blocked under 15 U.S.C. § 1681c-2.]

Enclosed: copy of my ID, proof of address[, FTC Identity Theft Report].

Sincerely,
[Signature]
[Printed Name]

Avoid Paying for Inquiry Removal

Companies selling "inquiry removal" for a fee can't do anything you can't do for free, and they can't legally remove accurate, authorized inquiries. Federal law bans credit repair companies from charging before they perform services. See credit repair red flags.

If a bureau keeps an inquiry you didn't authorize after investigating, escalate with a CFPB complaint — our verified-but-still-wrong guide walks through it. Bureau addresses are on our contact page.

Frequently asked questions