Who can check your credit report?

Access to your credit report is limited by law. A company needs a permissible purpose, and in some cases your written consent.

Quick takeaways

Permissible purpose is required for every hard pull.
Employment checks generally require written consent.
Unauthorized pulls can be disputed and reported.

Who may pull it

Lenders reviewing an application or an existing account, insurers underwriting a policy, landlords screening a tenant, some employers with your written permission, collections agencies working your account, and courts or child-support agencies.

Who may not

Curious neighbors, most employers without consent, and any business with no relationship or application from you. Pulling a report without permissible purpose is an FCRA violation.

If you see a pull you did not authorize

Dispute the inquiry with the bureau, write to the company that pulled it, and consider a fraud alert or freeze if you suspect identity theft.

Want someone to look at your actual reports?

Start the free intake and a Knox specialist will walk your file with you — what can be challenged, what should stay, and what to do next. No cost, no obligation.