A credit freeze is a free federal protection that blocks the three nationwide credit bureaus from handing your credit report to anyone trying to open a new account in your name.115 U.S.C. § 1681c-1 Formally called a security freeze, it stays in place until you lift or remove it, so you control who gets to see your file. Because almost no lender will approve a new loan or credit card without pulling a credit report, a freeze effectively shuts the door on identity thieves attempting to borrow money using your information.
What a Freeze Actually Blocks
When a lender receives an application, it asks a credit bureau for the applicant’s report. If a freeze is on the file, the bureau refuses the request and the lender sees only a notice that the file is frozen. Without a score or payment history to evaluate, the application stalls. That is the whole point.
A freeze is narrower than people sometimes assume. It only blocks new credit inquiries. It does not lock down accounts you already have, so a thief who steals an existing credit card number can still run up charges on that card. You still need statement alerts and account monitoring for anything already open in your name.
Placing or lifting a freeze has no effect on your credit score. Scoring models never see the freeze itself; they only see the underlying data, which the freeze controls access to rather than changes. You can freeze and unfreeze as often as you need without moving the number.
Who Can Still Pull Your Report
Federal law carves out specific users who can still access a frozen file:115 U.S.C. § 1681c-1
- Companies you already have an account with, for routine account reviews and credit line decisions
- Debt collectors working on an obligation you owe
- Government agencies acting on a court order, warrant, or subpoena, and agencies investigating fraud or collecting delinquent taxes
- Child support enforcement agencies
- Credit monitoring services you have hired
- Companies pre-screening files to send pre-approved offers (a soft inquiry that does not affect your score)
- Insurance underwriters pricing a policy
- Employers and landlords running background or tenant checks
- Companies verifying your identity for purposes other than granting credit
The employment, tenant, and insurance exceptions catch most people off guard. Legally, a freeze does not block those uses, but the FTC recommends temporarily lifting the freeze anyway when you apply for a job, an apartment, or a new insurance policy, because some screening vendors still run into the freeze in practice.
How to Place a Freeze
You have to contact each of the three major bureaus separately. A freeze at one does not carry to the other two, and skipping a bureau leaves an opening.
- Equifax: equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze/ or 800-685-1111
- Experian: experian.com/freeze/ or 888-397-3742
- TransUnion: transunion.com/credit-freeze or 888-909-8872
Each bureau will ask for your full legal name, Social Security number, date of birth, and current address. If you mail your request, include your prior addresses from the last two years, a copy of a government-issued ID, and a utility bill or bank statement. Online and phone requests usually verify identity through knowledge-based questions instead.
Federal law requires bureaus to place the freeze within one business day of an online or phone request, and within three business days of a mailed request.115 U.S.C. § 1681c-1 The bureau will then send a confirmation along with a PIN or password you’ll use to lift the freeze later. Save that PIN somewhere you can find it. Losing it is the single most common source of frustration with freezes, and it is entirely preventable.
Lifting or Removing the Freeze
When a legitimate lender needs to see your file, you have two options. A temporary lift, sometimes called a thaw, opens the file for a window you specify and then refreezes it automatically. A permanent removal takes the freeze off for good. For a single mortgage, auto loan, or credit card application, a temporary lift is usually the better choice because it handles the refreezing for you.
Bureaus must lift or remove a freeze within one hour of an online or phone request, and within three business days of a mailed request.115 U.S.C. § 1681c-1 Both are free. You’ll need the PIN the bureau issued when you placed the freeze; each bureau has a recovery process if you’ve lost it, but the extra identity verification takes time.
Credit Freeze vs. Fraud Alert
A fraud alert is a related but weaker tool. It does not block access to your report. It only flags the file, telling creditors to take extra steps to verify identity before opening a new account. An initial fraud alert lasts one year and can be renewed, and you only need to contact one bureau because that bureau must notify the other two. An extended fraud alert, available to confirmed identity theft victims who have filed a report with the FTC or police, lasts seven years.
A credit freeze is stronger because it blocks access outright and lasts until you remove it. The tradeoff is management: three bureaus to contact, and a lift required each time a legitimate creditor needs a look. Many people use both, treating the freeze as the main barrier and the fraud alert as a backup.
Freezing a Child’s Credit
Children are frequent identity theft targets because the fraud often goes years without detection. Since September 2018, federal law has let parents and legal guardians place a free security freeze on a child’s credit file at all three major bureaus.115 U.S.C. § 1681c-1 If the child does not already have a file, the bureau must create one for the sole purpose of freezing it.
You’ll need to prove both the child’s identity and your authority to act on the child’s behalf. A birth certificate usually covers both. Bureaus may also ask for the child’s Social Security card and your own government-issued ID. All three bureaus are required to offer this at no cost for children under 16.
The Big Three Aren’t the Only Bureaus
Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion hold the credit files most lenders check, but specialty consumer reporting agencies exist for other purposes. ChexSystems, for example, tracks checking and savings account history and is what banks consult when you try to open a new deposit account. A freeze at the three major bureaus does not extend to these specialty agencies. If you are locking things down after a data breach, contact the specialty bureaus separately to close that gap.