How do I freeze my credit?

Request a security freeze from each of the three nationwide credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, on their official websites, by phone or by mail. A freeze at one bureau does not freeze the others. It is free and lasts until you lift it.

Does freezing your credit affect your credit score?

No. The CFPB says security freezes do not affect your credit scores. Your existing accounts keep reporting as normal, and placing or lifting a freeze is not a credit inquiry.

Can you apply for a credit card with a credit freeze?

You can submit the application, but the issuer cannot pull a frozen report, so it will usually stall or be declined. Lift the freeze temporarily at the bureau the issuer uses, or at all three if you cannot find out, before you apply.

How long does it take to unfreeze credit?

According to the CFPB, a lift requested online or by phone must take effect within one hour. A request by mail can take up to three business days.

Is a credit freeze or a fraud alert better?

A freeze blocks most new creditors from seeing your report. A fraud alert keeps your report visible but tells lenders to verify your identity, and you only have to contact one bureau. Many people use both after a data breach.

How to Freeze and Unfreeze Your Credit

Independent guide - not affiliated with or endorsed by Equifax, Experian, TransUnion or any card issuer. Place, lift and manage a freeze only through each credit bureau's official website or app.

To freeze your credit, request a security freeze separately from each of the three nationwide credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. It is free, it does not affect your credit score, and it stays in place until you lift it. Before you apply for a new credit card, lift the freeze (temporarily is enough) at the bureau, or bureaus, the issuer will check.

A credit freeze is one of the most effective, and least used, protections against new-account fraud. This guide explains what a freeze does and does not do, how to place and lift one, how it fits with applying for credit cards, and how it compares with fraud alerts and paid credit locks. It is written for US readers and is based on guidance from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

What a credit freeze does

A security freeze, usually called a credit freeze, restricts access to your credit report. Most lenders will not open a new account without checking a credit report, so if your file is frozen, someone who has stolen your name, date of birth and Social Security number will find it much harder to open a credit card or loan in your name.

A freeze does not touch the accounts you already have. Your existing cards keep working, your payments are still reported, and your credit score keeps updating as usual. According to the CFPB, a freeze does not affect your credit scores in any way.

Who can still see a frozen report

The CFPB lists the main exceptions. Even with a freeze in place, your report can still be accessed by:

Creditors you already have an account with, for example when they review your account.
Certain government agencies, such as child support enforcement agencies.
Companies you have hired to monitor your credit file.

You can also still get your own free reports at AnnualCreditReport.com while your file is frozen.

How to freeze your credit, step by step

Go to each bureau's official freeze page. There are three nationwide bureaus, and a freeze at one does not freeze the others. The FTC advises contacting all three: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Type the bureau's address yourself or use the links in the Sources section below, rather than clicking links in emails or ads.
Verify your identity. Expect to give your name, address, date of birth and Social Security number, and to answer questions or create an account so the bureau knows the request is really from you.
Save your login or PIN. You will need it to lift the freeze later. Store it somewhere safe, such as a password manager.
Keep the confirmation. The CFPB says each bureau must send written confirmation within five business days, including how to remove the freeze.

How fast it works

Under federal law, as summarised by the CFPB, a bureau must place a freeze within one business day of an online or phone request, and within three business days of a request by mail. There is no charge to place or lift a freeze at any of the three bureaus.

Black and gray control panel — How to Freeze Your Credit: Freeze, Unfreeze and Apply for Cards — Photo: Immo Wegmann / Unsplash

How to unfreeze your credit before applying for a card

If you apply for a credit card while your file is frozen, the issuer cannot pull your report, and the application will usually stall or be declined until you lift the freeze. A few practical points:

You can lift it temporarily. Each bureau lets you lift the freeze for a set period, or for good. A temporary lift is usually the safer choice because the freeze comes back on automatically.
It is quick. The CFPB says a lift requested online or by phone must take effect within one hour, or within three business days for a mailed request.
You may only need one bureau. The FTC suggests asking the lender which bureau it uses and lifting the freeze only there. Issuers do not always say, and some check more than one, so if you cannot find out, lift all three for a short window.
Time it with your application. Lift the freeze shortly before you apply and let it expire once the decision is made. If the issuer asks for more time to verify your details, extend the lift rather than leaving the file open indefinitely.

The same applies to pre-qualification checks, which also rely on your credit file. For the rest of the application process, see our guide on how to apply for a credit card and get approved, and our explainer on whether applying for a card hurts your score.

Does freezing your credit hurt your score?

No. Placing or lifting a freeze is not a credit inquiry and is not a factor in credit scoring. The CFPB is direct on this point: security freezes do not affect your credit scores. What does move your score is how you use credit: payment history, how much of your limits you use, the age of your accounts and new applications. Our guides on credit utilization and what credit score you need for a credit card explain those factors.

Do not confuse a credit freeze with freezing or locking a single card in your issuer's app. That card-level control blocks new purchases on one card, for example when you misplace it. It does not stop anyone opening new accounts in your name, and it does not affect your credit report either.

Credit freeze vs fraud alert vs credit lock

Tool	What it does	Cost and length	How to set it up
Credit (security) freeze	Blocks most new creditors from seeing your report	Free; lasts until you lift it	Contact each of the three bureaus
Initial fraud alert	Lenders must take steps to verify your identity before granting credit; your report stays visible	Free; one year, renewable	Contact one bureau, which must tell the other two
Extended fraud alert	As above, for confirmed identity theft victims	Free; seven years	Requires an FTC identity theft report or police report
Credit lock	A bureau product similar to a freeze	Set by each bureau's own terms; some are paid	Through the bureau's app or subscription

The FTC explains that a fraud alert, unlike a freeze, does not stop businesses from seeing your report; it tells them to check that the applicant is really you. An initial alert also entitles you to a free copy of your report from each bureau. Active duty servicemembers can place an active duty alert, which lasts one year and can be renewed for the length of a deployment.

Credit locks work through each bureau's own agreement rather than the federal freeze rules. The CFPB notes that locks offered for a fee are no more effective than a free freeze. If you are considering a paid product, read its terms on the bureau's site and compare it with the free freeze first.

Which should you use?

You want the strongest protection and rarely apply for credit: a freeze at all three bureaus.
You think your details have been exposed but you need credit soon: a fraud alert, which keeps your file open but adds an identity check. Many people use both.
Your identity has already been misused: report it at IdentityTheft.gov, then use the extended fraud alert and a freeze.

Freezing a child's or dependant's credit

Children are attractive targets because nobody checks their credit for years. The FTC says you can place a free freeze for a child under 16, and it stays until you ask the bureaus to remove it. The CFPB adds that a parent or guardian can also freeze the file of an incapacitated adult or someone with a court-appointed guardian. If the bureau has no file for that person, it creates one so it can freeze it; that record cannot be used for credit. Each bureau has its own process, usually with proof of identity and of your authority to act for that person.

What a freeze will not do

It does not stop fraud on existing cards. If someone uses your current card number, dispute the charge with your issuer; our guide to disputing a credit card charge explains your rights.
It does not stop every type of account. Some lenders and service providers do not use the three nationwide bureaus, so keep checking your statements and reports.
It is not an opt-out from mailed offers. To stop prescreened credit card and insurance offers based on bureau lists, the FTC points consumers to the official OptOutPrescreen.com site, which offers a five-year or permanent opt-out.

Common mistakes to avoid

Freezing at only one or two bureaus, which leaves the others open.
Losing the login or PIN, which turns a one-minute lift into a slower identity check.
Forgetting the freeze before a big application, such as a credit card, mortgage, car loan or new phone contract.
Paying for a lock or "protection" bundle without first checking whether the free freeze already does what you need.
Using lookalike sites from search ads. Use the bureau addresses listed below or on the FTC's site.

How to Freeze Your Credit: Freeze, Unfreeze and Apply for Cards