How to Freeze Your Credit at the Three Nationwide Agencies
A security freeze, also called a credit freeze, restricts access to your credit report at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. You request it from each agency individually, online, by phone, or by mail. Federal law makes placing, temporarily lifting, and removing a freeze free.
This guide is general educational information for U.S. readers. It is not financial advice and does not describe your individual credit file. Figures such as score ranges and timeline estimates are typical examples, not promises.
Key takeaways
- A credit freeze restricts access to a credit file rather than changing the information inside it.
- Each of the three nationwide credit reporting agencies maintains a separate file, so a freeze is requested one agency at a time.
- Under federal law, placing a security freeze, temporarily lifting it, and removing it are free.
- A fraud alert asks businesses to verify identity, while a freeze blocks access to the file until it is lifted or removed.
- An initial fraud alert lasts 1 year and an extended fraud alert lasts 7 years.
A credit freeze — also called a security freeze — restricts access to a credit report at the three nationwide credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Placing one means contacting each agency separately, online, by phone, or by mail, and confirming identity. Under federal law, placing a freeze, temporarily lifting it, and removing it are free.
What a freeze changes, and what it does not
A freeze does not change the contents of a credit file. It changes who can read the file. While a freeze is active, a business reviewing a new credit application generally cannot obtain the report until the consumer lifts the freeze or removes it. Because most lenders check a report before approving an account, a frozen file limits new accounts being opened in that name.
Existing relationships work differently. The Federal Trade Commission describes a freeze as a restriction on access to a credit report rather than a hold on accounts that are already open, and it distinguishes a freeze from a fraud alert, which asks businesses to take extra steps to verify identity instead of blocking the file.
How to place a credit freeze, step by step
The outline is similar at each agency, but each company runs its own request process and maintains its own file. A freeze placed at one nationwide agency does not carry over to the other two.
- Identify the files involved. Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion each keep a separate file, and each freeze is requested individually.
- Assemble identifying information. Requests generally call for a full name, current and former addresses, date of birth, and Social Security number, and mail requests often require a copy of a government-issued ID or a utility bill.
- Choose a channel. Every nationwide agency accepts freeze requests through an online form, a toll-free telephone line, and a mailing address.
- Keep the credentials issued. Agencies issue a PIN, password, or account login that is used later to lift or remove the freeze.
- Verify that the freeze is active. Status is visible through the agency account or in the confirmation notice sent after the request is processed.
The FTC's credit freeze guidance also addresses placing a freeze on the file of a child under 16, which a parent or guardian can request.
Where each nationwide agency takes freeze requests
The three agencies accept freeze requests through comparable channels. The table below summarizes how each one takes a request; page names and form fields change over time.
| Nationwide agency | Channels for a freeze request | Information generally requested |
|---|---|---|
| Equifax | Online account, toll-free phone line, or mail | Name, address history, date of birth, Social Security number, and identity documents for mail requests |
| Experian | Online form, phone, or mail | The same categories of identifying information |
| TransUnion | Online account, phone, or mail | The same categories, with confirmation sent through the account or by mail |
Agency websites remain the authoritative place to begin a request, because phone numbers and page names are updated periodically.
What a freeze does not do
- It does not erase records. Most negative information, including late payments, stays on a credit report for 7 years; a Chapter 7 bankruptcy stays for 10 years and a Chapter 13 bankruptcy for 7 years; hard inquiries typically remain for 2 years.
- It does not block every request. The freeze provisions of the Fair Credit Reporting Act include exceptions that allow certain parties, including some existing creditors, to obtain a frozen file.
- It does not end prescreened offers. Firm offers of credit and insurance are generated from report data, and a separate opt-out process governs them.
- It does not alter scoring inputs. A freeze is not one of the factors that appear in published scoring models.
Freezes and credit scores
A freeze governs access to a file, not the data inside it, so it adds and removes no scoring factor. Most credit scores, including FICO and VantageScore, use a range of 300 to 850. FICO publishes approximate weights for the factors its models consider: payment history 35%, amounts owed 30%, length of credit history 15%, new credit 10%, and credit mix 10%. VantageScore uses its own weighting and does not publish fixed percentages. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau publishes consumer resources on credit reports and scoring. The how credit scores are calculated guide and the credit utilization guide explain how those factors are read, and the credit score hub collects the related explainers.
Freeze, fraud alert, and credit lock compared
| Tool | How long it lasts | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Initial fraud alert | 1 year | Asks businesses to take reasonable steps to verify identity before extending credit |
| Extended fraud alert | 7 years | Placed with an identity theft report; carries the same verification request on a longer schedule |
| Security freeze | Until lifted or removed | Blocks access to the credit file; free to place, lift, or remove |
| Credit lock | Set by the product's own terms | A service offered by a credit reporting agency or another company; it is a contract, not a statutory right |
Fraud alerts sit in section 605A of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, codified at 15 U.S.C. section 1681c-1. How a credit lock differs from a freeze is covered separately.
Lifting or removing a freeze
A temporary lift opens the file for a defined window or a specific business; a removal ends the freeze entirely. Both are free at every nationwide agency, and both are requested at each agency where a freeze is in place. A lift is commonly used when a lender reviewing a new application needs to see the file, while a removal returns the file to its previous, open state. How files are read by lenders is covered in credit reports, in credit check, and in the credit freeze hub.
Freezes, identity theft, and other consumer rights
When identity theft is involved, section 605B of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. section 1681c-2) provides for blocking information that resulted from identity theft, based on an identity theft report. Identity theft can be reported at IdentityTheft.gov and to the IRS using Form 14039.
Free credit reports also remain available under the FCRA. The law gives consumers the right to a free report from each nationwide agency every 12 months, and the three agencies currently provide free reports weekly through AnnualCreditReport.com. Reviewing those files shows what a freeze is limiting access to. More appears in credit monitoring and identity theft.
What happens after a freeze is placed
Once a freeze is active, the file stays frozen until the consumer lifts or removes it. Applications submitted during a freeze are typically declined or held because the lender cannot obtain the report; that is the intended result rather than an error. If a lender cannot pull the file, the freeze can be lifted for that lender or time window and the application process continues. A freeze at one agency leaves the other two files open, which is why a request is made three separate times.
This page is published for general education about how credit freezes work and is not financial advice.
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Frequently asked questions
How do you freeze your credit?
A freeze is requested from each nationwide credit reporting agency separately — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — using the agency's online form, toll-free phone line, or mailing address. Each request verifies identity, and each agency issues a PIN, password, or account login that is used later to lift or remove the freeze. Placing a freeze is free under federal law.
Does a credit freeze affect a credit score?
A freeze limits who can access a credit file; it is not one of the factors that appear in published scoring models. Most credit scores, including FICO and VantageScore, use a range of 300 to 850, and FICO's published factor weights are approximately payment history 35%, amounts owed 30%, length of credit history 15%, new credit 10%, and credit mix 10%. VantageScore uses its own weighting and does not publish fixed percentages.
Is it free to place or remove a credit freeze?
Yes. Under federal law, a security freeze is free to place, temporarily lift, and remove at each nationwide agency. A temporary lift and a full removal are separate actions, and both can be done through the same agency account used to place the freeze.
Do you have to freeze your credit at all three agencies?
Each of the three nationwide agencies keeps its own file, so a freeze covers only the file where it is placed. Covering all three files means submitting three separate requests, and lifting or removing the freeze later means repeating the request at each agency where a freeze is active.
How is a credit freeze different from a fraud alert?
A fraud alert asks businesses to take extra steps to verify identity before extending credit, and it is covered by section 605A of the Fair Credit Reporting Act at 15 U.S.C. section 1681c-1. An initial fraud alert lasts 1 year and an extended fraud alert lasts 7 years. A security freeze instead blocks access to the file until it is lifted or removed, and it is free to place under federal law.
Does a freeze stop prescreened credit offers?
No. Prescreened firm offers of credit and insurance are generated from report data, and a separate opt-out process governs them. A freeze limits access to the file for new credit decisions but does not end those offers on its own.
Related guides
- How Credit Scores Are Calculated
- Credit Score Ranges Explained
- Fico Vs Vantagescore
- Credit Utilization Explained