How to Freeze Your Credit at All Three Bureaus
A credit freeze is the best free defense against someone opening loans in your name, and federal law makes it free to place, lift and remove. Here is how to do it at each bureau in about 15 minutes, and how to thaw it the day you need a mortgage.
- Read time5 min
- Data tables1
- StatusSeptember 2026
What a freeze does, and does not do
A security freeze tells a credit bureau not to hand your report to a lender. Since nearly every new credit card, car loan or phone plan starts with a credit check, a frozen file means the application stalls, whether it is you or a thief applying. Under the federal law that took effect on 21 September 2018, placing, temporarily lifting and removing a freeze is free at all three nationwide bureaus, and the FTC confirms it does not touch your credit score. It stays on until you lift it. You do have to do it three times, once per bureau, because the bureaus do not share freezes with each other.
Freeze at each bureau
1. Equifax
The fastest route is a free myEquifax account at equifax.com. Sign up, answer the identity questions, and under Security freeze choose Place a freeze. Equifax no longer issues or requires the old 10-digit PIN; your login is now the key to placing, lifting and removing the freeze.
- Online: myEquifax account, then Security freeze
- Phone: 888-298-0045 (automated line, identity questions)
- Mail: Equifax Information Services LLC, P.O. Box 105788, Atlanta, GA 30348-5788, with the freeze request form and copies of ID and proof of address
2. Experian
Create a free Experian account at experian.com/freeze, then flip the freeze toggle in the Freeze Center. Experian has dropped its PIN requirement too; the account is where you manage everything. From the same screen you can schedule a thaw for a date range and get alerts whenever the freeze status changes.
- Online: experian.com/freeze (Freeze Center)
- Phone: 888-397-3742
- Mail: Experian Security Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013, with the documents listed on the site
3. TransUnion
Go to transunion.com/credit-freeze and create a free Service Center account. Add a freeze; you can remove it or schedule a temporary lift from the same dashboard. TransUnion's automated phone line verifies you with your Social Security number, date of birth and address, and hands you to an agent if it cannot.
- Online: TransUnion Service Center
- Phone: 800-916-8800
- Mail: TransUnion, P.O. Box 160, Woodlyn, PA 19094, with your name, address and Social Security number
Freeze vs lock vs fraud alert
| Tool | Cost | What it does | Use it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security freeze | Free by federal law | Blocks lenders from pulling your report until you lift it. Your rights are written into the Fair Credit Reporting Act. | Always. Leave it on and thaw when needed. |
| Credit lock | Free at some bureaus, part of a paid plan at others | Same blocking effect through an app toggle, but governed by the bureau's contract rather than the law. The CFPB says locks are no more effective than freezes. | Only if you already pay for a plan that includes it. |
| Fraud alert | Free | Asks lenders to verify your identity before opening credit. One year, or seven years with an identity theft report. Place it at one bureau and it must notify the other two. | Right after a breach or lost wallet when you still need to open credit soon. |
What doesn't matter much
- Your credit score. A freeze neither lowers nor raises it, and your existing cards keep working.
- The order you freeze in. Do all three; nobody checks which came first.
- Paid monitoring add-ons. A freeze plus free weekly reports at AnnualCreditReport.com covers most of what a monthly subscription does.
- Getting it perfect today. Freeze now, tidy the extras (Innovis, ChexSystems, an IRS Identity Protection PIN) another evening.
The thaw: lifting a freeze when you need credit
- Ask the lender which bureau it pulls. Many pull only one. Car dealers and mortgage brokers often pull all three, so ask before you sit down.
- Log in to that bureau and choose a temporary lift with a date range. A day is enough for a card application; give a mortgage a week or two. Federal law requires online and phone lifts to take effect within one hour; mail can take three business days.
- Apply for the credit. If the lender says it cannot see your file, confirm which bureau it used and lift that one.
- Let the freeze come back on its own. A temporary lift re-freezes at the end date. If you removed it permanently, place it again.
- Write down where your logins live. Three accounts, three passwords. Store them in your password manager so the next thaw takes two minutes.
Quick answers
Is it free to freeze and unfreeze your credit?
Yes. Since September 2018 federal law has required Equifax, Experian and TransUnion to place, temporarily lift and remove a security freeze at no charge. It does not affect your credit score. Credit locks may cost money; a freeze never does.
How long does it take to unfreeze credit?
Online or phone requests must take effect within one hour under federal law, and the online toggle is usually close to instant. Mailed requests can take up to three business days. Lift only the bureau your lender pulls and set an end date so the freeze comes back on its own.
Should I freeze my credit or use a fraud alert?
Freeze if you are not about to apply for credit; it blocks new accounts outright. A fraud alert only asks lenders to verify you, lasts one year, and takes one call because the bureau you contact must tell the other two. Many people do both after a breach.
