How to Unlock Your Credit Freeze Temporarily or Permanently

To unlock a credit freeze, contact each credit bureau where you placed one and ask them to lift it, either temporarily for a set window or permanently. You can do this online, by phone, or by mail, and federal law requires bureaus to process online and phone requests within one hour.¹ There is no fee at any of the bureaus, and lifting a freeze has no effect on your credit score.²

Before you start, ask your lender which bureau they intend to pull from. Many pull only one, which means you can leave the other two files frozen and limit your exposure.³ If you lift the wrong bureau, or your lift window does not cover the day the lender pulls the report, the application can stall.¹

What to Have Ready

Every bureau verifies your identity before changing your file. Gather these before you log in or call:

Full legal name, Social Security number, and date of birth, matching what the bureau has on file.
Current and previous addresses, generally covering the past two years.⁴
Your freeze PIN or your online account username and password. One of these is your primary verification layer, depending on how you set up the freeze.

Mail requests require more. Along with your written request, include copies of a government-issued ID such as a driver’s license and a utility bill or bank statement showing your current address.⁴ Online and phone requests skip the document copies because your PIN or account login does the same job.

Temporary Lift or Permanent Removal

You have two options. A temporary lift (sometimes called a thaw) opens your file for a set number of days and then refreezes automatically when the window closes. A permanent removal takes the freeze off entirely, and your file stays open until you place a new freeze.³

For a single event like a mortgage, car loan, or new credit card, a temporary lift is usually the better choice. You pick a start date and an end date, and you don’t have to remember to refreeze afterward. Some bureaus will also lift the freeze for a specific named creditor instead of a date range, which narrows exposure further.

Online, Phone, and Mail Steps

You placed the freeze at each bureau separately, and you lift it the same way. Online is the fastest option at all three bureaus.

Online

Log into your account at the bureau. Find the security freeze or freeze management section, choose a temporary lift or permanent removal, enter the date range or named creditor if prompted, and confirm. You should get a confirmation screen or reference number right away. Several bureaus also offer a mobile app that handles the same request from your phone.

By Phone

Call the bureau’s freeze line, follow the automated prompts, and enter your PIN and identifying information on the keypad. A successful submission ends with an automated confirmation and a reference number; write it down. If the automated system cannot verify you, it transfers you to a representative who will ask security questions.

By Mail

Write a letter stating whether you want a temporary lift (with the exact date range) or a permanent removal. Include your full name, Social Security number, date of birth, and current address, and enclose copies of your ID and proof of address.⁴ Send it certified with return receipt. Mail is the slowest route; the three-business-day clock does not start until the bureau receives your letter.

Bureau Contacts

Experian: experian.com/help/credit-freeze, phone 888-397-3742, or mail to Experian Security Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013.⁴
Equifax: through your myEquifax account online, or phone 888-298-0045.
TransUnion: transunion.com/credit-freeze, or phone 888-909-8872.

All three charge nothing to lift a freeze.²

How Fast It Takes Effect

Federal deadlines are strict. Online and phone requests must be processed within one hour. Mail requests must be processed within three business days of the bureau receiving them. These deadlines apply to both temporary lifts and permanent removals.¹⁵

After submitting, log back in to confirm the file now shows as unfrozen (or scheduled to unfreeze within your date range). Some bureaus send an email or letter as well. If your lender still cannot pull the report, verify you lifted the freeze at the right bureau and that the dates cover the pull date.

If You Lost Your PIN or Password

Most bureaus have moved to account-based management, so you log in with a username and password rather than a standalone PIN. Start with the “Forgot Password” link and the email-based reset.

If the online reset fails or you no longer have access to the recovery email, call the bureau’s freeze line. A representative verifies you with your Social Security number, date of birth, address, and security questions. Some bureaus can mail a new PIN to the address on file, which adds a few days. Have a government-issued ID handy in case the representative asks for it.

If You Have a Credit Lock Instead

A credit freeze is a federally protected right that you can place or lift for free, with the deadlines above. A credit lock is a different product — a proprietary service the bureaus offer, often bundled with paid monitoring, that toggles access on and off through an app.⁵

If you have a lock, you unlock it instantly in the app or on the website; there is no PIN, letter, or waiting period. If you aren’t sure which one you have, log in to each bureau and check the dashboard. It will say “frozen” or “locked.”

Does Lifting a Freeze Hurt Your Credit Score?

No. A freeze controls who can view your report; it does not change the data in the report or how scoring models read it. The CFPB has confirmed that security freezes do not affect credit scores.⁵³ Freezing, lifting, and refreezing will not move your score.

You also do not need to lift the freeze to check your own credit. The block applies to new creditors, not to you.

Lifting a Freeze on a Child’s or Dependent’s File

A parent or legal guardian who placed a freeze on a child’s file cannot manage it through the standard online dashboard. You submit a written request to each bureau and include:

Proof of your identity, such as a driver’s license, Social Security card, or birth certificate.
Proof of your authority over the child, such as the child’s birth certificate, a court order, a power of attorney, or a foster care certification.
Proof of the child’s identity, such as the child’s Social Security card and birth certificate.

For an incapacitated adult, an authorized representative follows the same approach, providing a court order naming them as guardian or conservator, or a valid power of attorney, along with their own ID.⁶

Specialty Reporting Agencies

Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion are the three major bureaus, but others keep consumer files too. If you froze your file at Innovis or ChexSystems, lifting the big three does not carry over; you have to lift those separately.

Innovis takes temporary and permanent lift requests online, by phone at 800-540-2505, or by mail to P.O. Box 530088, Atlanta, GA 30353-0088. You’ll need the PIN you received when you placed the freeze.⁷ ChexSystems, often checked when you open a bank account, has its own separate process. If you’re applying for a checking account or utility service, confirm whether the company pulls from one of these specialty agencies and lift that freeze ahead of time.

1
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681c-1 – Identity Theft Prevention; Fraud Alerts and Active Duty Alerts
2
Federal Trade Commission. Starting Today, New Federal Law Allows Consumers to Place Free Credit Freezes and Yearlong Fraud Alerts
3
Federal Trade Commission. Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts
4
Experian. Freeze or Unfreeze Your Credit File for Free
5
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. What Is a Credit Freeze or Security Freeze on My Credit Report
6
Federal Trade Commission. Managing Someone Else’s Money: New Protection From ID Theft and Fraud
7
Innovis. Security Freeze Request Online