 TITLE: Is a Credit Check Required to Rent a Car? CONTENT: How Renting a Car Impacts Your Credit\n-------------------------------------\nIf the rental agency runs your credit, a hard inquiry could be added to your credit report. Hard inquiries might hurt your credit scores by a few points and typically remain on your credit reports for about 24 months. However, the impact of a single hard inquiry tends to dissipate within a few months.\nGenerally, one hard inquiry won't have a major impact on your scores—it might not impact your scores at all—and you shouldn't let the potential of a hard inquiry keep you from renting a car or opening a new account when you need one.\nIf you're worried about the hard inquiry and you have a credit card but don't want to use it for the rental, you may be able to put your credit card on file to avoid the inquiry and then pay with your debit card when you return the vehicle. END