Does a Credit Check Affect Your Credit Score?
A credit check affects your credit score only when it is recorded as a hard inquiry, which typically happens when a lender pulls a credit file to decide on an application. Soft credit checks, such as checking your own report or receiving a prescreened offer, are not scored. Hard inquiries typically stay on a credit report for two years.
This guide is general educational information for U.S. readers. It is not financial advice and does not describe your individual credit file. Figures such as score ranges and timeline estimates are typical examples, not promises.
Key takeaways
- A hard inquiry typically remains on a credit report for two years.
- Soft credit checks, including self-checks, account reviews, and prescreened offers, are not included in FICO or VantageScore calculations.
- Hard inquiries fall within the new credit category, which carries an approximate weight of 10% in FICO's model.
- Most credit scores, including FICO and VantageScore, use a range of 300 to 850.
- Under the FCRA, consumers have the right to a free credit report from each nationwide agency every 12 months.
A credit check affects your credit score only when it is recorded as a hard inquiry, which typically happens when a lender pulls a credit file to decide on an application. Soft credit checks, such as reviewing your own report or receiving a prescreened offer, are not scored by FICO or VantageScore. Hard inquiries typically stay on a credit report for two years.
Two kinds of credit checks
Credit reporting agencies record an inquiry any time an organization requests a copy of a credit file. The difference between a hard inquiry and a soft inquiry is not the size of the request; it is the purpose behind it.
- Soft inquiry. Recorded for account reviews by an existing lender, prescreened credit or insurance offers, employment screening where the law permits it, and a consumer's own request for a credit report or score.
- Hard inquiry. Recorded when a lender, card issuer, or other creditor requests the file in connection with an application for credit, such as a mortgage, auto loan, student loan, or credit card.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. section 1681, sets out the permissible purposes for which a consumer reporting agency may furnish a report, and it is the statute that governs how inquiries and other report items are handled. The text of the statute is published by Cornell Law School.
How credit checks fit into credit scoring
Most credit scores, including FICO and VantageScore, use a range of 300 to 850. FICO publishes approximate weights for the five categories of information its model considers:
| FICO score factor | Approximate weight |
|---|---|
| Payment history | 35% |
| Amounts owed | 30% |
| Length of credit history | 15% |
| New credit | 10% |
| Credit mix | 10% |
Hard inquiries belong to the new credit category, which also reflects recently opened accounts and the time since the most recent account opening. Because that category carries an approximate weight of 10%, a single inquiry is one item inside a group that is itself smaller than payment history at 35% or amounts owed at 30%. Those two larger categories are described in the guides to payment history and credit utilization.
VantageScore uses its own factor weighting and does not publish fixed percentages, so the role of an inquiry can differ slightly between models. FICO vs. VantageScore compares the two approaches, and how credit scores are calculated walks through all five categories.
Does a hard credit check affect your credit score?
Yes. A hard inquiry is included in the new credit portion of a score, and it remains on the credit report for two years. Two separate questions are worth keeping apart: whether an inquiry is recorded at all, and how a particular scoring model treats it.
- Every hard inquiry is recorded on the report that was pulled.
- Scoring models concentrate on inquiries and accounts opened in the recent past; older inquiries fall outside the windows most models examine.
- One inquiry is not the only entry in the new credit category, and that category is one of five in FICO's model.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, created by the Dodd-Frank Act in 2010 and operating since 2011, publishes consumer education on credit reports and scores at the CFPB.
Does a soft credit check hurt?
No. Soft inquiries are not part of FICO or VantageScore calculations, so they are not counted in the new credit category. Whether a soft inquiry is visible to lenders depends on the credit reporting agency and the type of inquiry. Common sources include:
- A request for your own credit report or credit score.
- An account review by a lender or card issuer you already do business with.
- A prescreened credit or insurance offer.
- Employment screening, where the FCRA permits it.
- A credit monitoring service enrolled by the consumer.
When several checks count as one
Scoring models treat some groups of hard inquiries differently from isolated ones. When several lenders are checked within a short period as part of one search for a mortgage, an auto loan, or a student loan, models commonly treat the group as a single inquiry rather than several separate ones. The reasoning is that comparing loan offers is not the same as opening multiple new accounts. Experian publishes credit education pages that cover rate shopping, and the treatment can differ from one model version to another.
Hard inquiries and soft inquiries at a glance
| Point of comparison | Hard inquiry | Soft inquiry |
|---|---|---|
| Typical trigger | Application for new credit | Account review, prescreened offer, self-check, employment screening |
| Counted in FICO and VantageScore | Yes, within the new credit category | No |
| Visibility to lenders | Shown on reports furnished to lenders | Often limited, and in some cases shown only to the consumer |
| Typical time on a credit report | 2 years | Varies by agency and inquiry type |
Where credit checks appear on a credit report
The three nationwide credit reporting agencies are Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Each report carries an inquiries section that lists the companies that requested the file, along with the date of the request. Under the FCRA, consumers have the right to a free credit report from each nationwide agency every 12 months; the three agencies currently provide free reports weekly through AnnualCreditReport.com. Reading the inquiries section is how a consumer confirms which checks are hard and which are soft. More detail is available in the credit reports hub and the credit checks hub.
How long other items stay on a report
Inquiries are among the shortest-lived entries on a credit report. Other items carry longer timelines:
- Most negative information, including late payments, stays on a credit report for 7 years.
- A Chapter 7 bankruptcy stays on a credit report for 10 years; a Chapter 13 bankruptcy stays for 7 years.
- A hard inquiry typically remains for 2 years.
Security-related items follow their own schedules. An initial fraud alert lasts 1 year and an extended fraud alert lasts 7 years. A security freeze is free to place, temporarily lift, or remove under federal law. FCRA section 605A covers fraud alerts (15 U.S.C. section 1681c-1), and section 605B covers identity theft report blocking (15 U.S.C. section 1681c-2). See credit freeze and identity theft for how those tools work. If identity theft is involved, a report can be filed at IdentityTheft.gov and with the IRS using Form 14039.
Checking your own credit
A consumer's own request for a credit report or a credit score is recorded as a soft inquiry, which is why reviewing a report frequently does not enter the new credit category. Services that monitor a credit file for changes work the same way. The credit monitoring hub and the credit score hub explain what those services display and how scores are presented.
Inquiries that were not authorized
If a credit report lists a hard inquiry from a company the consumer does not recognize, the FCRA provides a dispute process. Under the FCRA, a credit reporting agency generally must investigate a dispute within 30 days; the period can extend to 45 days if the consumer provides additional information during the initial 30-day period. A dispute can be filed with the credit reporting agency that furnished the report, and the application behind the inquiry can also be questioned directly with the company named in the report. Unrecognized inquiries sometimes accompany a fraudulent account. The FCRA was enacted in 1970 and amended by the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act in 2003, which added identity theft provisions of this kind.
This page is published for education only, explains how the credit reporting system works, and is not financial advice.
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Frequently asked questions
Does a credit check affect your credit score?
It depends on the type of check. A hard inquiry, recorded when a lender reviews a credit file in connection with an application, is included in the new credit portion of a score. A soft inquiry, such as a self-check or an account review, is not used in FICO or VantageScore calculations.
Does a soft credit check hurt?
No. Soft inquiries are not part of FICO or VantageScore calculations and are not counted in the new credit category. Some soft inquiries are shown only to the consumer, depending on the credit reporting agency.
How long does a hard inquiry stay on a credit report?
A hard inquiry typically remains on a credit report for two years. Scoring models place the most emphasis on inquiries and new accounts from the recent past.
Do credit checks lower your score every time?
Only hard inquiries are considered in scoring, and they are one entry within the new credit category, which carries an approximate weight of 10% in FICO's model. Whether any single item moves a particular score, and by how much, depends on the scoring model and everything else in the file.
Are several mortgage or auto loan checks counted separately?
Models commonly group inquiries made within a short period as part of one search for a mortgage, auto loan, or student loan and treat the group as a single inquiry. The reasoning is that comparison shopping for one loan differs from opening several new accounts.
Does checking my own credit score affect it?
No. A consumer's own request for a credit report or score is recorded as a soft inquiry, so it does not enter the new credit category used in FICO and VantageScore calculations.
Can I dispute an inquiry I did not authorize?
Yes. Under the FCRA, a credit reporting agency generally must investigate a dispute within 30 days, and the period can extend to 45 days if additional information is provided during the initial 30-day period. A dispute can be filed with the agency that furnished the report.