How to Put a Credit Freeze on Your Credit

A credit freeze, also called a security freeze, is a restriction you can place on your credit file at each of the three nationwide credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. While a freeze is in place, most lenders and other businesses cannot access your credit report for new credit applications. A freeze does not close existing accounts, does not prevent you from using cards you already have, and is not a credit scoring factor. It differs from a fraud alert, which is a shorter-term warning that requires only one company to notify the other two, and from a credit lock, which is a contractual product that may carry fees and separate terms.

To place a freeze, you must contact each credit reporting company separately, because a freeze at one does not automatically apply to the others. Each company accepts requests online, by toll-free telephone, or by mail. You will typically provide your full name, current and previous addresses for the past two years, date of birth, Social Security number, and proof of identity such as a copy of a driver's license, utility bill, or bank statement. Send copies, not original documents, if you apply by mail. Federal law makes placing, lifting, and removing a security freeze free for consumers. Identity theft victims may request an extended freeze by providing a police report, an FTC Identity Theft Report from IdentityTheft.gov, or other official documentation.

A freeze can be lifted temporarily or removed permanently. When you apply for new credit, the lender may ask you to lift the freeze for a set period or for that specific lender. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, a credit reporting company must honor a request to lift a freeze within one hour if you make it online or by phone, and within three business days if you make it by mail. You must contact each company where you placed the freeze to lift it. A freeze does not stop prescreened credit offers; that requires the separate opt-out program. It also does not block access by your existing creditors, by companies using your report for employment, insurance, or rental housing, or by government agencies for specific purposes allowed by law.

You can also place a freeze on behalf of someone else in certain circumstances. Parents and legal guardians may request a freeze for a child under sixteen, and individuals with a valid power of attorney or court order may request one for an incapacitated adult. Each credit reporting company has its own process for these requests and may require documents such as the child's birth certificate, Social Security card, and proof of the requester's identity and authority. A freeze is one tool among several. Reviewing your credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com helps you spot accounts you do not recognize, and IdentityTheft.gov provides a recovery plan if you find signs of identity theft.