How to Freeze (and Unfreeze) Your Credit: Equifax, Experian, TransUnion and the Ones People Forget

If your personal information was exposed in a data breach or a scam, or you just want to protect yourself, a credit freeze is a free way to stop new credit from being opened in your name. This guide gives you the official links and phone numbers for Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. It also explains how to unfreeze when you need credit, and covers the lesser-known companies people forget.

Freeze, lock or fraud alert?

These three tools sound alike but work differently. You don’t have to wait for a breach to use them: the FTC says anyone can freeze their credit, at any time, for any reason.

	Credit freeze	Credit lock	Fraud alert
What it does	Stops new lenders from seeing your credit report, so nobody (including you) can open new credit until you lift it	Also stops lenders from checking your credit to open a new account	Lenders can still see your report, but must take steps to verify it’s you before opening new credit
Cost	Free under federal law	Often a fee, or bundled into a paid service	Free
How long it lasts	Until you remove it	Depends on the product	1 year, renewable; 7 years for an extended alert
How to get it	Contact each bureau separately	Through a bureau’s product or a credit monitoring service	Contact one bureau; it must tell the other two

The CFPB says credit locks “are no more effective than security freezes, which are free and which you have a right to by law.” The FTC adds that locks may have monthly fees, and TransUnion notes that a lock can come with a credit monitoring service. The extended fraud alert is for identity theft victims who have an FTC Identity Theft Report or a police report.

1. Freeze your credit at all three bureaus

Each bureau is a separate request. The FTC says to contact Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Freezing and unfreezing have been free under federal law since September 21, 2018, the FTC announced.

Online or by phone is fastest. The CFPB explains that a nationwide bureau must place your freeze within one business day of an online or phone request. By mail, it has three business days after it receives your request.

Bureau	Freeze online	Phone	Good to know
Equifax	Equifax security freeze	(888) 298-0045	You manage the freeze through a myEquifax account
Experian	Experian freeze center	1-888-397-3742	Free Experian account; Experian says you no longer need a PIN
TransUnion	TransUnion credit freeze	888-909-8872 (automated freeze line)	Free Service Center account; questions: 800-916-8800

Have your Social Security number, date of birth and recent addresses ready so the bureau can verify who you are. Each bureau must send you a written confirmation within five business days after it places the freeze, the CFPB says.

2. Keep your login or PIN somewhere safe

You’ll need it to lift the freeze later. Equifax, Experian and TransUnion use online accounts. Innovis, ChexSystems and LexisNexis (see step 3) use a freeze PIN instead, and each one lets you request a replacement if you lose it.

Store your logins and PINs in a password manager or another secure place. Don’t share them with anyone who contacts you out of the blue. If you need help with a freeze, contact the company yourself using the links in this article.

3. Decide on the freezes people forget (optional)

Some businesses check specialty reporting companies instead of, or as well as, the big three. A freeze at one of these covers only that company’s file. They’re optional. Freeze the ones that fit your situation, but remember that each one is another freeze to lift before you apply for something.

Company	What it tracks	Freeze page	Phone	Why it’s optional
Innovis	Credit and identity verification data	Innovis security freeze	1-800-540-2505	Not one of the three bureaus the FTC says to freeze
NCTUE	Phone, pay TV and utility account histories, managed by Equifax	NCTUE consumer page	1-866-349-5355	Used by its member phone, TV and utility companies
ChexSystems	Checking account applications, openings and closures	Place a ChexSystems freeze	800-887-7652	Used mainly by banks and other financial institutions; a freeze may delay an account you want to open
LexisNexis Risk Solutions	Public records and other data used by lenders, insurers and others	LexisNexis security freeze	1-800-456-1244	The freeze covers only LexisNexis and SageStream files
The Work Number	Employment and income records (an Equifax company)	Freeze your data	1-800-367-2884	It warns that a freeze may slow loan, job or benefits applications

All five let you start online. Innovis, NCTUE, LexisNexis and The Work Number say their freezes are free. These companies can be slower than the big three: Innovis, for example, says it typically adds a freeze within three business days. The CFPB lists contact details for Innovis, NCTUE, ChexSystems and The Work Number.

4. Freeze your child’s credit, too

Federal law protects “protected consumers”: children under 16, and people who are incapacitated or have a guardian, the CFPB says. If a bureau has no file on your child, it will create one so it can freeze it.

• How: A parent or guardian sends a written request with copies of documents, usually by mail. Expect to include your ID and your child’s birth certificate and Social Security card. Include proof of guardianship if you’re not named on the birth certificate. Details differ by bureau: Equifax, Experian, TransUnion.
• Teens: “Minors who are 16 or 17 may request and remove a security freeze themselves,” says the FTC.
• Adults in your care: TransUnion accepts protected-consumer freezes by mail from a parent, guardian, conservator or someone with a valid power of attorney.
• The optional companies: LexisNexis takes requests for a child under 16 or a protected consumer through its online forms. ChexSystems requires them in writing, by mail.

5. Unfreeze (lift) it when you apply for credit

Lifting is free. The CFPB says you can lift the freeze for a period you choose or remove it entirely.

1. Ask which bureau they’ll use. The FTC suggests finding out which bureau a lender will check and lifting the freeze only there.
2. Lift online or by phone. A nationwide bureau must lift a freeze within one hour of an online or phone request, or within three business days after it gets a request by mail, according to the CFPB. TransUnion suggests waiting a few minutes before the lender pulls your report.
3. Schedule it. Experian lets you schedule a thaw for specific dates. TransUnion lets you schedule a lift up to 15 days in advance.
4. Refreeze. If you removed the freeze instead of scheduling a lift, put it back once the credit check is done, as the FTC recommends.

Jobs, apartments and insurance: The CFPB says the federal freeze law doesn’t apply to reports requested for employment, tenant screening or insurance. The FTC still lists these as times you might lift a freeze. If a company says it can’t see your report, ask which bureau it uses.

What a freeze doesn’t do

• It doesn’t protect accounts you already have. “Even with a credit freeze, a thief can make charges on your existing accounts,” the FTC warns. The CFPB adds that a freeze doesn’t stop identity thieves from taking over existing accounts. Keep reviewing your statements.
• It doesn’t block everyone. Your current creditors, certain government agencies (such as child support agencies) and companies you’ve hired to monitor your credit can still see your file, the CFPB says.
• It doesn’t stop tax identity theft. For that, the IRS offers an Identity Protection PIN. It’s a six-digit number that prevents someone else from filing a tax return with your Social Security number or ITIN. Anyone with either number who can verify their identity can get one.
• It doesn’t hurt your credit. A freeze doesn’t affect your credit score, and you can still check your own credit reports, the FTC says.

What happens next

Your freeze stays in place until you remove it. Keep checking your reports. The three bureaus have permanently extended free weekly reports at AnnualCreditReport.com, the FTC says.

If you find an account you didn’t open, see Someone Opened a Credit Card in My Name. If a scammer got your Social Security number, see I Gave a Scammer My Social Security Number. To keep a checklist of which companies you’ve frozen, use the credit freeze tracker.

How to report identity theft or a scam

• Identity theft: Report it at IdentityTheft.gov. The CFPB says you’ll get an Identity Theft Report and a recovery plan that walks you through the steps. That report, or a police report, also makes you eligible for the seven-year extended fraud alert, according to the FTC.
• The scam that exposed your information: Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Watch for the follow-up scam

Some scams target people who have already lost money to a scam, the FTC warns. Be wary of:

• Anyone charging to freeze your credit. Freezes are free at the three bureaus.
• Unexpected calls, texts or emails asking for your freeze PIN, login or Social Security number. Hang up and contact the company yourself using the links above.
• “Recovery” offers. The FTC says government agencies and legitimate organizations will never ask for money to help you get a refund.

What varies

• By company: Some use online accounts, others PINs. Timelines outside the big three can be longer.
• By situation: Freezes for children and protected consumers usually need a written request with documents.
• By state: Innovis notes that some exceptions and timelines depend on state law.
• By lender: Lenders don’t all check the same bureau, so ask before you lift a freeze.