How to Freeze Your Credit at All 3 Bureaus (Free, 2026)
Quick answer: Go to Equifax.com, TransUnion.com, and Experian.com and place a free security freeze at each. You must freeze all three separately — a freeze at one bureau does not cover the others. Each takes under 10 minutes. It is free by federal law, does not affect your credit score, and does not expire until you lift it.
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What Is a Credit Freeze?
A credit freeze — also called a security freeze — is a free, federally protected tool that blocks most lenders and creditors from accessing your credit report. When your credit is frozen, a new creditor who pulls your file gets a block signal and cannot approve a new account — which makes it nearly impossible for identity thieves to open credit cards, loans, or other accounts in your name.
What a credit freeze does:
- Blocks new creditors from accessing your credit report
- Prevents fraudulent new account openings
- Does not affect existing accounts or credit cards
- Does not affect your credit score
- Does not expire until you lift it
- Is completely free under federal law (Section 301, Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, 2018)
What a credit freeze does NOT do:
- Stop fraud on existing accounts (card skimming, account takeovers)
- Prevent employment background checks
- Block your own access to your credit report
- Stop collection agencies from accessing your existing accounts
- Protect against tax fraud or medical identity theft
How to Freeze Your Credit at Each Bureau
You must freeze at all three bureaus separately. A freeze at Equifax does not carry over to TransUnion or Experian.
Equifax
Online (fastest):
- Go to equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze/
- Create or log into your myEquifax account
- Click “Add a Security Freeze”
- Complete identity verification
- Confirmation email arrives immediately
By phone: 1-888-298-0045 By mail: Equifax Security Freeze, P.O. Box 105788, Atlanta, GA 30348
TransUnion
Online (fastest):
- Go to transunion.com/credit-freeze
- Create or log into your TransUnion account
- Click “Add Freeze”
- Complete identity verification
- Confirmation email arrives immediately
By phone: 1-800-916-8800 By mail: TransUnion LLC – Fraud Victim Assistance, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016
Experian
Online (fastest):
- Go to experian.com/freeze/center.html
- Create or log into your Experian account
- Toggle to “Frozen” using the freeze control
- Complete identity verification
- Confirmation email arrives immediately
By phone: 1-888-397-3742 By mail: Experian Security Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013
Freeze vs. Fraud Alert: Which Do You Need?
| Credit Freeze | Fraud Alert | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Free |
| Effect | Blocks all new credit pulls | Requires extra ID verification |
| Duration | Permanent until lifted | 1 year (7 years for ID theft victims) |
| Bureaus | Must do each separately | Contact one, they notify the others |
| Best for | Maximum protection | When you can’t freeze (need credit access soon) |
| Affects score | No | No |
If you’re not applying for new credit in the near future, freeze. It is the stronger protection. If you need to maintain credit access for frequent applications, a fraud alert is the more practical option.
How to Temporarily Lift a Credit Freeze
When you need to apply for credit — a mortgage, car loan, credit card, apartment, new phone — you lift the freeze temporarily at the bureau the lender uses, then re-freeze afterward.
Scheduled lift: Set a date range (e.g., 3 days). The freeze re-locks automatically when the window closes.
Creditor-specific lift: Some bureaus allow you to lift only for one specific lender, keeping the freeze in place for everyone else.
Lifts take effect immediately online, within 1 hour by phone, and 3 business days by mail. Always lift online for the fastest turnaround.
After your application is processed, re-freeze the lifted bureau immediately.
Should You Also Freeze These Smaller Bureaus?
The three major bureaus cover most lenders. For complete protection, consider also freezing:
| Bureau | What It’s Used For | How to Freeze |
|---|---|---|
| Innovis | Some lenders and background checks | innovis.com/personal/securityFreeze |
| ChexSystems | Bank account openings | chexsystems.com/security-freeze |
| NCTUE | Utility and telecom accounts | transunion.com/credit-freeze |
| LexisNexis | Insurance, employment, background checks | lexisnexis.com/privacy/request-to-opt-out |
Identity thieves use all four. Freezing the major three handles the majority of risk; the smaller bureaus add a more complete layer.
How to Freeze Your Child’s Credit
Children’s SSNs are prime targets — they have no existing credit history and theft often goes undetected until the child applies for their first loan or apartment. Learn more in our full guide on how to protect your child’s identity online.
Contact each credit bureau and request a manual credit file creation and freeze for your minor child. You’ll need to provide:
- Your child’s full name, SSN, and date of birth
- Your own proof of identity as the parent/guardian
- Proof of your child’s SSN (Social Security card or SSA documentation)
The bureaus do not automatically have a file on children — you’ll need to request a file be created and immediately frozen in the same process.
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After You Freeze: Add Monitoring for Complete Protection
A credit freeze is the strongest single action you can take to prevent new account fraud. But it doesn’t protect against:
- Unauthorized use of your existing accounts
- Dark web exposure of your current credentials
- Tax fraud using your SSN — see the full list of what criminals can do with your SSN
- Medical identity theft
For complete coverage, pair your credit freeze with an identity theft protection service that monitors what a freeze can’t block.
Related: If your identity has already been compromised, follow our step-by-step recovery checklist. To understand the full landscape of threats a credit freeze doesn’t cover, see the most common cyber attacks in 2026. And to reduce your overall data exposure, learn how to remove your personal information from the internet.
