How to freeze your credit at all three bureaus (free)

A credit freeze stops new lenders from seeing your credit file, so a thief cannot open new credit in your name. It is free under federal law, and the FTC says it does not affect your credit score. You place one at each of the three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. It lasts until you lift it.

What a freeze does, and what it does not

A credit bureau is a company that collects information about how you use credit and sells reports to lenders. A credit freeze, also called a security freeze, locks your file with that company. The FTC puts it this way: “While a credit freeze is in place, nobody can open a new credit account in your name, including you.”

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) says a freeze does not touch your score: “Security freezes do not impact your credit scores in any way whatsoever.” A few groups can still see your file while it is frozen. The CFPB lists creditors of accounts you already hold, certain government agencies such as child support agencies, and companies you hired to monitor your file.

So a freeze is about new accounts. Keep watching the cards and bank accounts you already have.

Freezes have been free since September 21, 2018, the FTC says. The law behind them is 15 U.S.C. § 1681c-1. It says the bureaus must place and remove a freeze “free of charge.”

What you need

• Your Social Security number and date of birth.
• Your current address. Experian says a mailed request also needs your addresses for the past two years, a government ID, and a bill or bank statement.
• A phone, or a computer, to create an online account at each bureau.
• A safe place to save any confirmation, PIN or password you receive.

How to freeze your credit, one bureau at a time

The CFPB says you must contact each bureau separately. A freeze at one bureau does not carry over to the others. Experian says the same on its page.

1. Equifax. Create or sign in to a myEquifax account on Equifax’s credit freeze page and place the freeze. Or call (888) 298-0045. By phone, Equifax says you may get a one-time PIN by text message or answer questions based on your Equifax credit report. Equifax says placing, lifting and removing a freeze is free.
2. Experian. Create a free account on Experian’s freeze page and place the freeze there. Experian says online changes take effect in real time. You can also call 1-888-397-3742, or send a request by mail. Experian says mailed requests take up to 3 days after it receives them. It says you no longer need a PIN to manage the freeze.
3. TransUnion. The FTC lists TransUnion.com/credit-help and the phone number 888-909-8872. Use either one, and type the address yourself.
4. Save your records. Keep every confirmation, PIN and login in a safe place. You will need them when you lift a freeze.

Check the phone numbers on each bureau’s own site before you call. Never use a link from an email or text that says it is from a credit bureau.

How fast does a freeze start? Federal law says a bureau must place a freeze within 1 business day if you ask by toll-free phone or secure online. For a mailed request, the limit is 3 business days. The CFPB adds that you should get written confirmation within 5 business days.

How to lift a freeze

Lift your freeze when you apply for new credit or a job, rent an apartment, or buy insurance. The FTC lists these cases. Ask the business which bureau it will check. The FTC says you only need to contact a bureau the lender will use.

You can lift a freeze for good, or for a period you choose, free of charge, the CFPB says. By law, a bureau must lift it within 1 hour of a request by phone or secure online means, and within 3 business days of a mailed request. If you are applying in person today, do it online or by phone, not by mail.

Freeze or fraud alert?

A fraud alert is different. The FTC says a fraud alert makes lenders verify your identity before they grant new credit in your name. Here is how they compare:

	Credit freeze	Fraud alert
What it does	Blocks new accounts in your name	Makes lenders check with you first
Cost	Free	Free
How long	Until you lift it	1 year, and you can renew it
How to place	Contact all three bureaus	Contact one bureau, which must tell the other two

If you have been a victim of identity theft, you can get an extended fraud alert. The FTC says it lasts seven years, and you need an FTC identity theft report from IdentityTheft.gov or a police report. Active duty military members can get a one-year alert that can be renewed.

Credit locks are not the same thing

Bureaus also sell “credit locks.” The CFPB says they cost money and often come bundled with other paid services. It adds that locks “are no more effective than security freezes, which are free and which you have a right to by law.” Equifax and Experian each describe their lock as a separate product from a free freeze. You do not need one.

Freezing a child’s credit

A child under 16 can have a free freeze too. The FTC says to request it, and that each bureau has its own process for children, which the FTC links on its page. The law lets a parent or guardian act for a child under 16. You must give proof of your identity and of your authority. If the child has no credit file, the bureau must create one so it can freeze it. The same rule covers an adult with a guardian or conservator.

Extra freezes at smaller companies

The three bureaus are not the only companies that keep files about you. Two more freezes are worth knowing about:

• NCTUE keeps records on phone, pay TV and utility accounts. It says you can place, lift or remove a freeze at no cost. Call 1-866-349-5355 or use nctueconsumerportal.com.
• ChexSystems keeps records on checking account applications, openings and closures, which financial institutions use. The CFPB says it will freeze your report if you ask. Call 800-428-9623 or go to chexsystems.com. As with a credit freeze, lift it before you open a new bank account.

The CFPB lists other specialty companies that offer freezes, such as Innovis and The Work Number.

After you freeze

Check your credit reports for accounts you do not recognize. The FTC says all three bureaus let you check your report once a week for free at AnnualCreditReport.com. It says this is the only authorized place to get your free reports. If you find an account that is not yours, report it at IdentityTheft.gov. If you got here after a breach, see Am I hacked?

What can go wrong

• You only froze one bureau. A thief can still use the others. Freeze all three.
• You forgot your login or PIN. Experian says you no longer need a PIN. For the others, keep your records, and ask the bureau to help you recover access.
• A lender cannot see your file. Lift the freeze at the bureau it uses, for a period you choose.
• A freeze is aimed at new accounts. It does not protect cards and accounts you already have.
• Someone offers to “freeze your credit” for a fee. A freeze is free. Use the bureaus’ own sites.

What to do now

1. Freeze your credit at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion today, one by one.
2. Save each confirmation, PIN and login in a safe place.
3. Freeze your children’s files if they are under 16, using each bureau’s process.
4. Check your reports at AnnualCreditReport.com, and report any account that is not yours at IdentityTheft.gov.
5. If you use two-factor authentication or a passkey on your email, your accounts stay safer too. See Passkeys vs passwords.