How to Freeze Your Credit

You can freeze your credit reports for free. This limits who can see your credit info and helps protect you from fraud. Here's how to do it online—the simplest option.

What's a credit freeze?

A credit freeze blocks access to your credit reports at Equifax and TransUnion. When frozen, these credit bureaus won't share your report with lenders reviewing new credit applications. This means applications for credit cards or loans will likely be denied.

While you'll need to temporarily unfreeze your reports before applying for credit, keeping them frozen helps stop others from opening accounts in your name. You can also freeze other reports like National Consumer Telecom & Utilities Exchange (NCTUE) and ChexSystems to prevent utility and bank account fraud.

How to freeze your credit

You need to freeze your reports with each bureau (Equifax & TransUnion) separately. You can do this:

• Online (fastest)

• By phone

• By mail

• Through mobile apps (some bureaus offer this)

Information you'll need

Online: Log in to your account and find the freeze section
Phone: Be ready to verify your identity
Mail: You might need to include copies of:

• Social Security card

• Government ID

• Pay stubs or tax forms

• Utility bills or lease

Online and phone freezes usually happen right away (legally within one business day). Mailed requests can take up to three days after receipt.

What a freeze does (and doesn't do)

A credit freeze stops people from:

• Getting loans in your name

• Opening credit cards as you

But remember—a freeze doesn't protect your existing accounts. Fraudsters can still:

• Steal your physical cards

• Skim account numbers

• Hack your online accounts

Keep checking your accounts and credit reports regularly.

Who can still see your frozen report?

Even with a freeze, these groups can access your report:

• You

• Your current lenders

• Companies you apply to for jobs, apartments, or utilities

• Marketing companies (though you can opt out)

• Government officials with court orders

• Debt collectors

• Identity verification services

Unfreezing your credit

When you need to apply for credit, unfreeze your reports:

• Online or by phone (almost instant, legally within an hour)

• By mail (slower)

Choose either:

• Permanent thaw

• Temporary thaw (automatically refreezes)

A temporary thaw is often best—schedule it when you need to apply for credit, then let it refreeze the next day.

Protecting children's credit

Kids usually don't have credit reports unless they're authorized users on your cards. But this makes them targets for identity theft.

Freezing a child's credit offers protection. If your child doesn't have a credit report yet, the bureau can create and freeze one.

Protect your credit with a freeze

Freezing your credit is a simple, free way to help guard against identity theft. It takes just minutes to set up online with each bureau, and you can always unfreeze temporarily when you need to apply for credit.

While a freeze won't stop all types of fraud, it's a strong first step in protecting your financial information. Just remember to monitor your existing accounts regularly and consider freezing reports for everyone in your household—including kids.