Who Can Pull Your Credit Report (and Why)?
This guide explains who can access your report, the difference between the checks that affect your score and those that do not, and how to control access.
Who has a permissible purpose
The Fair Credit Reporting Act limits access to parties with a permissible purpose. That includes lenders when you apply for credit, landlords screening a rental, insurers, employers with your written consent, and companies you already do business with, which can review your account. Random strangers and most marketers cannot pull your full report.
Hard versus soft access
How an access affects you depends on the type. A hard inquiry, from you applying for credit, can nudge your score down slightly, while soft accesses, such as your own checks, pre-screened offers, and account reviews by existing creditors, do not affect your score at all. All of them can appear in the inquiries section of your report.
How to control access
You can see who has accessed your report by reading the inquiries section, covered in how to read your credit report. To stop new lenders from pulling it, place a credit freeze, which blocks new-account access until you lift it, a strong defense against identity theft. You can also opt out of pre-screened credit offers.
- Access requires a permissible purpose under federal law.
- Lenders, landlords, insurers, and some employers can pull it.
- Existing creditors can review your report periodically.
- Hard inquiries come from applications; soft ones do not affect your score.
- A credit freeze blocks new access.
Frequently asked questions
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