How to Freeze Secondary Credit Bureaus: Bureau by Bureau

To freeze secondary credit bureaus, submit a separate security freeze request to each one — ChexSystems, Innovis, LexisNexis (which also covers SageStream), and NCTUE are the main ones — using the bureau’s online portal, toll-free number, or mailing address. Every freeze is free under federal law, and online or phone requests must take effect within one business day. Plan on about an hour to work through all of them in a single sitting.

A freeze at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion covers the reports most lenders pull, but banks, insurers, landlords, and utility companies routinely check other files. A thief blocked at the big three can still open a checking account, cell phone plan, or utility service using a bureau you left unfrozen.

Which Secondary Bureaus Matter

Four secondary bureaus account for most of the exposure the big three leave behind.

ChexSystems is the file banks and credit unions check before opening a checking or savings account. It tracks overdrafts, unpaid balances, and suspected deposit-account fraud. A fraudulent bank account opened in your name almost always runs through this file.

Innovis is a supplemental credit bureau that provides verification data to lenders and other companies, often as a cross-reference when creditors want a backup source alongside the big three.¹

LexisNexis Risk Solutions maintains files built from public records and third-party data. Insurers, employers, and landlords pull LexisNexis reports for risk assessment. LexisNexis also owns SageStream, which supplies supplemental reports to auto lenders, credit card issuers, and utility companies. A single freeze through the LexisNexis portal covers both.²³

NCTUE (National Consumer Telecom and Utilities Exchange) is where telecom, cable, home security, and utility companies report payment history and unpaid balances. A thief opening a phone plan or utility account in your name is likely exploiting an unfrozen NCTUE file.⁴

A note on Teletrack, which serves payday lenders, rent-to-own businesses, and subprime card issuers: Equifax acquired it and folded it into its USIS business unit, so an Equifax freeze already covers this data.⁵ Advanced Resolution Services, a Visa subsidiary that tracks card approval and denial history, is less commonly encountered and its freeze process is not well documented; you can reach them at 1-800-392-8911 or PO Box 4000, Conway, AR 72033.

If you want coverage beyond these, the CFPB publishes a full list of specialty consumer reporting companies, including tenant screeners, employment screeners, and insurance claim databases, many of which honor freeze requests.⁶

What to Have Ready Before You Start

Every bureau asks for the same core information. Pulling it together once means you can run through all four bureaus without stopping.

Full legal name, Social Security number, and date of birth, matching exactly what the bureau has on file. A transposed digit or missing middle name will get the request rejected.
Address history covering at least two years. If you’ve moved often, pull it from a recent credit report rather than trusting memory.
A government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or U.S. passport. You’ll need a clear scan or photocopy for online uploads and mail submissions.
Proof of current address, such as a recent utility bill, bank statement, or insurance document. This mostly matters for mail requests or when a bureau can’t verify you electronically.

If you’re mailing anything, send copies. Never send originals. Keep everything in one folder so you can work through the bureaus in a single session.

How to Submit Each Freeze

Online is fastest for every bureau and typically takes five to ten minutes each. Phone and mail options exist if you prefer them.

ChexSystems

This is the highest-priority secondary freeze because fraudulent bank accounts are among the most common forms of identity theft.⁷

Online: chexsystems.com/security-freeze/place-freeze.
Phone: 800-887-7652, Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Central.
Mail: Chex Systems, Inc., Attn: Security Freeze Department, PO Box 583399, Minneapolis, MN 55458.

A ChexSystems freeze will delay or block approval for new checking and savings accounts until you lift it.⁸ That is the point, but plan around it when you actually want to open an account.

Innovis

Innovis gets skipped constantly because it flies under the radar as an unofficial fourth credit bureau.⁹

Online: innovis.com/securityFreeze/index.
Phone: 1-800-540-2505.
Mail: Innovis, PO Box 530088, Atlanta, GA 30353-0088.

LexisNexis Risk Solutions and SageStream

One request through the LexisNexis consumer portal freezes both files at once.³ This one is particularly valuable because insurers, tenant screeners, and employment background checkers pull LexisNexis data.

Online: consumer.risk.lexisnexis.com/freeze.
Phone: 1-800-456-1244.
Mail: LexisNexis Risk Solutions Consumer Center, Attn: Security Freeze, PO Box 105108, Atlanta, GA 30348-5108.

NCTUE

If you’ve ever had a cell phone, cable subscription, or electric bill in your name, NCTUE has data on you.⁴

Online: nctue.com and follow the security freeze process.
Phone: 866-349-5355.
Mail: Exchange Service Center – NCTUE, PO Box 105561, Atlanta, GA 30348.

What Federal Law Guarantees You

The Fair Credit Reporting Act, as amended in 2018, sets firm rules that every consumer reporting agency must follow, secondary bureaus included.

Every freeze, lift, and removal is free. No bureau can charge you.¹⁰
Online or toll-free phone requests must be processed no later than one business day after the bureau receives them.¹⁰
Mail requests must be processed within three business days.
Written or electronic confirmation, plus instructions for removing the freeze, must reach you within five business days of the freeze being placed.¹⁰

If you submit online and no confirmation arrives within a week, contact the bureau. A missing confirmation usually means the request was rejected because of a data mismatch, such as an address that doesn’t match what the bureau has on file. Call the consumer assistance line, find out what went wrong, and resubmit.

Save Every PIN and Confirmation

Each bureau issues its own confirmation, and many generate a unique PIN or password you’ll need later to lift or remove the freeze. This is where people create problems for themselves. You freeze four bureaus in one afternoon, and six months later, when you want to open a bank account, you can’t find the ChexSystems PIN.

Store every PIN and confirmation in two places: a password manager for quick access, and a printed backup somewhere secure, like a fireproof safe. Label each entry with the bureau name. Some bureaus use account-based logins rather than standalone PINs, so note whether you were given a PIN, a password, or a username.

If you lose a PIN, recovery varies. Some bureaus allow an online reset; others require mailed identity documents, which can take weeks. That is the worst possible timing when you’re trying to unfreeze for a time-sensitive application. Five minutes of organizing now prevents that.

Lifting a Freeze When You Need To

A freeze stays in place indefinitely until you act. When you need a bureau to release your information, you can either lift it temporarily for a specific window or remove it permanently. A temporary lift sets a date range, after which the freeze automatically reactivates. That is usually the better choice, since you don’t have to remember to re-freeze.

Federal law requires bureaus to lift a freeze within one hour when the request comes by phone or online, and within three business days for mail requests. Both are free.¹⁰ That one-hour window is tight enough that you can call, lift, and proceed with your application the same day.

Knowing which bureau to unfreeze for which application saves time. Opening a checking or savings account requires lifting ChexSystems.⁸ Applying for auto, renter’s, or homeowner’s insurance may trigger a LexisNexis pull. A new cell phone plan or utility account will often require an unfrozen NCTUE report. When in doubt, ask the company which reporting agencies they check; most customer service reps can tell you, and it saves you from unfreezing everything just to open one account.

Freeze vs. Lock

Some bureaus offer a credit lock as a separate product, often through a mobile app with instant toggling. Locks and freezes do the same basic thing: they block the bureau from releasing your report to new creditors. The difference is legal protection. A security freeze is a right guaranteed by federal law, enforceable by the CFPB and FTC, and must be free.¹⁰ A credit lock is a contractual product governed by the bureau’s terms, which the bureau can change at any time, and some locks are bundled into paid subscriptions.

For the secondary bureaus above, locks are rarely offered anyway. The freeze is the tool, and it carries the stronger legal protections. If a bureau pitches you a paid lock when a free freeze is available, take the freeze.

1
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Innovis
2
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. SageStream, LLC
3
LexisNexis Risk Solutions Consumer Disclosure. Security Freeze
4
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. National Consumer Telecom and Utilities Exchange (NCTUE)
5
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Teletrack, LLC
6
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. List of Consumer Reporting Companies
7
ChexSystems. Place a Security Freeze
8
ChexSystems. Security Freeze Information
9
Innovis. Security Freeze Request Online
10
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681c-1 – Identity Theft Prevention; Fraud Alerts and Active Duty Alerts