Clear definitions and why this matters

Hard and soft credit inquiries are distinct actions that appear on your credit report and are treated differently by scoring models. A hard inquiry happens when a creditor or lender requests your credit report because you applied for new credit (for example, a credit card, mortgage, or auto loan). That pull can lower your credit score temporarily. A soft inquiry occurs when you or a company checks your credit for non-lending reasons—such as a background check, a prequalification offer, or when you check your own credit—and it does not affect your score.

This distinction matters because hard inquiries can affect approval odds and interest rates; soft inquiries do not. In my practice helping clients prepare for mortgages and auto loans, I routinely review recent hard inquiries and advise clients to pause new applications for 6–12 months when possible to avoid unnecessary score erosion.

Sources: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) explains how inquiries appear on reports and the difference between hard and soft pulls, and FICO documents how inquiries are treated by scoring models.

How long inquiries stay on your report and how scoring models treat them

  • Visibility on your credit report: Both hard and soft inquiries remain on your credit report for up to two years. (CFPB)
  • Scoring impact window: Most credit scoring models (including FICO) typically consider hard inquiries for about 12 months when calculating a score; after that, they usually stop affecting the numeric score even though they remain on the report for two years. (FICO)

Because of this timing, a hard inquiry that contributed to a small score drop is unlikely to continue dragging down your score after a year in most scoring models.

How much does a hard inquiry lower your score?

There is no single fixed number. The impact of a hard inquiry varies by individual credit profile:

  • For consumers with long, established credit histories, a single hard inquiry often has a very small effect (often fewer than five points).
  • For consumers with thin or limited credit histories, a hard inquiry can have a larger impact.

FICO’s guidance and multiple industry analyses show that while a hard inquiry can reduce a score, the decline is typically modest and short-lived. The exact change depends on the scoring model and the rest of your credit profile.

Rate-shopping exceptions (mortgages, auto, student loans)

Credit scoring models recognize rate shopping for certain loan types. When you apply for the same type of loan within a limited shopping window, multiple hard inquiries may be counted as a single inquiry for scoring purposes. Key points:

  • FICO models generally allow a 45-day window in newer models (older versions used a 14-day window) for multiple inquiries for mortgage or auto loan shopping to be treated as one inquiry. (FICO)
  • VantageScore historically used a 14-day window; check the score version used by a lender.

When preparing to shop for a mortgage or auto loan, concentrate your applications into a short period (within the model’s window) so the inquiries have less aggregate impact on your credit score.

Common situations that trigger each type of inquiry

Hard inquiries:

  • Credit card applications
  • Mortgage and home-equity applications
  • Auto loan applications
  • Personal loan applications
  • Some landlord credit checks that are tied to an application

Soft inquiries:

  • Checking your own credit via a monitoring service or at annualcreditreport.gov
  • Prequalification or preapproval offers from lenders
  • Employer background checks and some tenant screenings that only see limited data
  • Account review by existing creditors

Note: Soft inquiries are visible to you on your credit report but are not visible to lenders who pull your file for credit decisions.

What to do if you see an unexpected hard inquiry

  1. Verify the source: Look at the name of the company and the date on the report.
  2. Confirm you applied: If you did not authorize it, first contact the company listed to ask why they pulled your report.
  3. File a dispute with the credit bureaus: If the inquiry is fraudulent or an error, dispute it with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. You can start at AnnualCreditReport.gov to get copies of your reports and then follow each bureau’s dispute process. (CFPB)
  4. Consider an identity theft report: If you find other signs of fraud, file an Identity Theft Report with the FTC and place fraud alerts or a credit freeze on your file.

In my work, I’ve seen mistaken or fraudulent inquiries removed after a dispute when the pull could not be verified by the bureau or the creditor.

Practical strategies to reduce inquiry-related harm

  • Plan large credit needs: If you expect to apply for a mortgage, car loan, or student loan, avoid applying for unrelated credit cards in the months leading up to the application.
  • Time multiple applications: For mortgages and auto loans, complete rate-shopping within the scoring model’s allowance (typically up to 45 days for modern FICO models).
  • Monitor with soft checks: Use credit monitoring or pull your own reports periodically to stay informed without impacting your score. Annual free reports are available at AnnualCreditReport.gov. (CFPB)
  • When in doubt, ask lenders whether they’ll perform a hard or soft inquiry before you apply—many prequalification checks are soft pulls.

How inquiries fit into the larger credit picture

Hard inquiries are only one small factor in credit scoring. Major elements that usually matter more include payment history, amounts owed (credit utilization), length of credit history, credit mix, and new credit. Prioritizing on-time payments and maintaining low utilization will typically improve your score much more than avoiding a single hard inquiry.

For tools on reading and cleaning your report, see our step-by-step guides: How to Read a Credit Report: A Field Guide and Credit Report Accuracy Audit: A 10-Step Process to Clean Up Your File. These articles explain how to spot and fix errors that matter more than one or two inquiries.

Common misconceptions

  • Misconception: All inquiries lower your score. Reality: Soft inquiries do not affect your score; only hard inquiries do.
  • Misconception: A hard inquiry will permanently stay on my record. Reality: A hard inquiry can be visible for up to two years, but most scoring models count its effect for only about 12 months.
  • Misconception: Multiple inquiries for similar loans always devastate scores. Reality: If those inquiries occur within a short shopping window, scoring models often count them as one inquiry.

When to seek professional help

If multiple hard inquiries are coinciding with unexplained account openings, repeated denials, or suspected identity theft, consult a credit counselor or a consumer law attorney. For personalized planning—especially before major credit events like a mortgage application—I recommend working with a certified credit counselor or financial planner.

Professional disclaimer: This article is educational and does not constitute financial, legal, or credit-repair advice. Individual results vary; consult a qualified professional for guidance tailored to your situation.

Authoritative sources and further reading

  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), “What is a credit inquiry?” and guidance on ordering credit reports: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/
  • FICO, explanation of inquiries and scoring treatment: https://www.fico.com/
  • Experian, types of credit inquiries and rate-shopping windows: https://www.experian.com/
  • AnnualCreditReport.gov — free annual credit reports from the three major bureaus

These sources are current as of 2025; scoring models and bureau practices evolve, so check official pages for updates.