When you apply for a credit card, mortgage, auto loan, or personal loan, the lender pulls your credit report. That pull — called a hard inquiry — shows up on your report and can temporarily lower your score. The effect is small and short-lived for most people, but it’s worth understanding before you apply.
How much does a hard inquiry drop your score?
According to myFICO, a single hard inquiry typically takes fewer than 5 points off your FICO Score. The exact amount depends on your overall credit profile — someone with a thin file or short history may see a slightly larger drop; someone with a long, established file may see almost none.
A few points is not worth worrying about for a single application. The concern is applying for several accounts in a short window — multiple inquiries can compound, and some lenders reviewing your file manually may view a cluster of recent applications as a sign of financial pressure.
How long does it stay on your report?
Hard inquiries remain on your credit report for 2 years, per Experian. However, according to myFICO, FICO Scores only factor in inquiries from the most recent 12 months. After 12 months, a hard inquiry is still visible on your report but no longer affects your FICO Score.
| Timeline | What happens |
|---|---|
| Day of application | Inquiry appears on credit report |
| Up to 12 months | Inquiry factors into FICO score calculation |
| 12–24 months | Visible on report but no longer affects score |
| After 24 months | Removed from report entirely |
Hard inquiry vs. soft inquiry
Not every credit check is a hard inquiry. Soft inquiries — which don’t affect your score at all — include:
- Checking your own credit score or report
- Background checks by employers or landlords
- Pre-approval or prequalification offers you didn’t apply for
- Account reviews by existing lenders
The rule of thumb: if you initiated a credit application, it’s a hard inquiry. If someone is just looking without you asking for credit, it’s soft.
Rate shopping: multiple inquiries that count as one
If you’re comparing mortgage, auto, or student loan rates, applying at multiple lenders in a short window is treated as a single inquiry by FICO. According to myFICO, the window is:
- 45 days for newer FICO scoring models
- 14 days for older FICO models
Additionally, FICO ignores mortgage, auto, and student loan inquiries from the 30 days before your score is pulled — so those applications don’t count against you at all during that window.
This protection applies to those loan types specifically. Credit card applications do not benefit from rate-shopping treatment — each card application is its own inquiry.
When to care about hard inquiries
For a typical credit application, hard inquiries are minor. They matter more in three situations: before applying for a mortgage, where lenders review your full profile and recent applications can stand out; when your score is borderline for a rate tier, where even a 3-point drop has consequences; and when you’re opening several accounts at once, since stacked inquiries and new account age penalties compound each other.
If you’re planning a major loan soon, it’s generally worth holding off on unrelated credit applications until after you close. Otherwise, one card application isn’t something to stress over.