How to Lock or Freeze Your Credit Reports for Free

You can lock or freeze your credit reports for free by combining Equifax’s free Lock & Alert product with security freezes at Experian and TransUnion. Equifax is the only bureau still offering a no-cost credit lock. Experian’s lock, called CreditLock, costs $24.99 per month, and TransUnion discontinued its lock in 2025. At Experian and TransUnion, the free option is a security freeze, which is backed by federal law and costs nothing at any of the three bureaus.¹

The Free Path at Each Bureau

To restrict all three of your credit reports at no cost, you have to contact each bureau separately. Freezing or locking at one does not carry over to the others.²

Equifax: Free Lock & Alert

Equifax offers a free product called Lock & Alert that lets you lock and unlock your Equifax credit report at no cost.³ To set it up:

Go to the Lock & Alert page on Equifax’s website or download the Equifax app.
Create a free account and complete identity verification.
Once logged in, find the lock toggle on your dashboard and slide it to the locked position.
A confirmation message will appear verifying that your report is restricted.

The lock stays in place until you switch it off. Phone support for Lock & Alert is available at 1-888-378-4329, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET and weekends from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.⁴

If you prefer the stronger legal footing of a freeze, Equifax will also freeze your file for free at equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze or through the same phone number.

Experian: Free Security Freeze

Experian’s CreditLock is only available inside the Experian IdentityWorks Premium membership at $24.99 per month, so the free option is a security freeze.⁵ A freeze blocks new creditors from viewing your report just as a lock does.

To freeze your Experian file at no cost, go to experian.com/help/credit-freeze or call 1-888-397-3742. You will verify your identity, then place the freeze. Experian also lets you schedule a temporary thaw with specific start and end dates so the freeze goes back on automatically.⁶

TransUnion: Free Security Freeze

TransUnion discontinued its credit lock feature in 2025, shutting down the TrueIdentity portal and the legacy credit monitoring products that included the lock.⁷ The only way to restrict access to your TransUnion report now is a free security freeze.

To place the freeze:

If you already have a TransUnion Credit Essentials or Credit Premium account, log in and use the freeze option in the TransUnion Service Center on your homepage.
If you do not have an account, go to TransUnion’s Service Center page and create a free one.⁷
Complete identity verification and place the freeze.

You can also call TransUnion at 800-916-8800. Under federal law, the freeze must be in place within one business day of an online or phone request.⁸

Lock or Freeze: Which One to Use Where

Both locks and freezes block lenders from pulling your report. They differ in three ways worth understanding before you pick.

A credit lock is a product controlled through the bureau’s app or website. You flip a switch, and access is blocked within seconds. Locks are governed by the bureau’s terms of service, not by federal law, so if a lock fails and someone opens a fraudulent account, your recourse depends on the contract you agreed to. Experian’s lock terms include a mandatory arbitration clause and class action waiver.

A security freeze does essentially the same thing, but it carries federal legal backing under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Bureaus must place a freeze within one business day of an online or phone request and lift it within one hour of a removal request.⁸ Freezes are always free, at every bureau, and there is no expiration date.²

The CFPB has stated that credit locks are no more effective than security freezes.¹ For a cost-free setup across all three bureaus, the practical mix is Equifax’s free lock (if you want the toggle convenience) and free freezes at Experian and TransUnion. If you want the same legal protections at every bureau, place a free freeze at Equifax too.

What to Have Ready Before You Start

Each bureau will verify your identity before letting you set up an account. Federal regulations require them to match your request against their records using your full legal name, Social Security number, date of birth, and current or recent addresses.⁹ Have those details on hand.

You will also need an active email address and a mobile phone for two-factor authentication. Bureaus typically ask knowledge-based security questions drawn from your credit history, such as a previous loan amount or a past address. If you cannot pass these questions online, you may need to mail copies of a government-issued ID or a utility bill instead.⁹ That process can take several days.

What a Lock or Freeze Does Not Block

Neither a lock nor a freeze stops every entity from viewing your report. Even with full restrictions in place, the following can still access your file:

Banks and lenders you already have accounts with, for account management purposes.
Government agencies such as child support enforcement.
Credit monitoring services you signed up for.
Employers, landlords, and insurers, since the federal freeze law does not apply to reports pulled for employment, tenant screening, or insurance underwriting.¹

A lock or freeze also does not stop prescreened credit offers from arriving in the mail. To stop those, opt out separately through OptOutPrescreen.com or by calling 1-888-567-8688.

Lifting the Restriction When You Apply for Credit

When you apply for a mortgage, car loan, credit card, or anything else that requires a credit check, you have to temporarily lift the restriction. For a lock, log into the bureau’s app or website and toggle it off; the change takes effect within seconds. For a freeze, log into the bureau’s portal or call the freeze line, and the bureau must lift it within one hour of an online or phone request.⁸

Two things save time here. Ask the lender which bureau they pull, since you may only need to lift the restriction at one. And once the credit check is done, put the lock or freeze back on. Each bureau is independent, so lifting at one has no effect on the others.

Freezing a Child’s File for Free

Under federal law, parents and guardians can place a free security freeze on a child’s credit file at all three bureaus. If no credit file exists for the child, which is the case for most minors, the bureau is required to create one solely for the purpose of freezing it.¹⁰

You will need to provide proof of your authority over the child, such as a birth certificate, and contact each bureau separately. The created record cannot be used for credit purposes; it exists only to keep the file frozen until the child reaches adulthood.¹⁰

1
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. What Is a Credit Freeze or Security Freeze on My Credit Report
2
FTC: Consumer Advice. Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts
3
Equifax. Using Lock and Alert and Other Products
4
Equifax. Contact Us – Customer Service
5
Experian. Experian CreditLock
6
Experian. Freeze or Unfreeze Your Credit File for Free
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TransUnion. TransUnion Credit Memberships Help Center
8
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681c-1 – Identity Theft Prevention; Fraud Alerts and Active Duty Alerts
9
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 12 CFR Part 1022 (Regulation V) – 1022.123 Appropriate Proof of Identity
10
Federal Trade Commission. New Protections Available for Minors Under 16