A hard inquiry typically stays on your credit report for up to two years , but its impact on your credit score usually lasts for about one year. After the first year, the effect of the hard inquiry on your score diminishes significantly, though the inquiry remains visible to lenders for the full two years
. In terms of score impact, a single hard inquiry usually lowers your credit score by around five points or less , and this effect tends to fade within a few months to a year. However, multiple hard inquiries in a short period can have a larger negative impact, as they may signal financial distress to lenders
. Credit scoring models like FICO and VantageScore often treat multiple inquiries for certain types of loans (e.g., mortgage, auto, student loans) within a short window (14 to 45 days) as a single inquiry, reducing the impact on your score during rate shopping
. To recover from the impact of hard inquiries, it is recommended to:
- Pay your bills on time consistently.
- Keep your credit utilization ratio below 30%.
- Avoid applying for new credit for at least six months after multiple inquiries to allow your score to stabilize
In summary, while hard inquiries remain on your credit report for two years, their effect on your credit score is temporary, mostly lasting about one year, and can be managed with responsible credit behavior
