How to Freeze Your Credit for Free at Each Bureau

To freeze your credit for free, contact Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion separately and ask each bureau to place a security freeze on your file. Federal law requires all three to do it at no cost, and an online or phone request takes effect within one business day; a mailed request takes up to three business days after the bureau receives it.¹ A freeze placed at one bureau does not carry over to the other two, so you have to repeat the process three times.

What a Freeze Blocks and What It Doesn’t

With a freeze in place, the bureaus cannot release your credit report to most third parties. Since lenders pull your report before approving a new credit card, loan, or line of credit, a freeze stops anyone who has stolen your personal information from opening new accounts in your name. Placing or lifting a freeze has no effect on your credit score.²

A freeze is not a complete shield. It won’t stop fraud on accounts you already have open, so keep watching your bank and card statements. It won’t stop someone from filing a fraudulent tax return in your name, collecting government benefits with your Social Security number, or using your identity in any way that doesn’t involve a credit check. Certain parties can also still pull a frozen file, including creditors on accounts you already hold, specific government agencies such as child support enforcement, and companies you’ve hired to monitor your credit. Employment screening, tenant screening, and insurance underwriting operate under different legal provisions and are not blocked by a freeze, so you may still need to lift it temporarily for a job application or a new apartment.³

A credit lock sold by the bureaus looks similar but is a product governed by each bureau’s own terms rather than federal law, and some bureaus charge for it. The freeze is the free, legally backed option.

What to Gather Before You Start

Each bureau will verify your identity before freezing your file. Have these ready:

Full legal name, including any suffix such as Jr., Sr., or III.
Social Security number.
Date of birth.
Current mailing address, plus any previous address from the past two years if you’ve moved, so the bureau can match its records.

Online requests use knowledge-based authentication questions, typically about past addresses, loans, or accounts. Mailed requests usually require a copy of a government-issued ID such as a driver’s license or passport, plus a document showing your current address like a utility bill or bank statement. Make sure every document is legible and the name matches your ID exactly.

How to Place the Freeze at Each Bureau

Online is fastest, followed by phone, then mail. Pick whichever you prefer, but you have to submit a separate request to all three bureaus.

Online

Go to the security freeze page at equifax.com, experian.com, and transunion.com. Create or sign in to an account at each, answer the authentication questions, and submit the request. Each bureau typically takes under ten minutes, and the freeze must be in place within one business day.¹

By Phone

Each bureau has a dedicated freeze line:

Equifax: 888-378-4329
Experian: 888-397-3742
TransUnion: 800-916-8800

The same one-business-day deadline applies.¹

By Mail

Send your request certified mail with a return receipt to each bureau:

Equifax Information Services LLC, P.O. Box 105788, Atlanta, GA 30348-5788
Experian Security Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013
TransUnion, P.O. Box 160, Woodlyn, PA 19094

Include your full legal name, Social Security number, date of birth, current and previous addresses (if you’ve moved within two years), and a copy of a government-issued ID. Each bureau offers a standardized form on its website if you want a structured format. The return receipt proves the bureau received your letter, which starts the three-business-day clock.¹

Confirmation and PINs

After processing, each bureau sends a confirmation that may include a PIN or passcode. Some bureaus have moved away from PINs and let you manage the freeze through your online account using ordinary login credentials. Save whatever you receive. You’ll need it later to lift or remove the freeze.

Lifting the Freeze When You Need Credit

A freeze stays in place until you remove it. It doesn’t expire.² When you apply for a mortgage, car loan, credit card, apartment, or a job that runs a credit check, lift the freeze and put it back when the check is done.

The quickest route is to ask the lender or screener which bureau they use and lift the freeze only at that one. Use the same website or phone number you used to place it. By law, the bureau has to lift an online or phone request within one hour, and a mailed request within three business days.¹ Lifting is also free.³

If you’ve lost your PIN or password, check the bureau’s website for reset options. Some allow full freeze management through your online account with no PIN; others require you to verify your identity again to receive a replacement. Contact the bureau directly if the self-service reset doesn’t work.

Freezing Credit for a Child

Children under 16 are “protected consumers” under federal law, and a parent, guardian, or authorized representative can freeze their file.¹ Most children have no credit history, so the bureau creates a protected record for the sole purpose of freezing it; that record cannot be used to assess creditworthiness.

Child freezes generally have to go in by mail. Include:

Proof of parentage or guardianship, such as a birth certificate naming you as the parent or a court order appointing you as guardian.
A copy of your government-issued photo ID.
A copy of the child’s Social Security card or birth certificate.
If the child is in foster care, a written communication from the county welfare or probation department certifying their jurisdiction.¹

Mail to the same addresses listed above. The bureau routes child freeze requests to a specialized department and sends confirmation once the protected record is in place. Fraud using a minor’s Social Security number often goes undetected for years, until the child applies for their first credit account, so freezing early matters.

Freezing Credit for an Incapacitated Adult

An adult for whom a court has appointed a guardian or conservator also qualifies as a protected consumer under the same federal provision.¹ A person with authority through a court order or valid power of attorney can place the freeze. Submit by mail with:

Proof of authority: a court order naming you as guardian or conservator, or a valid power of attorney covering financial matters.⁴
Proof of your identity, such as a government-issued photo ID, Social Security card, or birth certificate.
The protected person’s Social Security number and identifying details so the bureau can locate or create their file.

The bureau verifies your legal authority before placing the freeze, sends confirmation to you as the representative, and you keep control of the freeze as long as your authority remains valid.

If a Bureau Misses the Deadlines

If a bureau fails to place, lift, or remove a freeze within the required time frames, you have recourse. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, a bureau that willfully fails to comply is liable for statutory damages between $100 and $1,000 per violation plus any actual damages, and a court can award punitive damages and reasonable attorney’s fees in a successful action.⁵ You can also file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at consumerfinance.gov or the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov; both oversee bureau compliance and can take enforcement action.

1
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681c-1 – Identity Theft Prevention; Fraud Alerts and Active Duty Alerts
2
Consumer Advice. Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts
3
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. What Is a Credit Freeze or Security Freeze on My Credit Report
4
Consumer Advice. Managing Someone Else’s Money – New Protection From ID Theft and Fraud
5
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681n – Civil Liability for Willful Noncompliance