Freezing a credit report costs nothing, and it does not lower a credit score. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says people can freeze and unfreeze their credit records for free at the three nationwide credit reporting companies, which are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
The CFPB adds that security freezes do not impact credit scores in any way. A freeze keeps prospective lenders from seeing a credit file, which makes it harder for a thief to open a loan or card in someone else’s name.
Why freezes are free
Congress made freezes free nationwide in the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, Public Law 115-174, which became law on May 24, 2018. The CFPB notes that credit “locks” sold by the bureaus can carry a fee and are no more effective than freezes.
The Federal Trade Commission agrees on the cost. It says there is no cost to place or lift a credit freeze, and that a freeze lasts until the person lifts it. The FTC adds that while a freeze is on, nobody can open a new credit account in that person’s name, including the person themselves.
For older adults and anyone who has been told a scam is circling, the question is whether to freeze now or wait. Because the freeze is free, does not touch a score and can be lifted in an hour, the cost of acting is mostly a few minutes at each of the three bureaus.
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How to freeze at all three bureaus
A freeze has to be placed with each company separately. The CFPB says a person must contact each nationwide credit reporting company by visiting its website, and the freeze at one bureau does not carry over to the others.
At Equifax, placing, temporarily lifting or removing a freeze is free, and it can be done online with a myEquifax account or by phone at 888-298-0045. Experian says an online freeze is done in real time, no PIN is needed, and the phone number is 888-397-3742. TransUnion calls its freeze “absolutely free,” takes requests online or at 800-916-8800, and says mailed requests can take up to three business days.
Mail requests ask for more. Experian says a mailed request should include a full name, Social Security number, addresses for the past two years, date of birth, a copy of a government-issued ID and a copy of a utility bill or bank statement. Equifax says an online account requires the person to be at least 18, and by phone it offers a one-time PIN sent by text message as one way to verify identity.
The CFPB says phone and electronic requests are placed within one business day, and mail requests within three business days. The bureau must send written confirmation within five business days after placement, explaining how to remove the freeze.
Lifting a freeze when a loan is needed
A freeze is not permanent unless the person wants it to be. According to the CFPB, a request to lift a freeze made by phone or online must be handled within one hour, and a request by mail within three business days. A lift can be temporary, for a period the person picks, or it can remove the freeze entirely.
That timing matters for anyone planning to apply for a mortgage, a car loan or a new card. The FTC suggests lifting the freeze only at the bureau a lender will check, then refreezing afterward. TransUnion says a temporary lift can be scheduled up to 15 days ahead.
What a freeze does not do
A freeze is strong but narrow. While it is in place, only limited parties can see a credit file: creditors on accounts the person already has, certain government agencies such as child-support offices, and companies hired to monitor the file. The person can still request and review their own report.
The CFPB also says the free-freeze law does not apply to requests for employment, tenant screening or insurance. A freeze also does not stop a thief who already has access to an existing account. A fraud alert is a separate tool: the FTC says it asks businesses to verify identity before opening new credit but does not block them from seeing the report, and an initial alert lasts one year while an extended alert lasts seven years for identity theft victims.
Both agencies describe the same effect. While a freeze is on, new creditors cannot pull the file, and the FTC says nobody can open a new account in the person’s name. For a household worried about a scam call or a data breach, that is the protection a freeze adds, and it stays in place until the person lifts it.
Parents and guardians can freeze credit for children under 16 and for adults who cannot manage their own affairs, which the CFPB calls protected consumers. If no file exists, the bureau may create one just to freeze it.
Is a credit freeze the right first move after a suspicious call or letter?
A freeze stops new accounts but does nothing for a scam that is already in motion. The facts above show where the gaps are: existing accounts stay open, three separate bureaus have to be handled one by one, and the lift takes up to an hour by phone or online but up to three business days by mail.
The Senior Fraud Defense & First-Hour Recovery Kit puts the free credit-freeze steps in one place, then goes on to the other protections a household needs once a scam is suspected. Part 4 of the guide, “Locking Down What Is Left,” picks up after the freeze.
Get the three-bureau credit-freeze steps and the lock-down checklist for a scam scare →
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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
