The fastest way to block your credit is to place a credit freeze at each of the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. A freeze prevents lenders from pulling your credit report, which stops anyone (including identity thieves) from opening new accounts in your name. It’s free by federal law, takes just minutes online, and stays in place until you decide to remove it.
What a Credit Freeze Actually Does
When a lender receives a credit application, one of the first things they do is request your credit report from one or more bureaus. A credit freeze blocks that request. Since most lenders won’t approve a loan or credit card without reviewing a report, the freeze effectively shuts down unauthorized applications before they go anywhere.
A freeze does not affect your existing accounts. Your current credit cards, mortgage, and auto loans continue to work normally. It also won’t lower your credit score or prevent you from checking your own report. The freeze only blocks new creditors from accessing your file.
How to Freeze Your Credit at All Three Bureaus
You need to place a separate freeze at each bureau. A freeze at Experian, for example, won’t protect you if a lender checks your TransUnion report. The process is similar at all three, and online is the quickest route.
Experian
- Online: Visit Experian’s security freeze page and create or sign in to your account
- Phone: 888-397-3742
- Mail: Experian Security Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013
Equifax
- Online: Go to the Equifax freeze page and follow the prompts
- Phone: 888-298-0045
- Mail: Equifax Information Services LLC, P.O. Box 105788, Atlanta, GA 30348-5788
TransUnion
- Online: Use TransUnion’s freeze center online
- Phone: 800-916-8800
- Mail: TransUnion, P.O. Box 160, Woodlyn, PA 19094
When you freeze online or by phone, the freeze typically goes into effect instantly, though the law gives bureaus up to one business day. By mail, expect it to take longer since the bureau needs to receive and process your letter. You’ll need to verify your identity with personal information like your name, address, date of birth, and Social Security number. Each bureau will provide you with a PIN or password you’ll use later to lift or remove the freeze, so store those somewhere safe.
What It Costs
Nothing. The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act requires Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion to let you place, temporarily lift, and permanently remove a credit freeze for free. This applies to all U.S. consumers, with no exceptions. Before this federal law took effect in 2018, some states allowed bureaus to charge fees for freezes, but that’s no longer the case.
Lifting a Freeze When You Need It
When you want to apply for a new credit card, mortgage, car loan, or even rent an apartment, you’ll need to temporarily lift (sometimes called “thaw”) your freeze so the lender can access your report. You can do this online or by phone at the relevant bureau using the PIN or password you received.
You have two options when lifting a freeze. You can lift it for a specific lender, which is more secure because only that company gains access. Or you can lift it for a set period of time, such as a few days or a week, which is easier if you’re rate-shopping and multiple lenders might pull your report. Once the period expires, the freeze automatically goes back into effect.
If you’re not sure which bureau a lender will check, ask them directly. Most lenders can tell you which bureau they use before you apply.
Credit Freeze vs. Credit Lock
Each bureau also offers a “credit lock,” which does roughly the same thing as a freeze but works through the bureau’s app and can often be toggled on and off instantly. The trade-off is cost and legal protection. Freezes are free and backed by federal law, meaning the bureaus have specific legal obligations around how they handle your freeze. Locks are commercial products, and two of the three bureaus charge for them: TransUnion charges $29.95 per month as part of a monitoring bundle, and Experian charges $24.99 per month after a seven-day free trial. Equifax offers its lock for free.
Locks sometimes come with extras like credit monitoring alerts and notifications when someone tries to access your report. But if your main goal is simply to block new accounts, a free freeze does the job without a monthly bill.
Don’t Forget Specialty Bureaus
The big three bureaus get the most attention, but other consumer reporting agencies also maintain files that lenders and service providers check. Freezing these reports closes gaps that identity thieves could exploit.
Innovis is a fourth credit bureau that some lenders use. You can freeze your Innovis report online, by phone at 866-712-4546, or by mail. After verifying your identity, Innovis will send a confirmation letter with a 10-digit PIN for managing the freeze later.
ChexSystems tracks banking history and is checked by most banks when you open a checking or savings account. You can place a security freeze with ChexSystems to prevent someone from opening bank accounts in your name.
National Consumer Telecom & Utilities Exchange (NCTUE) maintains records used by phone carriers and utility companies. Freezing this report helps prevent someone from opening cell phone plans or utility accounts using your identity.
Each of these agencies has its own freeze process, but they all follow the same principle: contact them directly, verify your identity, and request the freeze.
Fraud Alerts as an Extra Layer
A fraud alert is a different tool that works alongside a freeze. Rather than blocking access to your report entirely, a fraud alert tells lenders to take extra steps to verify your identity before approving any application. You only need to place a fraud alert at one bureau, and that bureau is required to notify the other two.
An initial fraud alert lasts one year. If you’ve been a victim of identity theft, you can place an extended fraud alert that lasts seven years. Both are free. A fraud alert is less protective than a freeze since it relies on the lender actually following through on verification, but it adds another barrier without requiring you to lift anything when you apply for credit yourself.
Freezing Credit for Children
Children are common targets for identity theft because their Social Security numbers are clean and the fraud often goes undetected for years. All three major bureaus allow parents or legal guardians to place a freeze on a minor’s credit file. You’ll typically need to provide proof of your identity, the child’s birth certificate, and proof of your relationship to the child. If no credit file exists yet for your child (which is normal), the bureau will create one and immediately freeze it.