How Do You Freeze Your Credit at All Three Bureaus?

To freeze your credit at all three bureaus, contact Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion separately through their websites, by phone, or by mail. There is no single request that covers all three.¹ Each bureau’s freeze is free, and online or phone requests take effect within one business day; mail requests take up to three.² Plan on about ten minutes per bureau if you go online.

What to Have Ready Before You Start

Each bureau will verify your identity using the same set of details, so gather everything once and reuse it three times:

Your full legal name, including any suffix like Jr. or Sr.
Your Social Security number, all nine digits
Your date of birth
Your current address and any other addresses from the past two years

Online and phone requests confirm your identity with security questions drawn from your credit history. Mail requests need more paperwork: a legible photocopy of a government-issued ID such as a driver’s license, plus a recent utility bill or bank statement showing your name and current address. Send mail-in requests by certified mail so you have a tracking record.³

How to Contact Each Bureau

Work through the three bureaus one at a time. Any order is fine.

Equifax

Online at equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze, by phone at 888-298-0045, or by mail to Equifax, P.O. Box 105788, Atlanta, GA 30348.⁴

Experian

Online at experian.com/freeze, by phone at 888-397-3742, or by mail to Experian Security Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013.³

TransUnion

Online at transunion.com/credit-freeze, by phone at 888-909-8872, or by mail to TransUnion, P.O. Box 160, Woodlyn, PA 19094.⁵

Timing and Confirmation

Federal law sets the deadlines. Online and phone requests must be placed within one business day. Mail requests must be placed within three business days of receipt.² The 2018 federal law that standardized these rights also eliminated all fees, so no bureau can charge you to place, lift, or remove a freeze.

Once the freeze is in place, the bureau sends a confirmation. Depending on the bureau, that might be a confirmation number, a PIN, or a status update inside your online account. Save whatever you receive. You’ll need it later to lift or remove the freeze, though the bureaus now largely let you manage everything through your online account instead of a PIN.⁶⁴

What the Freeze Blocks and What It Doesn’t

A freeze stops new creditors from pulling your credit report, which effectively stops fraudulent loan and credit card applications, since almost no lender approves credit without a report.⁷ It also blocks you from opening new accounts until you lift it.

Your existing accounts are untouched. Creditors you already do business with can still see your file, and government agencies can still access it under court orders or for matters like child support cases.¹ Pre-approved credit card offers may keep arriving, because they rely on a different type of inquiry. The freeze does not change your credit score or the information in your report.

One important limit: federal law does not require free freezes on requests made for employment screening, tenant screening, or insurance underwriting.¹ If a landlord, employer, or insurer needs to run a credit check, you may need to lift the freeze first.

Lifting the Freeze When You Need Credit

When you apply for a loan, credit card, apartment, or insurance policy, you’ll need to lift the freeze so the company can pull your report. If you know which bureau the company uses, you only need to lift the freeze at that one; ask them before you apply.⁷

Online and phone lift requests are processed within one hour. Mail lifts take up to three business days.² You can lift the freeze permanently or schedule a temporary thaw for a specific date range. Lifting or removing the freeze doesn’t affect your score or your report contents.

Freezing a Child’s Credit

Federal law lets parents, guardians, and foster care representatives freeze the credit of anyone under 16. If the child doesn’t already have a credit file, the bureau will create one so it can be frozen.⁸

The process is different from an adult freeze. You generally can’t complete it online. You send the request by mail with documentation proving your authority over the child, which may include:

A copy of the child’s birth certificate
A court order establishing guardianship
A lawfully executed power of attorney
A foster care certification

Include a copy of your own government-issued ID as well.⁹ Each bureau publishes its own form and instructions. The freeze is free, same as for adults.

Specialty Agencies Worth Freezing Too

The three main bureaus aren’t the only agencies that track you. A few others hold data that banks, utilities, and telecom companies pull before opening accounts, and freezing them closes off additional avenues for identity theft.

Innovis

Sometimes called the fourth credit bureau. Freeze by phone at 800-540-2505, online at Innovis.com, or by mail to Innovis Consumer Assistance, P.O. Box 530088, Atlanta, GA 30353-0088.¹⁰

ChexSystems

Banks check ChexSystems before approving new checking and savings accounts, so freezing it blocks fraudulent bank account openings. Use the ChexSystems Consumer Portal, call 800-887-7652, or mail Chex Systems, Inc., Attn: Security Freeze Department, P.O. Box 583399, Minneapolis, MN 55458.¹¹

NCTUE

The National Consumer Telecom and Utilities Exchange collects data from phone, pay TV, home security, and utility companies. A freeze here helps prevent fraudulent utility or telecom accounts. Request by phone at 866-349-5355, online, or by mail to Security Freeze, Exchange Service Center — NCTUE, P.O. Box 105561, Atlanta, GA 30348. If you sign up for new utilities or phone service yourself, you may need to lift this freeze first, and that can take up to three business days.

1
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. What Is a Credit Freeze or Security Freeze on My Credit Report
2
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681c-1 – Identity Theft Prevention; Fraud Alerts and Active Duty Alerts
3
Experian. Freeze or Unfreeze Your Credit File for Free
4
Equifax. Security Freeze – Freeze or Unfreeze Your Credit
5
TransUnion. Freeze Your Credit Report by Mail or Phone
6
TransUnion. Credit Freeze – Freeze My Credit
7
Federal Trade Commission. Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts
8
Federal Trade Commission. New Protections Available for Minors Under 16
9
Equifax. Freezing Your Child’s Credit Report – FAQ
10
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Innovis
11
ChexSystems. Security Freeze Information