Yes, in most cases it’s illegal to check someone else’s credit report. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a federal statute that defines and limits who can receive credit-related information. The act lists legal reasons why someone’s credit can be checked; therefore, it is illegal for an individual or organization to check someone’s credit report for any other purpose.
We’ll do a deep dive into when it’s OK to run a credit check on someone, and what to do if you suspect someone has pulled your credit report without permission.
Can Anyone Check Your Credit?
The short answer is no. Legally speaking, a person or organization can check your credit only under certain circumstances. Someone either needs to have what’s called “permissible purpose” or have your permission and cooperation in the process for the credit check to be considered legal.
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Who Can Access Your Credit Report?
People and organizations that can legally access your credit report under certain circumstances include the following:
• Banks and other lenders
• Utility companies
• Insurance companies
• Landlords
• Employers
Here’s more about each
Banks and Other Lenders
A financial institute can check someone’s credit in connection with credit-related transactions, such as when they apply for a mortgage or car loan. Note that section 609(g) of the FCRA requires financial institutions that arrange mortgage loans and use credit scores in their decision-making to provide the credit score and additional information to the applicant.
Utility Companies
Although it may not be commonly thought of in this way, applying for utility service is a form of credit. So when someone requests service from an electric company, the utility will likely check the person’s credit history. If the individual doesn’t have at least a fair credit score, the company can request a deposit or even deny service.
Insurance Companies
Insurance companies have permission to review an applicant’s credit information. Note that companies must also comply with state laws as they use the credit data to underwrite policies.
Landlords
The Federal Trade Commission notes that landlords have the right to review consumer credit reports when someone applies to rent from them or renews a lease. A landlord must certify to the credit bureau (such as Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion) that they will only use this information for rental purposes.
Employers
A potential employer can check an applicant’s credit report, although the company must give the applicant notice of their intent and get written permission. State laws vary regarding an employer’s ability to use this information as part of a hiring decision.
When Is It Legal to Run a Credit Report on Someone?
There are a handful of legal reasons to run a credit report on someone.
Permissible Purpose
This umbrella term used in the FCRA describes when a credit reporting agency can provide a credit report.
Proxy Ordering
“Proxy” is a legal term for someone with the authority to represent someone else. The only instance that isn’t proxy ordering is when a consumer requests their own credit report.
To pull your report, a proxy will need to get answers to questions that only you should know — information that comes directly from your credit report. This provides an extra layer of protection to ensure that your permission is freely being given.
Deceased Spouse
An individual can send a letter to a credit agency requesting the credit report of a deceased spouse. The surviving spouse will need to provide information about both parties so that the agency can verify identities and ensure that it’s OK to provide the credit report.
During Mortgage Underwriting
The FCRA notes that a financial institution can obtain a credit report for “extending, reviewing, and collecting credit.” This applies to mortgage underwriting as well as other types of loans.
Screening Job Applicants
With permission, an employer can request and review a credit report for the purpose of “evaluating a consumer for employment, promotion, reassignment or retention as an employee.”
During Insurance Underwriting
An insurance company can check a person’s credit report, with permission, as part of the underwriting process for a policy. The FCRA delves into specifics for different types of insurance: life, health, homeowners, etc.
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Evaluating Prospective Tenants
The FCRA states that a potential landlord can pull a credit report with the prospective tenant’s permission.
Court-Appointed Guardians
Court-appointed guardians can request a copy of their ward’s credit report by mail. They must provide information about themselves as well as the ward.
What to Do if Someone Pulls Your Credit Without Permission
Contact the organization that pulled your credit to rule out that it was done in error. Then contact the three credit bureaus and request that any hard credit inquiries be deleted from your credit report.
You can also submit a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (visit https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/), and ask for any problems associated with the inquiry to be resolved.
Who Can Check Your Credit Without Permission?
Government agencies may check your credit report to process an application for a license, to determine if you qualify for public assistance, or to calculate what a person can pay in child support, among other reasons.
If you already receive credit from a company, it may periodically check your credit report. Language giving them permission is likely in their terms and conditions. Debt collectors may also get access to information on credit reports.
Recommended: What Is a Tri-Merge Credit Report?
How to Know if Your Credit Was Checked
All hard inquiries will appear on your credit report for two years, so you can find the information there. Soft checks may or may not appear. Each year, you can get a free copy of your credit report — and find out your credit score for free — via AnnualCreditReport.com.
If you’re concerned about credit checks, consider signing up for a credit monitoring service.
What qualifies as credit monitoring varies from service to service; look for one that sends out alerts for new hard inquiries.
How a Credit Check Affects Your Credit Score
A soft inquiry will not hurt your credit score even if it appears on your report. A hard inquiry can lower the score by up to five points. Although the inquiry will remain on your credit report for two years, it will stop affecting your credit score after 12 months. Applying for several credit accounts in a relatively short amount of time may pose a greater risk. (Find out more about what affects your credit score.)
Can You Stop Someone From Getting Your Credit Report?
You can freeze your credit at all three bureaus, which will prevent them from sharing information with businesses that make inquiries. However, if you want to apply for a loan or otherwise conduct a transaction that requires a credit check, you will need to unfreeze your credit.
The Takeaway
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) provides legal guidelines on who can and can’t check consumer credit reports. Certain individuals can check your credit with your permission, including landlords and employers. Banks, insurers, lenders, and utility companies may also pull a credit report if you’ve applied for credit or service with them. In some circumstances, government agencies may request your credit report without your permission. In general, an average citizen cannot check someone else’s credit report unless they are serving as a legal proxy.
Want to keep an eye on changes in your credit report? Consider downloading a money tracker app, which can alert you to fluctuations.
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FAQ
Can I sue for an unauthorized credit check?
Consult an attorney to discuss potential legal remedies. If you discover that your credit was run inappropriately without your permission, contact all three credit bureaus to ask them to remove the inquiry so that it doesn’t harm your credit score. You can also file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/.
What is a violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act?
There are multiple types of FCRA violations. They include instances when a credit bureau provides your information to someone who is not authorized to receive it, didn’t demonstrate a valid need for the data, or didn’t get your written permission in advance.
How do I find out who ran my credit?
You can get a free copy of your credit report from each of the three bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com. Your credit report lists all hard credit inquiries from the past two years, and potentially some soft inquiries.
Photo credit: iStock/vitapix
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Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.
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