How Long Does a Hard Credit Inquiry Affect You?

Credit score impact and credit report visibility aren’t the same thing.

Credit score impact Credit report visibility
  1. 0months

    When the inquiry occurs

    ReportA hard inquiry is recorded on the credit report.

    ScoreIt may cause a small, temporary change in the credit score.

  2. 12months

    During the first 12 months

    ScoreHard inquiries may affect certain credit-scoring models during this period.

    ScoreThe actual impact varies by credit profile and scoring model.

  3. 24months

    At approx­imately 24 months

    ReportHard inquiries generally stop appearing on U.S. consumer credit reports after two years.