Yes. If a hard inquiry appears on your credit report and you never authorized it, you can dispute it with the credit bureau and ask the company that pulled your credit to have it removed. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, a company needs a permissible purpose — such as a credit application you initiated — to access your report. If there was no permissible purpose, the inquiry shouldn’t be there. If the inquiry is part of identity theft, you can report it and ask the bureaus to block it.

Before you dispute, though, make sure the inquiry is truly unauthorized. Many inquiries look unfamiliar because they’re listed under a bank or finance company’s name rather than the store or dealership where you applied. This guide shows you how to tell the difference, how to get truly unauthorized inquiries removed, and how to prevent more.

Unauthorized inquiries can be removed — but first confirm they’re really unauthorized.

Key takeaways

• Companies need a permissible purpose to pull your credit.
• Unauthorized hard inquiries can be disputed and removed.
• Many unfamiliar inquiries are legitimate but listed under a different company name.
• Unfamiliar inquiries alongside new accounts can signal identity theft.
• A free credit freeze blocks most new hard inquiries.
• Authorized inquiries generally can’t be removed, but their impact is small and temporary.

Hard Inquiries vs. Soft Inquiries

• Hard inquiries happen when a lender checks your credit because you applied for credit. They appear on your report for two years and can lower your score slightly for up to a year.
• Soft inquiries happen when you check your own credit, when you receive prescreened offers, or when an existing creditor reviews your account. They’re visible only to you and don’t affect your score.

Only hard inquiries matter for this guide. For more on how much they affect your score, see our guide to hard inquiry impact, and for a complete overview, our guide on removing hard inquiries from your credit report.

Why an Inquiry Might Look Unfamiliar

Many unfamiliar inquiries are legitimate.

Car dealerships

When you finance a car, the dealer often sends your application to several lenders to find financing. Each lender may create an inquiry under its own name.

Store credit cards

Store cards are usually issued by banks. If you applied for a store card, the inquiry may show the bank’s name rather than the store’s.

Parent companies and brand names

Some lenders operate under brand names that differ from their legal names. The inquiry may show the legal name.

Phone, utility, and other services

Some phone carriers, utilities, and service providers check credit when you open an account, and some use hard inquiries.

Rental applications

Some landlords and screening companies pull credit, and practices vary on whether the inquiry is hard or soft.

Buy now, pay later and financing offers

Some longer-term financing plans at checkout use a hard inquiry.

Joint applications

If someone applied for credit with you as a co-applicant, your credit may have been pulled.

How to Investigate an Unfamiliar Inquiry

• Note the name and date on your credit report.
• Check your records for applications around that date — car purchases, store cards, phone upgrades, apartment applications.
• Look up the company using the contact information on your report.
• Contact the company and ask why it accessed your credit and what application it was connected to.

If the company confirms an application you made, the inquiry is authorized. If it can’t show that you applied, or you never did business with it, the inquiry may be unauthorized.

How to Remove an Unauthorized Inquiry

Five steps to remove an unauthorized inquiry.

Step 1: Contact the company that pulled your credit

Ask it to explain the inquiry and, if it can’t show a permissible purpose, to contact the credit bureau and request removal. Put your request in writing:

On [date], your company made a hard inquiry on my [bureau] credit report. I did not apply for credit with your company or authorize this inquiry. Please provide the permissible purpose for this inquiry or request that the credit bureau remove it. Please respond in writing.

Step 2: Dispute with the credit bureau

File a dispute with each bureau showing the inquiry. Explain that you didn’t authorize it and didn’t apply for credit with that company. Include any response from the company.

Step 3: If it’s identity theft, report it

If the inquiry is part of someone using your information, file a report at IdentityTheft.gov. With an identity theft report, you can ask the bureaus to block fraudulent information, and they generally must do so within four business days of receiving your request.

Step 4: Freeze your credit

A free credit freeze at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion prevents most new creditors from accessing your report until you lift the freeze.

A freeze is the best prevention.

Step 5: Monitor your reports

Check your reports regularly for new inquiries or accounts. Free weekly reports are available at AnnualCreditReport.com.

Signs an Inquiry Is Identity Theft

When an inquiry may signal identity theft.

• You never applied for credit with the company
• A new account appears alongside the inquiry
• You receive bills, cards, or letters you didn’t expect
• Unfamiliar addresses appear on your report
• Several unfamiliar inquiries appear in a short time

If you see these signs, act quickly: report the identity theft, contact the companies involved, place a fraud alert or freeze, and dispute fraudulent accounts and inquiries.

Can You Remove Authorized Inquiries?

Generally, no. If you applied for credit, the inquiry is accurate, and bureaus don’t have to remove it. The good news is that its effect is usually small, it stops affecting FICO scores after 12 months, and it drops off your report after two years.

Be cautious of anyone who claims they can remove all your inquiries regardless of whether you applied. Disputing accurate inquiries as unauthorized isn’t honest and can undermine your legitimate disputes.

What About Too Many Inquiries From Rate Shopping?

If you shopped for a mortgage, auto loan, or student loan, multiple inquiries within a short window are generally treated as a single inquiry for scoring purposes, even though each may appear on your report. They’re authorized, so they won’t be removed, but they typically have a small combined effect.

Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act

• Companies need a permissible purpose to access your report
• You can see who has checked your credit
• You can dispute inaccurate information, including unauthorized inquiries
• You can place free credit freezes and fraud alerts
• You can sue for willful or negligent violations, including impermissible access

If a company pulled your credit without a permissible purpose, a consumer attorney can advise you on whether you have a claim.

An Example

Here’s an illustrative example. A woman notices a hard inquiry from a bank she doesn’t recognize on her TransUnion report. She checks her records and realizes that a week earlier she’d applied for a store card at a furniture retailer. She looks up the bank and finds it issues that retailer’s card. The inquiry is authorized, so she doesn’t dispute it.

Two months later, she sees another inquiry from an auto lender in a different state. She hasn’t bought a car. She calls the lender, which tells her someone applied using her name and a different address. She files an identity theft report, asks all three bureaus to block the inquiry and any related information, and places a credit freeze.

What to Say When You Call the Company

I’m calling about a hard inquiry on my credit report dated [date]. I didn’t apply for credit with your company. Can you tell me what application this inquiry is connected to? If you can’t confirm that I applied, please request that the credit bureau remove it and send me written confirmation.

Write down the representative’s name, the date, and what you were told.

Sample Dispute Language for the Credit Bureau

I am disputing a hard inquiry from [company] dated [date]. I did not apply for credit with this company or authorize it to access my credit report. [Optional: The company told me on (date) that it could not locate an application from me.] Please investigate and remove this inquiry.

Inquiries on a Minor’s or Relative’s Report

If you find inquiries or accounts on a child’s credit report, that’s a strong sign of identity theft, since children usually shouldn’t have credit files. Parents can request a check of a minor’s credit report and place a free credit freeze for children under 16 at each bureau.

How Much Does an Unauthorized Inquiry Hurt?

Usually not much — often a few points — and the effect fades within a year. The bigger concern is what the inquiry may signal. An unauthorized inquiry can be the first sign that someone is trying to open credit in your name, which is why investigating quickly matters more than the points.

Prevention Tips

• Freeze your credit at all three bureaus when you’re not applying
• Lift the freeze temporarily when you apply, and refreeze afterward
• Use strong passwords and two-factor authentication on financial accounts
• Shred documents with personal information
• Be cautious with your Social Security number — share it only when necessary
• Check your reports regularly for new inquiries

What a Permissible Purpose Means

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, a business can access your credit report only for specific reasons, including:

• A credit transaction you initiated, such as a loan or card application
• Reviewing or collecting an existing account
• Evaluating an insurance application you made
• Employment purposes, with your written permission
• A legitimate business need in connection with a transaction you initiated, such as renting an apartment
• Court orders and certain government purposes

If none of these apply, the business shouldn’t have accessed your report.

What to Do if the Company Won’t Help

If the company can’t explain the inquiry and won’t request removal:

• Dispute it with the credit bureau anyway, explaining that the company couldn’t identify an application
• File a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
• If you believe your report was accessed illegally, talk to a consumer attorney about a possible Fair Credit Reporting Act claim

Keep Records

Save copies of your credit reports showing the inquiry, notes from calls, letters you send and receive, and dispute confirmations. If the inquiry turns out to be part of identity theft, these records will help with your identity theft report and any disputes that follow.

What If You Forgot About an Application?

It happens. A quick online prequalification might have turned into a full application, or a financing offer at checkout may have involved a credit check. If you find you did apply, the inquiry is authorized and will fade on its own. Its effect on your score is usually small and temporary.

Protecting Your Identity After an Unauthorized Inquiry

If you find an unauthorized inquiry, take these steps even if no account was opened:

• Freeze your credit at all three bureaus
• Change passwords on financial and email accounts
• Turn on alerts with your bank and card issuers
• Check all three reports for other unfamiliar items
• Watch your mail for unexpected bills, cards, or collection letters

Early action can stop an identity thief before any accounts are opened.

When to Get Help

Consider a consumer attorney if a company accessed your credit without a permissible purpose and won’t correct it, or if identity theft has led to multiple accounts and collections. Legal aid organizations and the FTC’s IdentityTheft.gov can also help with recovery plans.

Hard Inquiries and Rental Applications

Apartment applications are a common source of unfamiliar inquiries. Some landlords use tenant screening companies that pull your credit through a partner, so the inquiry may show a company name you don’t recognize. Check your application records before disputing. If you never applied for an apartment, the inquiry may be unauthorized.

Hard Inquiries From Online Financing

When you check out online, some financing offers — particularly longer-term financing plans — may involve a hard inquiry. Read the terms before you agree. If you didn’t complete an application but see an inquiry, contact the financing company to ask what happened.

Keep Perspective on Authorized Inquiries

If an inquiry turns out to be authorized, don’t worry too much. One inquiry usually costs fewer than five points and stops affecting FICO scores after a year. Your time is better spent on the factors that matter more: paying on time and keeping balances low.

Quick Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I remove a hard inquiry I didn’t authorize?

Yes. Dispute it with the credit bureau and ask the company that pulled your credit to have it removed. If it’s identity theft, report it and request a block.

Can I remove a hard inquiry I did authorize?

Generally no. Accurate inquiries stay for two years, but they only affect FICO scores for 12 months.

Why is there an inquiry from a bank I never heard of?

It may be the bank that issues a store card you applied for, or a lender a dealership contacted. Contact the company to find out.

How long does it take to remove an unauthorized inquiry?

Bureaus generally complete investigations within 30 days. Identity theft blocks are generally required within four business days of receiving your request.

Does a credit freeze stop hard inquiries?

It blocks most new creditors from accessing your report. Existing creditors, some government agencies, and certain other entities may still access it.

Can a landlord pull my credit without permission?

A landlord generally needs a permissible purpose, such as your rental application. If you never applied, you can dispute the inquiry.

Can I sue over an unauthorized inquiry?

Possibly. Accessing your report without a permissible purpose can violate the Fair Credit Reporting Act. A consumer attorney can review your situation.

Do I need to dispute with all three bureaus?

Yes, with every bureau showing the unauthorized inquiry. Inquiries only appear on the reports that were checked.

Can a company check my credit if I have an existing account?

Existing creditors can review your account with soft inquiries that don’t affect your score. A hard inquiry usually requires an application.

What if a dealership pulled my credit multiple times?

If you applied for financing, the inquiries are usually authorized, and auto loan inquiries within a shopping window are generally counted as one for scoring.

Will a fraud alert stop inquiries?

A fraud alert asks lenders to verify your identity before extending credit. A freeze is stronger because it blocks most access to your report.

Can I dispute an inquiry online?

Yes. Each bureau offers online disputes for inquiries. Explain that you didn’t authorize it and include any supporting information.

What if the inquiry is removed from one bureau but not another?

Dispute with each bureau that shows it. Inquiries appear only where the credit was checked.

Will removing an inquiry raise my score?

Possibly, slightly, if it’s still within the 12 months when FICO counts it. The main benefit is keeping your report accurate.

Can an employer pull my credit without permission?

No. Employers need your written permission for a credit check, and these checks are generally soft inquiries that don’t affect your score.

Can an old inquiry be disputed?

Yes, if it’s still on your report and you didn’t authorize it. Inquiries drop off after two years.

Does a fraud alert remove inquiries?

No. A fraud alert helps prevent future fraud, but existing inquiries need to be disputed.

Can a collection agency pull my credit?

A collector may access your report for purposes related to collecting a debt, which is generally a permissible purpose. These pulls typically don’t count as hard inquiries against your score.

What if I don’t recognize an inquiry on my child’s report?

Children usually shouldn’t have credit reports. Treat it as possible identity theft, report it, and place a freeze.

Do soft inquiries need to be disputed?

No. Soft inquiries don’t affect your score and are visible only to you.

How can I tell a hard inquiry from a soft one?

Credit reports list them separately. Hard inquiries appear in the section lenders see; soft inquiries are usually listed separately and marked as visible only to you.

Can I get a list of everyone who checked my credit?

Yes. Your credit reports list inquiries from the past two years, and you can request information about who accessed your report.

Should I call or write to the bureau?

Online or mail disputes are best because they create a record. If you call, follow up in writing.

Does disputing an inquiry hurt my score?

No. Filing a dispute doesn’t lower your score.

Will the company that pulled my credit be penalized?

If it lacked a permissible purpose, it may face liability under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. A consumer attorney can advise you.

The Bottom Line

You can remove a hard inquiry you never authorized — but first confirm it’s truly unauthorized, since many unfamiliar inquiries come from banks behind store cards or lenders contacted by dealerships. If it’s unauthorized, contact the company, dispute it with the bureau, report identity theft if needed, and freeze your credit to prevent more. Acting quickly protects both your score and your identity.

For a full plan to clean up your credit, see our step-by-step guide on how to fix your credit.

Unfamiliar Inquiries on Your Report?

Strong Credit Report has helped consumers across California and nationwide since [year] dispute unauthorized inquiries and recover from identity theft. Your first consultation is free, and we’ll tell you honestly what you can handle yourself.

Schedule a free consultation or call 800-603-8045.

Strong Credit Report is a credit repair organization as defined under the Credit Repair Organizations Act. We cannot guarantee specific results or the removal of accurate information. You have the right to dispute inaccurate information yourself at no cost. This article is general information, not legal advice.