How to Freeze Your Credit After a Data Breach (Free)

The Free Thing That Works

If a company just told you your data was in a breach, here is the one step that stops the worst outcome: a credit freeze. It is free at all three credit bureaus, by federal law, and nobody can charge you for it. For the specific risk that matters after a breach, someone opening a credit card or loan in your name, a freeze is better protection than any paid product you could buy.

This guide covers what a freeze does, how it differs from a fraud alert, a credit lock, and credit monitoring, and the exact steps to freeze your file at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

What a Credit Freeze Actually Does

A credit freeze, also called a security freeze, blocks lenders from pulling your credit report to open a new account. Most identity thieves need your credit file to open a new card or loan in your name. Freeze the file and that door closes, even if the thief already has your Social Security number, date of birth, and address.

A freeze does not do everything, though. It will not stop someone from misusing an account you already have, like charging an existing card or draining a bank account. If you gave a card number, a bank login or a one-time code to a scammer yourself, our guide to what a scammer can do with your information covers the fix for each. It will not remove your information from the breached company's systems or from data brokers. And it does not affect your credit score; existing creditors can still see your file.

If your data was exposed in a breach, freezing your credit is the step that matches the actual risk: someone using a stolen Social Security number to open something new.

Freeze vs. Fraud Alert vs. Credit Lock vs. Credit Monitoring

These four terms get used interchangeably and they are not the same tool.

• Credit freeze. A federal legal right. Physically blocks lenders from viewing your report. Free to place, lift, or remove. Set separately at each bureau.
• Fraud alert. A flag requiring a lender to verify your identity before opening new credit. It does not block access, it just adds a speed bump. Place it with one bureau and that bureau must notify the other two. An initial alert lasts one year and is also free.
• Credit lock. A convenience product each bureau offers under its own terms, not the federal freeze law. Often instant through an app, but governed by that bureau's contract terms, and some versions are bundled with a paid subscription.
• Credit monitoring. A service that alerts you after something happens: a new inquiry, a new account, a balance change. It is often free for a year or two through a breach notice or settlement, or paid through services such as Aura. Monitoring tells you after the fact. A freeze prevents the event.

For the specific fear that follows a breach notice, someone opening new credit in your name, the freeze is built for exactly that job.

How to Freeze Your Credit at All Three Bureaus

You have to freeze your file at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion separately; none of the three automatically tells the others. These links and numbers were checked against each bureau's freeze page in September 2026; if one stops working, the FTC's credit freeze guide keeps an updated list.

Equifax

Go to Equifax's security freeze page and create a free myEquifax account, or call 1-888-298-0045.

Experian

Go to Experian's freeze center and sign up for a free account, or call 1-888-397-3742 (1-888-EXPERIAN). Freezing online takes effect immediately.

TransUnion

Go to TransUnion's credit freeze page, or call TransUnion at 1-800-916-8800.

All three also accept a written request by mail. Each bureau's page above lists its current mailing address.

It Is Free at Every Step, By Law

Placing, lifting, and permanently removing a freeze are all free at all three bureaus. This has been federal law since 2018, and no bureau may charge a fee for any of it. If anyone, including a bureau's own rep, tries to upsell you into a paid lock or monitoring plan to complete a freeze, that is not required and you can decline.

The law also sets deadlines. A freeze requested online or by phone must be placed within one business day. A lift requested the same way must happen within one hour. Mailed requests get three business days either way.

Lifting a Freeze When You Actually Need Credit

A freeze stays in place until you remove it, so plan ahead before applying for a loan, a credit card, an apartment, or anything else involving a credit check. You can lift it temporarily for a set number of days, or for one specific creditor if the bureau offers that, then let it re-freeze automatically.

Because online and phone lifts must happen within an hour by law, same-day lifts are realistic. Still, do it a day or two ahead of a big application if you can, especially if you are not sure which bureau a lender will check.

Freezing a Child's Credit

Children's Social Security numbers are valuable to identity thieves precisely because nobody is watching that file. A child's credit is normally blank, so a thief can open account after account for years before anyone notices, sometimes not until the child applies for a first credit card or student loan.

Parents, legal guardians, and people with power of attorney can request a free protected consumer freeze for a child under 16, with proof of identity and relationship, like a birth certificate. Teens who are 16 or 17 can freeze their own credit. Each bureau runs its own minor freeze process; start at the same three links above.

If You Are Already a Victim

If your identity was already misused, not just exposed, IdentityTheft.gov is the place to start. It is run by the FTC, it is free, and it builds a personalized recovery plan: pre-filled letters for credit bureaus and creditors, a police-report form, and a step-by-step checklist. Freezing your credit and reporting to IdentityTheft.gov are the two moves that matter most first.

Not sure whether the company that lost your data ever settled a class action over it? Our data breach settlement tracker lists the open and closed settlements we have verified. And because every state requires its own breach-notification timeline, our state-by-state data privacy laws guide covers the specific rights that apply where you live.

Where a Paid Monitoring Service Might Still Help

A freeze is free and it is the strongest tool against someone opening new credit in your name. It will not watch what a freeze cannot reach: your Social Security number on dark web marketplaces, charges on accounts you already hold, or your information on someone else's tax return.

If a breach settlement already gave you free monitoring, use that first; it costs nothing and often covers this gap. A paid product only makes sense as an add-on once free coverage runs out, or for broader monitoring than a freeze alone provides. It does not replace the freeze, and nobody needs to pay to freeze their own credit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a credit freeze really free?

Yes. Federal law requires Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion to place, lift, and remove a credit freeze at no cost. No bureau can charge you a fee for any part of the process, as of July 2026.

What does a credit freeze actually stop?

A credit freeze blocks lenders from viewing your credit report to open a new account, so it stops someone from opening a new credit card, loan, or line of credit in your name. It does not affect accounts you already have.

Does a credit freeze stop someone from using my existing credit cards or bank accounts?

No. A freeze only blocks new credit from being opened in your name. Report misuse of an existing card or account directly to that bank or card issuer.

What is the difference between a credit freeze and a fraud alert?

A credit freeze physically blocks lenders from seeing your file, while a fraud alert only requires a lender to verify your identity before opening new credit. A freeze is set separately at each bureau; a fraud alert placed with one bureau gets forwarded to the other two.

Is a credit lock the same thing as a credit freeze?

No. A credit lock is a convenience product each bureau offers under its own terms, not the federal freeze right, and some versions are bundled with a paid subscription. A credit freeze is the free, legally guaranteed protection.

How long does it take to freeze or unfreeze my credit?

By law, a freeze requested online or by phone must be placed within one business day, and a lift requested the same way must happen within one hour. Mailed requests take up to three business days.

Can I freeze my child's credit?

Yes. Parents, legal guardians, and people with power of attorney can request a free protected consumer freeze for a child under 16 at each bureau, and teens who are 16 or 17 can freeze their own credit.

Do I need to freeze my credit at all three bureaus, or just one?

All three. Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion each keep a separate credit file and do not automatically notify each other, so a freeze at only one or two bureaus leaves you exposed at the rest.

What should I do if I am already a victim of identity theft, not just a breach?

Start at IdentityTheft.gov, the free FTC site that builds a personalized recovery plan and pre-filled letters, then freeze your credit at all three bureaus if you have not already.