The quick answer? That's a firm no.
Your credit report is a summary of your financial and borrowing history. It lists your outstanding loans and open credit accounts, and it gives lenders a sense of how risky or trustworthy you are as a borrower. If you're applying for a loan, whether it's a mortgage, auto loan, or personal loan, the lender you work with may need to check your credit report before agreeing to loan you money.
But lenders can't just access your credit report without your permission. And it's important that you understand your rights.
A credit report inquiry could have consequences
When a lender pulls your credit report in conjunction with a loan application, it counts as a hard inquiry. A single hard inquiry won't do much damage to your credit score -- but it could result in a five- to 10-point drop.
Meanwhile, multiple hard inquiries in short order could have more of a negative impact on your credit score. And that's why it's important to limit those hard inquiries.
Now, the good news is that lenders can't just access your credit report without your consent. The Fair Credit Reporting Act states that only businesses with a legitimate reason to check your credit report can do so, and generally, you have to consent in writing to having your credit report pulled. This holds true even if you're in the process of applying for a loan -- you'll still need to expressly grant your lender permission to do a check on your credit.
In some cases, a business or entity may be able to pull your credit report without asking you, and without you agreeing to it, such as to see if you're pre-approved for a specific financial offer. But in that scenario, you'll be looking at a soft inquiry on your credit report, not a hard one. A soft inquiry won't impact your credit score, so there's less to worry about there. (Incidentally, when you check your own credit report, that counts as a soft inquiry, too.)
How to know if your credit report was checked
You're entitled to a free copy of your credit report every year from each of the major reporting bureaus -- Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. On your credit report, there's an area where you can look up recent credit checks, so you'll be able to see exactly who's been looking at that information.
If you notice a hard pull on your credit report that you didn't authorize, don't just chalk it up to bad luck. Instead, dig deeper.
Perhaps the listed inquiry is actually an error, so your first step should be to contact the credit bureau in question and state that the inquiry wasn't authorized and you'd like it deleted from your record. That way, the bureau can investigate and, ideally, remedy the situation. Although a single hard inquiry won't cause a lot of credit score damage, you shouldn't have one on your credit report if you didn't agree to it.
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FAQs
The bottom line
Can someone pull your credit report without permission? ›
The Fair Credit Reporting Act states that only businesses with a legitimate reason to check your credit report can do so, and generally, you have to consent in writing to having your credit report pulled.
Can credit bureaus get your info without your consent? ›
Under the law, credit bureaus and other CRAs can release your information only to those third parties that have certified that they have a purpose permitted by the law to obtain your consumer report, such as to evaluate your application for credit, insurance, or employment, or to rent you an apartment.
Can I sue someone for running my credit without my permission? ›
If someone has requested your report illegally, you might be able to sue them for violating the FCRA. Your state's laws might offer additional relief and remedies. Talk to a lawyer for more information on filing a lawsuit.
Can someone run your credit report without you knowing about it explain? ›
Soft inquiries happen all the time without you even knowing—a company might check your credit score if they're planning on mailing you a promotional offer. These inquiries don't affect your credit score at all. But hard inquiries require your actual consent before they can happen.
How do I find out who pulled my credit report? ›
When you request a copy of your credit report, you will see a list of anyone who has requested your credit report within the past year, including any employers or prospective employers who have requested your report within the past two years for employment purposes.
How do I stop someone from accessing my credit report? ›
A credit freeze restricts access to your credit report. If you suspect your personal information or identity was stolen, placing a credit freeze can help protect you from fraud.
What are my rights with credit reports? ›
Under FACTA, consumers are entitled to one free credit report every 12 months from each of the three credit bureaus (Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian). Reviewing these reports allows you to correct any errors in your credit history and protect your credit identity.
Can you subpoena a credit report? ›
Equifax discloses a credit report only to a person who has a permissible purpose to receive that credit report. The permissible purposes include: A court order or Federal grand jury subpoena. In accordance with written instructions from a consumer to whom the file relates.
What is your legal right to access a copy of your credit report? ›
Your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act:
You have the right to receive a copy of your credit report. The copy of your report must contain all of the information in your file at the time of your request.
Under the CCRAA, a consumer may bring an action for a civil penalty up to $2,500 against an individual or company who knowingly and willfully obtained access to your credit report without a permissible purpose.
Who can access my credit report? ›
While the general public can't see your credit report, some groups have legal access to that personal information. Those groups include lenders, creditors, landlords, employers, insurance companies, government agencies and utility providers.
Can you legally take on someones debt? ›
Once you decide to take on the other person's debt, you should call the creditor directly and express your wishes to be added to their account. In most cases, you can simply say that you want to be added to the account as a guarantor.
Can someone check my credit without my consent? ›
The bottom line
Even those who want access to your report can only ask for it if they have a legally permissible reason to do so. Both the credit reporting bureau and the person seeking access without a “permissible purpose” can be held liable if they breach the FCRA.
What is a soft pull? ›
A soft inquiry—also called a soft pull—allows a creditor to review your credit report and credit score to get a sense of how well you are managing your credit. It can provide them with an indication of how risky of a borrower you are. A soft credit inquiry can occur when you check your own credit report.
How can I run someone's credit report? ›
The most common ways of getting a tenant's credit report are directly through one of the three major credit reporting bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) or through a property management software platform like Avail.
Can someone steal your credit report? ›
Identity theft occurs when someone gets or steals your personal information. The information can then be used to open credit accounts in your name or receive benefits, such as employment, insurance or housing. Identity theft may impact your credit reports and credit scores.
When someone pulls your credit What can they see? ›
Your credit report itself shows a lot of information, including: 1) Personal Information; 2) Credit History; 3) Credit Inquiries; and 4) Public Records.
Can anyone search my credit file? ›
The first thing to know is that in our information-rich, everything-at-your-fingertips world, the data on your credit report is held securely by credit reference agencies like Experian. Companies can only see this data if they have a legitimate reason (e.g. you've applied for a mortgage with them).
