How to Remove Hard Inquiries from Your Credit Report

What Is a Hard Inquiry and How Does It Affect Your Credit?

A hard inquiry, also called a hard pull, happens when a lender checks your credit report during a credit application. These inquiries can slightly lower your score and remain on your report for up to 2 years.

Types of Credit Inquiries

Understanding the difference between inquiry types helps you manage your credit effectively.

Hard Inquiries

These affect your credit score and occur when you apply for:

Mortgages
Auto loans
Credit cards
Personal loans
Business financing

Soft Inquiries

These do not impact your score and occur when:

You check your own credit
Employers perform background checks
Lenders conduct pre-approvals

How Hard Inquiries Affect Your Credit Score

Although hard inquiries have less impact than other factors, they still matter.

1. Small but Real Score Drop

Each hard inquiry may reduce your score by 2–5 points.

2. Lender Red Flags

Too many inquiries can signal risk, making lenders hesitant to approve new applications.

3. Limited Time Impact

While inquiries stay on your report for 2 years, they only affect your score for 12 months.

4. Security Clearance Concerns

Excessive inquiries may raise red flags during clearance background checks.

Therefore, it’s important to monitor and limit unnecessary inquiries.

How to Remove Hard Inquiries from Your Credit Report

Although valid hard pulls must remain, unauthorized or fraudulent inquiries can be removed. Here’s how:

Step 1: Dispute Unauthorized or Fraudulent Inquiries

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) gives you the right to dispute:

Unauthorized inquiries – You never applied or gave permission.
Fraudulent inquiries – Someone pulled your credit without your knowledge.
Duplicate inquiries – Multiple pulls for one application should appear as one.

Steps to take:

Visit AnnualCreditReport.com for your report.
Highlight inquiries you don’t recognize.
Submit dispute letters to Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.
If proven unauthorized, the inquiry must be removed.

Important: If you applied for credit and the pull was valid, it cannot be disputed.

Step 2: Contact the Creditor for Direct Removal

If you believe a creditor pulled your report by mistake:

Call the lender directly and explain the issue.
Request a written confirmation of their agreement to remove the inquiry.
Share that document with credit bureaus to ensure it gets deleted.

Often, creditors cooperate—especially when a clear mistake occurred.

Step 3: Report Identity Theft and Protect Your Credit

If you find several inquiries you didn’t authorize, someone may have misused your identity.

Visit IdentityTheft.gov to file a fraud report.
Contact all three credit bureaus to request a fraud alert or credit freeze.
File a police report if necessary for added protection.

Taking action quickly prevents further damage.

Step 4: Let Legitimate Inquiries Expire

If the inquiry is valid, you must wait for it to drop off naturally:

Hard inquiries stay visible for 2 years.
After 12 months, they no longer affect your credit score.

In the meantime, maintaining good credit habits helps offset any temporary impact.

How Long Do Credit Inquiries Stay on Your Credit Report?

Inquiry Type	Time on Report	Impact on Score
Hard Inquiry	2 years	Affects score for only 12 months
Soft Inquiry	Not reported	No impact

How Credit1Solutions.com Helps Remove Hard Inquiries Faster

Our team provides fast, legal assistance for inquiry-related credit issues:

We dispute unauthorized inquiries with all major credit bureaus.
We contact creditors to remove errors or mistaken pulls.
We assist with identity theft cases, including legal documentation.
We offer ongoing tools to help protect your credit in the future.

Instead of waiting for 2 years, we help you take action immediately.

Client Testimonials

Jessica L., Homebuyer
“I had inquiries from lenders I never contacted. Credit1Solutions.com got them removed, and my score recovered!”

David R., Military Personnel
“Excessive inquiries almost cost me my security clearance. They handled the problem fast and professionally.”

Mark J., Small Business Owner
“Someone pulled my credit without my knowledge. Credit1Solutions.com resolved it and stopped future access!”

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can I remove a hard inquiry from my credit report?
Yes, if it’s unauthorized, fraudulent, or inaccurately reported.

How many hard inquiries are considered too many?
Generally, more than 4–6 inquiries in a short period can make lenders cautious.

Do hard inquiries always affect my credit?
Yes. Although the effect is minor, each inquiry may reduce your score by a few points.

Can I avoid future hard inquiries?
Yes. You can:

Opt-out at OptOutPrescreen.com
Freeze your credit when not applying for new accounts
Avoid submitting multiple credit applications at once

Can Credit1Solutions.com remove hard inquiries for me?
Absolutely! We help remove unauthorized entries, contact lenders, and provide long-term credit protection.