Is Permission Needed to Run a Credit Check in Oklahoma?

A credit report contains detailed information about a person's current and past use of credit and other forms of loans. If you want to check someone else's credit report in Oklahoma, sometimes known as performing a credit check, you have to meet the standards imposed by federal law. Generally, this means that you either have to get the other person's permission or engage in a credit transaction with the person.

Credit Report Laws

The Fair Credit Reporting Act, or FCRA, is a federal law that governs the use of credit report information and applies in Oklahoma and all other states. This law limits who can look at your credit report information and limits this information to either those who have your explicit permission, or those with whom you engage in business and who have a valid business need to check your credit.

Permission

If someone in Oklahoma wants to check your credit report, the easiest way for him to do that is to ask your permission. You can grant your permission to whomever you wish, though you are not under an obligation to do so. Three consumer credit reporting agencies collect and disseminate credit reports --TransUnion, Equifax and Experian -- and each company's credit report contains different information. Anyone who wants to check your report has to prove to the credit reporting agency that he has your permission to do so, usually by getting you to provide a written authorization.

Business Need

A company or individual who engages in a business transaction with you does not need your permission to check your report. Typical situations in which a person would want to look at your credit report include when you apply for credit, apply for a rental property or when you look for insurance. For example, if you apply for a rental apartment, the landlord typically asks you for information such as your Social Security number and date of birth. Using this, the landlord can then check your credit report.

Employer

Your employer may also check your credit report but needs your permission to do so. Employers often check a person's credit report as a condition of employment or when considering an applicant for a job. If, for example, you grant an employer permission to check your report as part of the application process, the employer can look into your credit history and use that information as a basis for its hiring decision.