Getting a hard credit inquiry removed from your credit report

If you did not give permission to have a hard inquiry performed, you should first contact the company that performed the credit check and ask that they remove it from your report.

The company might insist that they can’t remove it. They may even try to get you to back down by telling you that the hard inquiry will only cause a small drop in your credit score. If they refuse to assist in the removal of the hard inquiry, you should file a complaint with the CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau).

Credit bureaus do not allow you to file disputes about hard inquiries. They will direct you to the company that performed the inquiry. The CFPB, on the other hand, is a U.S. government agency whose goal is to ensure that financial companies treat consumers fairly, and inaccurate credit reporting is something that they accept complaints about.

How to file a complaint with the CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau)

To file a complaint regarding unapproved hard credit inquiries, visit the CFPB site at https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint and select “Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports” as the primary complaint and “Improper use of your report (shared without consent, credit inquiries from unknown sources)” when asked to specify the type of credit reporting product.

The CFPB will submit your complaint to the company that performed the credit check. Since the complaints are submitted electronically, the company could have your complaint in a matter of minutes. The company is required to respond to the CFPB and they typically do so within 15 days.

You can also submit a complaint by phone by calling them at 855-411-2372 (TTY/TTD: 855-729-2372). They’re available 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday (except federal holidays).