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How to Unfreeze My Credit: A Guide

6 min read

Last Updated: January 9, 2026

Table of contents

Key Takeaways

A credit freeze restricts who can access your credit report.
You may need to unfreeze your credit to apply for new credit.
It is free to freeze and unfreeze your credit report.

If you’re concerned about fraud or identity theft, a credit freeze can prevent someone from accessing your credit report. However, if you want to apply for a new credit card or a loan, a creditor will need access to your credit report to see if you qualify.

To allow someone to do a credit check, you will have to unfreeze your credit report if you previously placed a freeze on your credit file.

But why and how do you unfreeze your credit? Find the answers you need below.

Is freezing a credit report the same as freezing a credit card?

A credit report freeze and credit card freeze are not the same thing. It’s important to understand the distinctions between the two in the event you need to freeze one or both.

You may want to freeze your credit report if an identity thief uses your social security number to open a new account, a data breach exposes your sensitive information, or you lose a specific credit card.

What is a credit freeze?

A credit freeze, also known as a security freeze, restricts who can access your credit report. When you freeze your credit, it prevents you and others from opening a new credit account for as long as the freeze is in place. The purpose is to prevent any new credit accounts from being opened fraudulently in your name. You may decide to do a credit freeze if you’ve received a credit card fraud alert.

Anyone can freeze their credit report. To place a credit freeze, you need to contact each of the three major credit bureaus:

Equifax^®
Experian^®
TransUnion^®

It’s free to freeze your credit, according to the Federal Trade Commission, and will not hurt your credit score.

If someone uses your personal information, like your social security number, to open a new credit account or take out a personal loan, your credit scores may go down temporarily. However, the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires each credit reporting agency to remove inaccurate information from your credit file that resulted from credit fraud.

What is a credit card freeze?

If you misplace your credit card and you want to look for it before canceling, your credit card issuer may allow you to use a security freeze. For instance, if you think you left your credit card at the grocery store, you may be able to freeze your account until you have a chance to find or replace it.

Did you know?

If you misplace your card, you can prevent new purchases and cash advances in seconds with the on/off switch on our mobile app and website.¹

Learn More

There is no cost associated with freezing your credit card, and as soon as you find your credit card or get a new card, you can unfreeze it.

When to unfreeze your credit report

A credit freeze typically lasts until you unfreeze your account. There are various reasons you may need to unfreeze your credit, including:

Credit card applications
Loan applications
New bank account applications
Insurance applications
Approval for property rental

In these instances, frozen credit won’t allow the creditors to review your report and determine if you qualify for a new account. However, you can still use your existing credit cards and bank accounts while your credit is frozen.

When you want to unfreeze your credit report, you have two options.

How to unfreeze your credit temporarily

If you’ve experienced fraud or personal, sensitive information has been stolen, you may want to use a temporary unfreeze. This is also called “thawing.” A thaw allows creditors to access your otherwise frozen credit for a select amount of time, so they can run a credit check. You can contact the credit reporting agency to schedule a specific period that you would like to unfreeze your credit.

How to unfreeze your credit permanently

If you feel confident that your credit is secure and there has been no fraudulent activity, you might want to permanently unfreeze your credit with each major credit bureau. More information on how to do this below.

Credit freeze vs. credit lock

A credit freeze and a credit lock both block access to your credit report. However, while a credit freeze is free, a credit lock is offered by a credit bureau that’s typically part of a paid credit monitoring service. With a credit freeze, you can keep it in place for as long as you want. A lock will last only while you pay for the service. The main advantage of a credit lock is that you can lock and unlock your credit report yourself online, so you don’t have any wait, as you might with a credit freeze.

How to unfreeze credit with the major credit bureaus

To unfreeze your credit report, contact the credit bureau(s) where you originally froze your credit. You can typically reach the major credit reporting agencies by phone, online, or by mail.

Unfreeze Experian credit report: Log into your Experian account, navigate to the Help Center, find “Manage security freeze” in quick actions, or call 888-397-3742.
Unfreeze Equifax credit report: Visit Equifax Consumer Services Center, log into myEquifax account, or call 888-298-0045.
Unfreeze TransUnion credit report: Visit the TransUnion Service Center online, log into your account and select “Credit Freeze” then choose permanent or temporary removal, or call 800-916-8800.

You can also schedule a temporary thaw for a set length of time with automatic re-freezing.

How long does it take to unfreeze your credit?

The timing depends on how you contact and request the unfreeze with a credit bureau. By law, credit bureaus are required to lift a freeze within one hour if requested by phone or online, according to usa.gov. If you mail in your request, the credit reporting agencies have up to three business days after the request is received.

What does it cost to unfreeze a credit report?

It’s free to freeze and unfreeze your credit report whenever you want.

The bottom line

A credit freeze can provide peace of mind in protecting yourself from potential fraud and identity theft. If lenders need access to your credit file to approve you for new credit, you can request a temporary thaw. If you feel that you’re no longer at risk, you may want to request a permanent unfreeze.