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. Each freeze is free, and online or phone requests take effect within one business day.¹² There is no single request that covers all three, so plan to repeat the same short process three times.

What to Have Ready Before You Start

Each bureau needs enough information to match you to the right file and verify your identity. Have the following on hand:

Your full legal name, including any suffix such as 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 use security questions drawn from your credit history to confirm you are who you say you are. Once the system verifies your answers, the freeze goes on.³

A mail request needs more paperwork. Include a legible copy 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 it certified so you have a delivery record.³

How to Contact Each Bureau

Each bureau offers the same three channels: online, phone, or mail. Pick whichever works for you and repeat at the other two.¹

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

Once each bureau places the freeze, it confirms the change. Depending on the bureau, you may get a confirmation number, a PIN, or a status update inside your online account. Save whatever confirmation you receive — you may need it later to manage the freeze.

How Fast the Freeze Takes Effect

Federal law sets the deadlines. A bureau must place the freeze within one business day of an online or phone request, and within three business days of receiving a mailed request.² The 2018 federal law that standardized these rules also made freezes free for every consumer at every bureau.

Lifting the Freeze When You Need Credit

A freeze blocks new lenders from seeing your credit report, so you will need to lift it whenever you apply for a loan, credit card, apartment, or insurance policy that involves a credit check. You can lift the freeze temporarily for a set window or remove it permanently.⁶

Ask the company which bureau it pulls from. If you know, you only need to lift the freeze at that one bureau; the other two can stay frozen.⁶ Online and phone lift requests must be processed within one hour. Mail requests take up to three business days.²

Each bureau lets you manage the freeze through an online account. Experian lets you toggle the freeze or schedule a temporary thaw for a specific date range. TransUnion uses a free Service Center account to add, lift, or remove a freeze at any time.⁷ Equifax offers online management as well.⁴ Old PINs still work if you were issued one, but logging in is usually faster. Lifting the freeze does not change your credit score or the contents of your file.

What a Freeze Covers, and What It Doesn’t

A freeze stops new creditors from pulling your report, which is what shuts down fraudulent applications in your name.⁶ It does not touch your existing accounts. Companies you already do business with can still see your file, and government agencies can still access it under court order or in matters like child support.¹ Pre-approved credit offers may keep arriving because those rely on a different type of inquiry. The freeze itself does not affect your credit score.

Federal law does not require free freezes for requests tied to employment screening, tenant screening, or insurance underwriting.¹ If a job application or insurance policy involves a credit check, plan to lift the freeze first.

A fraud alert is the lighter alternative. It tells lenders to verify your identity, usually by calling you, before approving new credit, but it still lets businesses see your report.⁶ For the strongest protection against new accounts opened in your name, use a freeze.

Freezing a Child’s Credit

A parent, guardian, or foster care representative can freeze the credit of anyone under 16, and if the child doesn’t yet have a credit file, the bureau will create one so it can be frozen.⁸ The process usually cannot be completed online. You mail the request and include proof of your authority over the child, which depending on the bureau may be:

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 has its own form and instructions, so check all three sites. The freeze is free.

Specialty Agencies Beyond the Big Three

Other reporting agencies hold information that banks, utilities, and telecom companies use to decide whether to open an account for you. Freezing those files closes gaps a fraudster could otherwise use.

Innovis

Sometimes called the fourth credit bureau. Freeze your Innovis file by calling 800-540-2505 or mailing Innovis Consumer Assistance, P.O. Box 530088, Atlanta, GA 30353-0088. Innovis.com also offers online options.¹⁰

ChexSystems

Banks check ChexSystems before opening new checking and savings accounts. A ChexSystems freeze can block someone from opening a bank account in your name. Place it through the ChexSystems Consumer Portal, by phone at 800-887-7652, or by mail to 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 companies, pay TV services, home security providers, and utility companies. Freezing your NCTUE file can help stop fraudulent utility and telecom accounts. Request a freeze 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 utility or telecom 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
Federal Trade Commission. Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts
7
TransUnion. Credit Freeze – Freeze My Credit
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