top of page

Credit Freeze: How to place or lift a security freeze on your credit report

Protect Your Credit with a Freeze

A credit freeze helps protect you from fraud by restricting access to your credit report. If you believe your personal information or identity has been stolen, placing a credit freeze is a smart way to reduce the risk of unauthorized accounts being opened in your name.


What is a Credit Freeze?

When you place a security freeze, creditors cannot access your credit report. This prevents them from approving new credit accounts—whether fraudulent or legitimate—without your consent.

To apply for new credit in the future, you’ll need to lift the freeze, either temporarily or permanently.


Benefits of a credit freeze

  • Reduced Risk of Identity Theft: A credit freeze makes it significantly harder for criminals to open new accounts in your name, states that freezing your credit reduces the ability for someone to create a fraudulent credit account in your name. This is crucial after events like a data breach or if you suspect your personal information has been compromised.

  • Peace of Mind: Knowing your credit report is secure can provide reassurance, especially in the wake of data breaches or if you're concerned about sensitive financial changes.

  • No Impact on Credit Score: Freezing your credit doesn't affect your credit score.

  • Free Service: Under federal law, placing and lifting a credit freeze with the major credit bureaus is free. 


How to Place or Lift a Credit Freeze

You can freeze or unfreeze your credit report for free by contacting each of the three major credit reporting agencies:

  • Equifax

  • Experian

  • TransUnion

Requests can be submitted online, by phone, or by mail.


Processing Times

Freeze requests:

  • Online or by phone: processed within 1 business day


Unfreeze requests:

  • Online or by phone: processed within 1 hour



Checklist

Step 1: Gather your information You’ll need:

  • Full legal name

  • Date of birth

  • Social Security number

  • Current address (and past addresses if you’ve moved in the last 2 years)

  • Copy of government-issued ID (driver’s license, passport, etc.)

  • Proof of address (utility bill, bank statement, or insurance statement)


Step 2: Place a freeze with Equifax

You’ll receive a PIN or password to manage your freeze.


Step 3: Place a freeze with Experian

You’ll receive a PIN or password to manage your freeze.


Step 4: Place a freeze with TransUnion

You’ll receive a PIN or password to manage your freeze.


Step 5: Store your PINs/passwords safely

  • Write them down or save them in a secure password manager.

  • You’ll need them anytime you want to temporarily lift or permanently remove a freeze.


Step 6: Verify your freeze

  • Within a few days, you should receive confirmation letters/emails from each bureau.

  • You can log back into each bureau’s website to double-check your credit is frozen.



⚠️ Tip: Freezing your credit does not prevent you from using your credit cards, bank accounts, or existing loans — it only blocks new credit applications.

bottom of page