Your info online · November 13, 2026 · By Robert

How to freeze your credit for free at all 3 bureaus

To freeze your credit, make a free account at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion and turn on the freeze at each one. It's been free by law since 2018, an online freeze has to take effect within one business day, and you can lift it within an hour when you apply for a loan. Why bother? Cloaked found our own info in 14 data breaches. A freeze means a thief with your details still can't open new credit in your name.

How to freeze your credit at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion

You have to do all three. Freezing one doesn't freeze the others. These are the official links and phone numbers, as listed by Oregon's Division of Financial Regulation (Oregon DFR):

• Equifax: equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services or 888-298-0045
• Experian: experian.com/freeze or 888-EXPERIAN (888-397-3742)
• TransUnion: transunion.com/credit-freeze or 800-680-7289

At each site you'll make an account, answer a few identity questions and switch the freeze on. Type the addresses yourself rather than tapping links in texts or emails. Each bureau may also offer paid monitoring along the way. You don't need it to freeze.

What the law says: free, fast, and for kids too

The FTC laid out the rules when the law took effect on September 21, 2018 (FTC):

• Freezing and unfreezing is free at all three bureaus.
• Online or phone freezes take effect within one business day. By mail, three business days.
• Online or phone requests to lift a freeze must be done within one hour.
• Parents can freeze a child's credit for free if the child is under 16.
• A fraud alert now lasts a year, and one call to one bureau covers all three.

How to unfreeze your credit when you need it

Applying for a card, a car loan or a new phone plan? Log in to the bureau the lender uses, or all three if you're not sure, and lift the freeze for a set number of days. Then it switches back on by itself. Ask the lender which bureau it checks to save time.

Why we tie this to data breaches

On October 18, 2026, Cloaked found our info in 14 data breaches. Data removal takes your details off people search sites, but it can't pull them back out of a breach. That's where a freeze helps: it doesn't stop your data leaking, it stops a stranger turning it into a loan. For the people search side, see what is a data broker.

Don't pay anyone to freeze your credit

A text that says "freeze your credit at all 3 bureaus now" for a one-time fee is a scam. The freeze is free, and only the three bureaus can place it. Same rule as our people search opt-out guide: if it's free from the source, don't pay a stranger.

Common questions about credit freezes

Is a credit freeze free?

Yes. Since September 21, 2018, federal law makes it free to freeze and unfreeze your credit at all three bureaus. Any site or text that charges a fee to freeze your credit is a red flag.

Does a credit freeze hurt my credit score?

No. A freeze stops new lenders from pulling your report, but it doesn't change your score, and you can still use the cards and loans you already have.

How do I unfreeze my credit?

Log in to each bureau's site or call them. When you ask online or by phone, the bureau has to lift the freeze within one hour, so you can thaw it the day you apply and freeze it again after.

What's the difference between a credit freeze and a fraud alert?

A fraud alert asks lenders to check it's really you, lasts one year, and you only contact one bureau. A freeze blocks new credit checks until you lift it, and you set it at each bureau.

Related: What is a data broker? · Remove yourself from Whitepages, Spokeo and TruePeopleSearch · Is Cloaked worth it?

Sources

• FTC, Starting today, new law allows consumers to place free credit freezes, September 21, 2018
• Oregon Division of Financial Regulation, Place a credit freeze
• Equifax, Experian and TransUnion freeze pages, linked above
• Our own Cloaked account, breach history, checked October 20, 2026