To freeze your credit at all three bureaus, you contact Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion separately and request a security freeze online, by phone, or by mail. Each bureau keeps its own file on you, so a freeze at one does nothing at the other two. Placing a freeze is free, has no effect on your credit score, and by federal law the bureau must act within one business day of an online or phone request.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 US Code 1681c-1 – Identity Theft Prevention; Fraud Alerts and Active Duty Alerts2Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. What Is a Credit Freeze or Security Freeze on My Credit Report? Online is fastest and gives you immediate confirmation. Plan on about ten minutes per bureau.
What to Have Ready Before You Start
Gather everything before you open the first bureau’s site. Web portals time out, and hunting for a document mid-process is where people give up.
- Full legal name, including any suffix like Jr. or III
- Social Security number
- Date of birth
- Current address and all addresses from the past two years
- Email address
- A government-issued photo ID (driver’s license, state ID, or passport)
- Proof of address (utility bill, bank statement, or insurance statement)
The ID and address documents matter most for mail-in requests, where the bureau cannot verify your identity interactively.3Annual Credit Report.com. Security Freeze Basics
How to Freeze at Each Bureau
The three contact points below come from IdentityTheft.gov, the federal government’s identity theft resource.4IdentityTheft.gov. Credit Bureau Contacts
Equifax
Go to equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze or call 800-685-1111. Equifax manages freezes through its myEquifax account portal, so you will create a username and password rather than receiving a PIN.
Experian
Go to experian.com/help/credit-freeze or call 888-397-3742. Experian no longer uses PINs at all. You manage the freeze entirely through your free Experian account, so keep those login credentials somewhere secure.
TransUnion
Go to transunion.com/credit-freeze or call 888-909-8872. TransUnion may still issue a PIN depending on how you submit the request. Whatever the bureau gives you, save it. Losing your credentials creates a problem when you later need to lift the freeze.
What Happens After You Submit
Online requests walk you through identity verification and confirm the freeze immediately. Phone systems guide you through keypad entry and give you a verbal confirmation, often followed by a written notice in the mail. For mail requests, send a written letter with photocopies of your ID and address proof to each bureau’s designated address, using certified mail for delivery confirmation. Mailed requests must be placed within three business days of receipt.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 US Code 1681c-1 – Identity Theft Prevention; Fraud Alerts and Active Duty Alerts
What the Freeze Actually Blocks
An active freeze stops the bureau from releasing your report to anyone requesting it for a new credit application. A thief holding your Social Security number cannot open a credit card, take out a car loan, or get approved for a mortgage in your name. You also cannot open new credit while the freeze is on, so you will need to lift it before applying for anything yourself.5Consumer Advice – FTC. Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts
A freeze does not cut off every kind of access. Companies you already have accounts with can still pull your report for account reviews, credit line increases, and collection activity.6Federal Trade Commission. A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act Government agencies with a court order or subpoena still get access. And a freeze will not stop prescreened credit offers in the mail; to cut those off, opt out separately through OptOutPrescreen.com or by calling 1-888-5-OPT-OUT.
The freeze also has zero effect on your credit score. It controls who can see your report, not what is inside it, and scoring models do not consider whether a freeze exists.5Consumer Advice – FTC. Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts
Lifting the Freeze When You Need Credit
You will need to lift the freeze whenever you apply for a mortgage, finance a car, or sign up for a new cell phone plan. Two options: a temporary lift for a set window of time, or a permanent removal.
A temporary lift lets you specify a date range during which lenders can access your report. Some bureaus also let you lift the freeze for a single named creditor rather than opening it to everyone. When the window closes, the freeze snaps back into place automatically. A permanent removal cancels the freeze entirely until you place a new one.
Federal law requires bureaus to process both temporary lifts and permanent removals within one hour when you make the request online or by phone.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 US Code 1681c-1 – Identity Theft Prevention; Fraud Alerts and Active Duty Alerts Mail-in requests must be processed within three business days.7Federal Trade Commission. Starting Today, New Federal Law Allows Consumers to Place Free Credit Freezes and Yearlong Fraud Alerts Both actions are free. The one-hour turnaround is fast enough that you can lift the freeze right before a lender runs your credit and have it back on the same day. If you know which bureau a lender pulls from, you only need to lift at that one. Ask beforehand.
Other Agencies Worth Freezing
Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion handle most credit inquiries, but they are not the only agencies keeping files on you. A thorough approach adds three more:
- Innovis: A fourth consumer reporting agency that some lenders use. Freeze online at innovis.com/securityFreeze, by calling 866-712-4546, or by mail to Innovis Consumer Assistance, PO Box 530088, Atlanta, GA 30353-0088.
- ChexSystems: Banks and credit unions check this database when you open a checking or savings account. A freeze here prevents someone from opening deposit accounts in your name.8ChexSystems. Security Freeze Information
- NCTUE: The National Consumer Telecom and Utilities Exchange, queried by utility companies and phone carriers. Request a freeze by mail at Exchange Service Center – NCTUE, PO Box 105561, Atlanta, GA 30348, or by calling 866-349-5355.9Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. National Consumer Telecom and Utilities Exchange (NCTUE)
Adding these takes roughly half an hour total and closes gaps a thief can exploit even when your big three reports are locked.
Freezing a Child’s or Dependent’s File
Children are appealing targets for identity thieves because nobody checks a minor’s credit report, so fraud can run undetected for years. Federal law gives parents and legal guardians the right to freeze a child’s file under the same free-of-charge rules that apply to adults.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 US Code 1681c-1 – Identity Theft Prevention; Fraud Alerts and Active Duty Alerts
The process requires more documentation than freezing your own file, because you need to prove both your identity and your authority over the child. Expect to provide the child’s birth certificate, the child’s Social Security card, your own government-issued ID, and proof of your relationship (the birth certificate usually covers this). Legal guardians who are not biological parents typically need a court order or other document establishing guardianship. Each bureau has slightly different requirements, so check all three before assembling your documents.
The same rules apply if you manage finances for an incapacitated adult as a guardian or conservator. You will need a court order establishing your authority or a valid power of attorney, along with proof of your own identity.10Federal Trade Commission. Managing Someone Else’s Money – New Protection From ID Theft and Fraud Elderly adults and people with cognitive impairments are frequent targets, and a freeze placed before fraud occurs is far easier to manage than cleaning up afterward.