How to Freeze Your Credit at All Three Bureaus

To freeze your credit at all three bureaus, you submit a separate request to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, because each keeps its own file on you and a freeze at one does not carry to the others. All three requests are free, take a few minutes online, and are guaranteed by federal law.¹

What a Freeze Actually Blocks

An active freeze stops a consumer reporting agency from releasing your credit report to anyone who requests it. Because lenders pull your report before approving new credit, a freeze effectively prevents anyone, including you, from opening new credit cards, auto loans, or mortgages until you lift it.² There is no expiration date; the freeze stays until you remove it.

A freeze is not a wall around your entire file. Companies you already do business with, and debt collectors working on their behalf, can still access your report to review your account or collect a debt.³ Your credit score is unaffected, you still get your free annual credit report, and prescreened offers keep arriving unless you opt out separately at OptOutPrescreen.com. If you plan to apply for a job, an apartment, or insurance, the party running the check may need to see your file, so you would lift the freeze temporarily and refreeze after.²

What to Have Ready Before You Start

Each bureau needs enough identifying information to match your request to the right file. Have these handy:

Your full legal name, including any suffix, and your Social Security number.
Your date of birth.
Your current address and any addresses from the past two years, with zip codes.
A government-issued ID, especially if you plan to submit by mail.
A recent utility bill or bank statement showing your current address, in case a discrepancy comes up.

Online and phone requests generally only ask for your name, SSN, date of birth, and address. Mail requests need copies of supporting documents because no one can verify your identity in real time.

How to Freeze Your File at Each Bureau

You will submit three separate requests. None of the bureaus charge a fee for placing, lifting, or removing a freeze.¹

Equifax

Online: equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze. Create or log in to a myEquifax account.
Phone: 800-685-1111.⁴
Mail: Equifax Security Freeze, P.O. Box 105788, Atlanta, GA 30348.⁵

Equifax may also verify you through a one-time text code or knowledge-based questions drawn from your credit file.⁵

Experian

Online: experian.com/freeze. Create a free Experian account; your login is now the sole authentication method, since Experian no longer uses a PIN.⁶
Phone: 888-397-3742.⁶
Mail: Experian Security Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013.⁶

TransUnion

Online: transunion.com/credit-freeze, using the TransUnion Service Center.⁷
Phone: 888-909-8872, an automated line available around the clock.⁸
Mail: TransUnion, P.O. Box 160, Woodlyn, PA 19094. Include your name, address, and SSN.⁸

How Quickly the Freeze Takes Effect

The Fair Credit Reporting Act sets the timeline. A request submitted online or by phone must be placed within one business day. A mail request must be placed within three business days after the bureau receives it.¹

Within five business days of placing the freeze, the bureau has to send you written confirmation with instructions for removing it and a summary of your rights.¹ Save it. Whatever credentials or reference numbers it contains are what you will use to lift the freeze later.

Lifting the Freeze When You Need Credit

When you apply for a loan or a new card, or a landlord or employer needs to run a check, you can lift the freeze through the same portal or phone line you used to place it. Log in to your bureau account or supply your identifying details, and choose one of two options:

A temporary lift for a specific window, such as 24 or 48 hours, after which the freeze snaps back on automatically. Some bureaus also let you lift it for a specific creditor by name.
A permanent removal, after which you would have to place a new freeze if you want protection again.

Federal law gives the bureau one hour to act on an online or phone request to lift or remove a freeze. Mail requests get three business days.¹ Given the gap, plan to use the online portal or phone whenever timing matters. If you lose access to your online account, each bureau offers a password reset by email, and if that fails you can call the freeze line and have a representative verify you through alternative means.

Freeze, Lock, or Fraud Alert

These three tools sound similar and are worth keeping straight before you commit to one.

A credit freeze is a federal right. It is always free, and the bureau operates under statutory deadlines. A credit lock is a commercial product each bureau sells, sometimes inside a paid subscription. Locks can be quicker to toggle from a mobile app, but they operate under the bureau’s service agreement rather than federal law. Equifax’s Lock & Alert is currently free; other bureaus charge for lock features.

A fraud alert works differently. It does not block access to your file. It flags the file so that creditors must take reasonable steps to verify your identity before opening new credit. An initial fraud alert lasts one year; an extended alert lasts seven but requires an identity theft report.¹ Placing a fraud alert with one bureau requires that bureau to notify the other two, so a single request covers all three files. Many people run a freeze and a fraud alert together, since the alert still provides a verification layer during any period you have the freeze lifted.

Freezing a Child’s Credit

Children are common identity theft targets because the fraud often goes unnoticed for years. Federal law lets a parent or guardian request a free freeze for a child under 16. A 16- or 17-year-old can place and remove a freeze on their own.⁹

Requests for a minor typically go by mail with documentation: a copy of the child’s birth certificate, a copy of the child’s Social Security card, your government-issued ID, proof of your current address, and proof of guardianship if you are not on the birth certificate.¹⁰ Each bureau has its own form, so check the bureau’s website before mailing.

The same process is available for an incapacitated adult if you are their authorized representative or court-appointed guardian, using each bureau’s specific form and documentation of your authority.¹¹

1
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681c-1 – Identity Theft Prevention; Fraud Alerts and Active Duty Alerts
2
Consumer Advice – FTC. Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts
3
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act
4
IdentityTheft.gov. Credit Bureau Contacts
5
Equifax. Security Freeze – Freeze or Unfreeze Your Credit
6
Experian. Freeze Your Credit File for Free
7
TransUnion. Credit Freeze – Freeze My Credit
8
TransUnion. Freeze Your Credit Report by Mail or Phone
9
Federal Trade Commission (FTC). How To Protect Your Child From Identity Theft
10
Experian. Child Identity Theft Protection – Requesting a Minor’s Credit Report, Fraud Alert or Security Freeze
11
Equifax. How Do I Place a Security Freeze on an Incapacitated Adult’s or Minor’s Equifax Credit Report