How to Get Written Consent for a Credit Check (With a Template)
The simplest legal reason to check someone's credit is that they said yes in writing. Here's a copy-ready consent template, what each line is for, and how to collect consent by text, email or e-signature without making it awkward.
On this page
To get written consent for a credit check, give the person a short statement that says who will check their credit, what kind of report you’ll get, why you want it and how long the permission lasts, then have them sign it or reply “I agree” in a way you can save. That’s it. A good credit check consent form fits on half a page, and there’s a copy-ready template below.
The reason it matters: under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, a person’s written permission is itself a legal reason to look at their credit. It’s the cleanest permissible purpose there is, and it’s the one we see our customers rely on most. Landlords, contractors, private lenders, people about to co-sign. Get it in writing, keep a copy, and you’ve answered the “why did you pull this?” question before anyone asks.
This isn’t legal advice. Some states and some industries layer on extra rules, so if you’re building a formal screening program, have a lawyer glance at your version.
Why written consent works
The FCRA lists the reasons a consumer report can be furnished, and Section 604(a)(2) is short and direct: a report can be provided “in accordance with the written instructions of the consumer to whom it relates.” In plain English, if the person tells you in writing that you can check their credit, you can.
Other permissible purposes exist. If someone applies to you for credit or a lease, there’s usually a business-transaction reason too. But those depend on facts that can get argued about later (“I never actually applied, I was just asking about the unit”). Written consent doesn’t. Our longer explainer on permissible purpose under the FCRA covers the full list.
It also changes the tone. A tenant who gets a short, clear consent form before a showing knows exactly what you’re doing and why. That’s a lot better than a person finding out after the fact.
What a good credit check consent form says
Six things. Skip any of them and you’re inviting confusion.
- Who’s checking. Your name or your business’s legal name. If an employee runs the lookup, the business name is what matters.
- What you’ll get. “A consumer credit report and credit score” covers it. If you use our service, you can say it’s a TransUnion report with a FICO score, delivered through a third-party service.
- Why. One line. “To evaluate my rental application for 412 Elm Street, Unit 3.” “To decide whether to offer 30-day payment terms.” The purpose limits what you can use the information for, so be specific.
- The type of pull. Saying it’s a soft inquiry that won’t affect their score is honest and reassuring (here’s the difference between a soft pull and a hard pull if anyone asks). People sign faster when they know it doesn’t cost them points.
- How long it’s good for. A single check, or checks over a set period, like the length of a lease application or 60 days. Open-ended consent is weaker and more likely to be challenged.
- Signature and date, plus the identifying detail you’ll use to run the check. For our lookups that’s just the phone number.
What to avoid: burying consent inside a 12-page agreement, using a pre-checked box, or writing something so vague (“we may obtain information about you from time to time”) that a reasonable person wouldn’t realize it means a credit check.
The template
Copy this, fill in the brackets, and adjust the purpose line for your situation.
Authorization to Obtain Credit Information
I, [Full name], authorize [Your name or business legal name] (“Requester”) to obtain my consumer credit report and credit score from TransUnion, through a third-party service, one time [or: as needed between [start date] and [end date]].
Purpose: Requester will use this information only to [evaluate my application to rent [address] / decide whether to extend credit or payment terms to me / evaluate a loan or co-signing request / evaluate a proposed business arrangement with me].
I understand this is a soft inquiry. It will not affect my credit score and will not appear to lenders as an application for credit.
I understand Requester will keep this information confidential and will not share or resell it. If Requester takes adverse action based in whole or in part on my credit report, Requester will tell me, name the consumer reporting agency, and explain my right to a free copy of my report and to dispute anything inaccurate.
I may revoke this authorization in writing at any time before the report is obtained.
Phone number to be used for the check: [(555) 555-0142]
Signature: ______________________ Date: ____________
Printed name: ______________________
The adverse action line isn’t required in a consent form, but we like it. It reminds you of your obligation if you turn someone down, and it tells the person you’re going to treat the information fairly. If you do end up denying an application, our guide to the adverse action notice for landlords has a full walkthrough.
Collecting consent electronically
Paper is fine. It’s also the slowest option, and it’s usually unnecessary. The federal E-SIGN Act says a signature or record can’t be denied legal effect just because it’s electronic. What you need is proof: who agreed, what text they agreed to, and when.
Some workable setups:
A web form. Put the template text on the page, add a typed-name signature field and an unchecked “I agree” box, and save a timestamped copy of exactly what they saw. Many rental application platforms and CRMs already do this.
An e-signature service. Upload the template once, send a link, get back a signed PDF with an audit trail. This is the most defensible option if you deal with a lot of applicants.
Text or email. For one-off situations, like a contractor about to start a $14,000 kitchen job or a friend asking you to co-sign, a clear message works. Send the consent language and ask them to reply with “I agree, [full name].” Then screenshot or export the thread. Our compliance page lists a text, email or signed form as acceptable records.
A sample text that doesn’t feel like a deposition:
“Hi Jordan, before I sign off on the lease, I run a quick soft credit check. It won’t affect your score. Can you reply ‘I agree, Jordan Reyes’ to authorize me to pull your TransUnion credit report and score one time to review your application for 412 Elm, Unit 3? Thanks!”
How long to keep it
Keep the signed consent at least as long as someone could bring a claim about the lookup. The FCRA’s statute of limitations runs two years from when the person discovers a violation, but no more than five years from the violation itself. So keeping consent records for five years after the lookup is a reasonable floor. Store them somewhere secure, separate from general email if you can, and limit who can see them.
We also keep a log of every lookup on our side, and we may ask an account holder to show their reason for a specific one. A filed consent form makes that a 30-second conversation.
Scripts for the awkward ask
Most people are fine with a credit check when it’s explained in one sentence. The friction comes from sounding suspicious or apologetic. A few lines our customers use:
Landlord, at the inquiry stage: “We do a soft credit check on every applicant before scheduling a showing. It doesn’t affect your score. Here’s the authorization.” Asking everyone, the same way, is fairer and protects you from any suggestion you singled someone out. See screening tenants before the showing for the full workflow.
Contractor, before net terms or a large deposit: “For jobs over $10,000 where we bill in stages, we run a quick soft credit check. Is that okay?” More in checking a client’s credit as a contractor.
Small business offering terms: “We’d be happy to set you up on net-30. We just need a signed credit authorization from the owner.” Background on that in checking a customer’s credit before net terms.
Friend or family asking for money: This is the hardest one, and honestly the most important. “I want to say yes. I’d feel better if we both looked at your credit first so we’re making this decision with the same information.” Lending money to a friend goes deeper on that conversation.
Mistakes we see
Getting consent after the lookup. Consent has to come first. Backdating a form is worse than not having one.
Using it for something else later. If someone authorized a check for a rental application, you can’t reuse the result six months later to decide whether to lend them money. New purpose, new consent.
Using it for hiring. Employment screening has its own FCRA rules, including a standalone written disclosure, and we don’t support employment decisions at all. Don’t fold a credit check into a job application using this form.
Sharing the results. The report is for your decision, not for a group chat or a co-worker who’s curious.
Where this fits in the lookup
On our side, every lookup asks you to confirm you have a permissible purpose, and the compliance page spells out what’s allowed in plain English. The lookup itself is a soft pull using only a phone number, so there’s no Social Security number to collect alongside the consent. You get the person’s name and current address from their credit file, phone details and their FICO® Score 4 from TransUnion, and the person isn’t notified and their score isn’t affected.
If you’re wondering whether a particular situation is fine at all, our post on whether it’s legal to look up someone’s credit walks through the common cases. Then print the template, save a copy in your files, and use it every single time. The consistency is what protects you.
Frequently asked questions
Does a credit check consent form have to be on paper?
No. The federal E-SIGN Act lets electronic signatures and records stand in for paper ones. A signed web form, an e-signature platform or a clear reply by email or text can all work, as long as you can show who agreed, to what, and when.
Can someone take back their consent?
Yes. If the person tells you they no longer want you to check their credit before you run the lookup, don't run it. Consent you already used for a lookup doesn't need to be undone, but it doesn't cover new checks either.
Can I use the same consent form for an employment background check?
No. Employment screening has its own rules under the FCRA, including a standalone disclosure, and our service doesn't support hiring decisions at all. Keep credit consent for credit, rental and business purposes separate.
Does the person need to give me their Social Security number?
Not for our lookup. We only need the phone number. That's one of the reasons consent is easier to ask for: you're not collecting a pile of sensitive data along with it.
