To place a free security freeze in the U.S., contact Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion separately. A freeze at one bureau doesn't reach the other two. Adults can generally request a freeze online, by phone, or by mail. It stays in place until you ask the bureau to remove it.

Before you send a letter, check the FTC's credit-freeze guidance and the current bureau instructions linked from USA.gov. Mailing addresses, forms, and document requirements can change.

What a credit freeze does

A credit freeze restricts access to your credit report. That can make it harder for someone to open a new credit account in your name with stolen personal information.

A freeze won't:

A fraud alert works differently. It tells businesses to take extra steps to verify your identity, but it doesn't block access to your report. An initial fraud alert generally lasts one year. You can request one from any of the three bureaus, and that bureau notifies the other two.

A credit lock is a separate bureau service. Its terms aren't the same as the legal protections that apply to a security freeze, so don't treat the two products as interchangeable.

Gather the information the bureau may request

For an adult request, have these details available:

The bureau's current form or online process controls if it asks for different information. For a mailed request, send copies, not original documents. Keep the completed letter and documents somewhere secure; don't leave them in a public Google Doc, send them through ordinary email, or upload them to a third-party template site.

Free adult credit-freeze letter template

Use the wording below once for each bureau. Replace the bureau name and mailing address with the information in that bureau's current security-freeze instructions.

[Your full legal name]
[Your current mailing address]
[City, State ZIP code]
[Date]

[Name of credit bureau]
[Current security-freeze mailing address]

Subject: Request to place a security freeze

Dear Security Freeze Department:

Please place a security freeze on my consumer credit file. My identifying information is:

Full legal name: [Your name]
Social Security number: [Your SSN]
Date of birth: [MM/DD/YYYY]
Current address: [Your current address]
Former addresses used during the last two years: [List addresses, if applicable]

I have enclosed copies of the identification and address documents listed in your current instructions. Please confirm that the freeze has been placed and explain how I can manage or remove it, including any PIN, password, confirmation number, or account details your process uses.

Sincerely,

[Your signature]
[Your printed name]
[Phone number or email, if requested by the bureau]

If a bureau requires its own form, complete that form. Attach the letter only if it provides information the form doesn't cover. Send a separate request to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion; one envelope addressed to all three won't create three freezes.

Credit-freeze template for a child

A parent or legal guardian can generally request a freeze for a child under 16. The bureau may ask for proof of your identity, proof of your relationship or legal authority, and documents identifying the child. If the child has little or no credit history, the bureau's process may involve creating or protecting a file.

Read the bureau's current minor or protected-consumer instructions before mailing the request. Some child requests require documents and may not use the same process as an adult request.

[Parent or legal guardian's full legal name]
[Current mailing address]
[City, State ZIP code]
[Date]

[Name of credit bureau]
[Current security-freeze mailing address]

Subject: Request to place a security freeze for a minor

Dear Security Freeze Department:

I am the [parent/legal guardian] of the child identified below. The child is under 16 years old. Please place a security freeze on the child's consumer credit file, or follow your protected-consumer process if no file currently exists.

Parent or legal guardian:
Full name: [Name]
Date of birth: [MM/DD/YYYY]
Social Security number: [SSN, if requested]
Current address: [Address]
Phone or email: [If requested]

Child:
Full name: [Child's name]
Date of birth: [MM/DD/YYYY]
Social Security number: [Child's SSN, if requested]
Current address: [Address]
Former addresses: [If applicable]

I have enclosed copies of the documents listed in your current instructions, including proof of my identity and proof of my relationship or legal authority. Please confirm the result in writing and explain how the freeze can later be managed or removed.

Sincerely,

[Parent or legal guardian's signature]
[Printed name]
[Relationship to child]

Possible supporting documents include a government-issued ID, the child's birth certificate or Social Security card, proof of address, and a birth certificate, court order, or other proof of legal authority. The bureaus may not accept the same documents, so follow each bureau's list rather than sending a standard packet automatically.

For a California-specific example, the California Office of the Attorney General says a parent or legal guardian of a child under 16 may request a security freeze. Its guidance says the bureau must place the freeze no later than three business days after receiving the written request and send written confirmation within five business days of placing it. The page also says the freeze can be removed by the parent or guardian, or by the child after turning 16. Those are California instructions; check your own state's requirements.

Equifax says consumers who are 16 or 17 may request their own freeze. For that age group, use each bureau's current instructions rather than assuming a parent can continue to manage the file.

If identity theft has already happened

You don't have to wait for an identity-theft report before placing an ordinary freeze. If you find an account or inquiry you don't recognize, a practical order is to freeze all three files, then start the recovery steps.

IdentityTheft.gov provides a personalized recovery plan. Review your credit reports, contact the businesses tied to fraudulent accounts, and save account statements, letters, delivery receipts, confirmation numbers, and report numbers.

This optional paragraph can be added to either the adult or child request:

I believe personal information connected to this credit file may have been used without authorization. If relevant, my identity theft report or police report number is: [Number]. Please place the security freeze requested above and tell me whether you need any additional documentation.

An identity-theft report is separate from the basic freeze request. Don't postpone the freeze while waiting for a report.

Submit the request

  1. Check the current instructions. Start with USA.gov's credit-freeze page, which links to the current request pages for Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Experian's freeze instructions are also available directly.
  2. Choose a method. Online or phone requests avoid the mailing delay. Mail may be more practical when the bureau requires documents, especially for a child's request.
  3. Repeat the process for all three bureaus. Submit one request to Equifax, one to Experian, and one to TransUnion.
  4. Check every identifying detail. Your name, date of birth, Social Security number, and address history should match the information the bureau has.
  5. Save proof. Keep each confirmation number, account credential, PIN or password, delivery receipt, and submission date. A confirmation from one bureau doesn't show that the other two have placed their freezes.

According to USA.gov, a bureau generally must place a freeze within one business day after an online or phone request and within three business days after receiving a mailed request. Identity verification may require an additional step, so don't wait until the day you plan to apply for credit.

Mail checklist

Before sealing each envelope:

The freeze itself is free. You don't need to buy credit monitoring or a credit lock to place a security freeze.

Temporarily lift or permanently remove a freeze

A lender, landlord, insurer, or utility company may need access to your report before making a decision. Ask which bureau or bureaus the company plans to check. If only one file is needed, lift that file rather than all three.

Where the bureau offers the option, a temporary lift can cover a date range or a particular creditor. Use the bureau's online or phone process when possible. USA.gov says an online or phone unfreeze request must generally be completed within one hour; a mailed request can take up to three business days.

Temporary-lift letter template

[Your full legal name]
[Your current mailing address]
[City, State ZIP code]
[Date]

[Name of credit bureau]
[Current security-freeze mailing address]

Subject: Request to temporarily lift a security freeze

Dear Security Freeze Department:

Please temporarily lift the security freeze on my consumer credit file.

Full legal name: [Your name]
Social Security number: [Your SSN]
Date of birth: [MM/DD/YYYY]
Current address: [Your address]
Freeze PIN, password, or account details: [If required]

Requested start date: [MM/DD/YYYY]
Requested end date: [MM/DD/YYYY]
Potential creditor or lender: [Name, if the bureau requests it]

Please confirm the dates and scope of the lift in writing.

Sincerely,

[Your signature]
[Your printed name]

For a permanent removal, change the request to say "permanently remove the security freeze" and follow the bureau's current identity-verification process. Removal is different from a temporary lift. If you want the protection back after the application, place a new freeze.

Common questions

Is a credit freeze free?

Yes. The FTC says security freezes are free nationwide. Credit monitoring and credit-lock products are optional.

Do I have to contact all three credit bureaus?

Contact all three if you want a freeze with each of the three nationwide credit-reporting companies. One bureau can't freeze the files held by the other two.

Will a freeze prevent every kind of fraud?

No. A freeze mainly restricts access to your credit report for new-credit decisions. It won't stop someone from taking over an existing account, using stolen payment information, or committing tax, medical, or benefits fraud.

Do I need a PIN to lift a freeze?

The bureau may use a PIN, password, confirmation number, or account-based access. Save whatever it gives you. If you've lost that information, use the bureau's current identity-recovery process.

Can I use the same letter for all three bureaus?

You can reuse the wording, but make a separate request for each bureau. Change the bureau name and current mailing address, and include only the documents that bureau requests.

To start now, open the official instructions at USA.gov and submit a separate request to each bureau. If you mail the requests, verify every address on the day you send them and keep a copy of each signed packet.

This is general U.S. consumer information, not legal advice.