You can dispute an inquiry you did not authorize, such as one from identity theft or a company with no permissible purpose. A legitimate inquiry from an application you made generally cannot be removed. Equifax says hard inquiries stay up to two years.
An inquiry is a record that someone obtained your credit report. Hard inquiries, typically from applications for credit, are visible to lenders. Soft inquiries, such as your own checks or prescreened offers, are not shown to lenders.
When an inquiry can be disputed
An inquiry is an item of information in your file, and a company may only obtain your report for a permissible purpose listed in 15 U.S.C. § 1681b, such as a credit transaction you initiated. You may have grounds to dispute an inquiry if:
- it came from identity theft, for example an application someone else made in your name;
- you never applied or dealt with the company; or
- it belongs to someone else in a mixed file.
An inquiry from an application you actually made is accurate, and the FCRA does not require a bureau to remove accurate, current information. Equifax states that legitimate hard inquiries cannot be removed and that hard inquiries remain on its report for up to two years.
How to dispute an unauthorized inquiry
- Get your full file. Under § 1681g(a)(3), the bureau must identify everyone who obtained your report in the past year (two years for employment), and give their address and phone number on request.
- Contact the company that made the inquiry and ask what application or account it relates to.
- Dispute with the bureau, stating that you did not authorize the inquiry.
- If it resulted from identity theft, file a report at IdentityTheft.gov and request an identity theft block under § 1681c-2, which requires the bureau to block the information within 4 business days of receiving the required documents.
Several unfamiliar inquiries close together can be an early sign of identity theft. See identity theft and your credit report and consider a credit freeze.
A company that pulls your report without a permissible purpose may be liable under the FCRA; a free case review can help you evaluate it, with no fee unless we win.
Related
Sources
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681b — Permissible purposes of consumer reports (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681g(a)(3) — Disclosure of report recipients (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681c-2 — Block of information resulting from identity theft (Cornell LII)
- Equifax — Understanding Hard Inquiries on Your Credit Report
Updated November 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.