Locking your credit means blocking most new creditors from accessing your credit reports, which helps stop scammers from opening new accounts in your name.

Quick Scoop

  • You lock (or freeze) your credit separately with each major bureau: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
  • You can usually do it online, by phone, or by mail.
  • A credit freeze is free and set by law; a credit lock is often a paid, app‑based service from the bureaus.
  • You can temporarily unlock or thaw your credit when you want to apply for something, then turn protection back on.

Step‑by‑step: How to lock or freeze your credit

The exact buttons and links change over time, but the process is very similar everywhere.

1. Gather your info

Have this handy for each bureau:

  • Full legal name and date of birth
  • Social Security number (or ITIN)
  • Current address and previous addresses
  • Email and phone number
  • Answers to identity‑verification questions (like old loan or card info)

2. Decide: lock vs freeze

  • Credit freeze (security freeze)
    • Set by federal law, free to place and lift at all three bureaus.
* Best for long‑term protection if you’re not constantly opening new credit.
  • Credit lock
    • Branded services from each bureau, usually bundled with monitoring, alerts, or identity theft insurance, often for a monthly fee.
* You can quickly toggle your report on/off in an app or website.

Many experts lean toward a freeze for cost and legal protections, and only use a lock if they want the convenience and extra features.

What you actually do at each bureau

You must contact each bureau separately ; there is no one‑click “lock everything” button from the government.

The specific URLs and menus move around, so use each site’s search box for “credit freeze” or “credit lock.”

Experian

  • Online :
    • Go to Experian’s site and look for “Credit Freeze” or “Credit Lock” in their consumer section.
* Create/log into your account, complete identity verification, then choose to freeze or enroll in their lock service.
  • Phone :
    • Call their main consumer line (listed on their site) and follow the prompts for a security freeze or lock.
  • Mail :
    • Download their freeze/lock form, fill it out with copies of ID, and mail it to the address they specify (such as a P.O. Box in Allen, TX in recent guidance).

Equifax

  • Online :
    • On the Equifax site, look for “Security Freeze” or “credit report lock.”
* Create an account, verify your identity, and activate a **freeze** (free) or lock product if you choose.
  • Phone :
    • Call the Equifax automated line listed under “freeze or unfreeze your credit report.”
  • Mail :
    • Print and complete the freeze request form from their website, then mail it with ID documents to the address they provide (commonly their Atlanta P.O. Box).

TransUnion

  • Online :
    • On TransUnion’s consumer site, search “credit freeze” or “credit lock.”
    • Sign up or log in, pass identity checks, and either activate a standard freeze or enroll in their lock/monitoring bundle.
  • Phone :
    • Use the phone number in their “security freeze” section and follow voice prompts.
  • Mail :
    • Use their downloadable form and mailing address to request a freeze by mail if you prefer.

What happens after you lock or freeze

Once all three reports are locked or frozen:

  • New lenders generally can’t pull your reports , so it’s much harder for a fraudster to open new credit in your name.
  • Existing accounts still work normally; your current credit cards and loans keep reporting and can still be used.
  • Your score can still change based on existing accounts, even while frozen.
  • Some parties still see limited info , like existing creditors, some government agencies, and collection agencies, as allowed by law.

If you applied for new credit yourself and got denied because the lender couldn’t access your report, that’s usually a sign your freeze/lock is working.

How to unlock or “thaw” your credit

When you want to apply for a card, auto loan, mortgage, apartment, or even some jobs, you may need to temporarily lift the protection.

  • With a freeze
    • Log into each bureau’s account or call them, and choose either:
      • A temporary lift for a specific date range, or
      • A lift for a specific creditor if they support that option.
* You may need a PIN or password you set when you froze your file.
  • With a lock
    • Open the bureau’s app or website and toggle your lock off.
    • After your application is done, toggle it back on with a tap or click.

Key pros and cons (freeze vs lock)

Feature Credit Freeze Credit Lock
Cost Free to place and lift at all three bureaus (U.S. law). Often part of paid subscriptions with monitoring/alerts.
How you control it Accounts on each bureau’s site, sometimes using PINs. Simple on/off toggle, usually via app or portal.
Legal basis Defined and protected by federal law. Contractual service from the bureaus.
Best for Long‑term, low‑cost protection, especially after data breaches. People who frequently apply for credit and want quick toggles.
[6][7][3][5]

Extra protection tips

Locking/freezing your credit is powerful, but it’s not the only defense you should use.

  • Check your credit reports regularly for accounts you don’t recognize.
  • Turn on alerts for new credit inquiries or new account openings where available.
  • Use strong, unique passwords plus two‑factor authentication on financial accounts.
  • Shred or securely dispose of documents with personal or financial data.
  • Be skeptical of unsolicited calls, texts, or emails asking for personal info (common in identity theft cases).

Forum‑style note & “latest” context

On personal finance forums, many users say they froze their credit at all three bureaus after big data breaches, then only temporarily thaw it when they apply for a new card or loan.

As of late 2025 and into early 2026, rising identity‑theft and breach headlines keep “how do you lock your credit” a trending topic, and many banks and government sites actively recommend freezes as a first‑line defense.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.