Freeze your credit

Why it matters

A credit freeze restricts access to your credit report. When a lender cannot check that report, it is less likely to open a new account in your name. A freeze is a useful barrier against new-credit fraud, not a guarantee against every kind of identity theft.

This guide is for U.S. credit files. Placing or lifting a security freeze at the three nationwide bureaus is free and does not lower your credit score. You do not need to wait for a breach or identity theft to do it.

Already frozen all three? Consider extra freezes or review your reports.

The steps

Optional extra freezes

Once your files are frozen at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, you can also freeze separate reports at Innovis, ChexSystems and LexisNexis Risk Solutions. Use each provider’s own freeze process.

• Innovis keeps a separate credit report. Freezing it limits access to that report. Request or manage an Innovis freeze
• ChexSystems provides reports some banks and credit unions use when screening applications for checking or savings accounts. Freezing this report can make it harder to open a deposit account in your name at institutions that use it. Request or manage a ChexSystems freeze
• LexisNexis Risk Solutions provides supplementary consumer reports that can include address history and public records. You can request a security freeze on its consumer report. LexisNexis security freeze · CFPB company profile

If you plan to open a checking or savings account, ask the bank or credit union which report it uses and whether you need a temporary lift. Some institutions use another reporting company, so a ChexSystems freeze covers only part of the risk. Keep monitoring your existing accounts. CFPB guide to checking account reports

Review your reports

You can check your own reports while your files are frozen. Look for accounts and addresses you don’t recognize.

• AnnualCreditReport.com lets you request a free report each week from each of the three nationwide credit bureaus. Get your credit reports · FTC guide to free credit reports
• LexisNexis Consumer Disclosure Report shows what LexisNexis Risk Solutions has on file about you, such as past addresses and public records. Request it separately from the freeze. Request your LexisNexis disclosure

If you discover unfamiliar accounts or someone has used your identity, follow the identity-theft section of the emergency checklist.

Protect your identity at work

myE-Verify Self Lock helps prevent someone from using your Social Security number for employment verification through E-Verify or Self Check. If you turn it on, unlock it before a new employer runs your E-Verify check. Its protection is limited to those systems. Self Lock instructions · DHS overview of Self Lock

Common questions

How do I lift a freeze when I need credit?

Ask the lender which bureau or bureaus it needs to check. Request a temporary lift only where needed and specify the start and end dates. Online or phone lift requests must be handled within one hour. Mailed requests can take three business days after receipt. Allow time to verify the lift before an application.

Check afterward that the temporary lift has ended and the freeze is back in place. A freeze otherwise remains until you lift or remove it.

What does a credit freeze cover?

A credit freeze makes it harder to open new credit in your name. Your existing cards and bank accounts still work, so watch for misuse and report unfamiliar charges to the account provider promptly. Protect your email separately, and dispute any fraudulent accounts you find on your reports.

Existing creditors and certain other entities can still access a frozen file. Federal freeze rules have exceptions for employment, tenant screening and insurance.

Is a fraud alert the same thing?

No. An initial fraud alert tells lenders to verify your identity; it does not restrict access in the same way. If you suspect identity theft, you can request a free initial alert at one nationwide bureau, which must notify the other two. That one-bureau notification rule applies to the alert, not the freeze.

You're done when

You have checked that all three files are frozen and saved the confirmations and access details. Repeat the process separately for another adult; a household does not share one freeze.

Sources and review

Source check: November 6, 2026. U.S. rules and bureau procedures can change.

• FTC: Credit freezes, alerts and children's files
• CFPB: Freeze scope, timing and protected consumers
• FTC: Official bureau contact directory