Every consumer in the United States can lock down their credit files at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion without paying a cent, a protection written into federal law since September 21, 2018. Nearly eight years later, the Federal Trade Commission is still actively teaching people how to use this right, with a webinar on placing and lifting credit freezes online scheduled for June 2026. The free freeze applies to adults and to children under 16 whose parents or guardians request one on their behalf.
Why the free credit freeze still demands attention in 2026
Congress eliminated freeze fees through a 2018 statute that amended the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The core requirements now appear in the federal code at section 1681c-1, which directs consumer reporting agencies to place a security freeze free of charge when a person submits a direct request with proper identification. It also sets timing rules for both placing and removing a freeze, giving bureaus a narrow window to act once a request arrives.
The law is federal and uniform, meaning it applies identically whether a consumer lives in Texas, Maine, or anywhere else. Yet awareness levels vary. No federal agency publishes state-by-state freeze adoption data, so measuring whether some state consumer-protection offices promote the right more aggressively than others, and whether that promotion changes behavior, remains an open question. The hypothesis that local outreach drives measurable differences in adoption is plausible but unconfirmed by any public dataset.
What is confirmed: the FTC continues to treat freeze education as a priority. The agency’s June 2026 webinar is designed to walk consumers through the online process at each bureau, reinforcing that the protection carries no cost and no expiration date. That continued outreach signals that, even after years on the books, the free freeze is still underused or misunderstood.
Federal law and regulators backing the no-cost freeze
Two separate federal regulators have spelled out the mandate. In a 2018 press release, the Federal Trade Commission announced that a new federal law allows consumers to place free credit freezes and yearlong fraud alerts, and that parents or guardians may request freezes for minors under 16. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau later emphasized that the 2018 Act requires nationwide consumer reporting agencies to provide security freezes at no charge and to include security-freeze notices when they deliver Fair Credit Reporting Act summaries of rights.
The practical steps are straightforward. According to federal consumer guidance, people must contact each of the three major credit reporting agencies separately to place or lift a freeze. A freeze at one bureau does not automatically apply at the other two. Each bureau provides its own online portal, phone line, and mailing address for requests, and consumers can choose whichever method they prefer.
A freeze blocks most new creditors from pulling a consumer’s report, which makes it harder for someone using stolen personal information to open accounts. The freeze does not close existing accounts, change credit scores, or stop a person from requesting a free annual credit report. Consumers can lift the freeze temporarily when they need to apply for a loan, a new credit card, or a rental agreement, and then refreeze at no cost once those applications are complete.
Gaps in freeze data and what consumers should do first
Several questions remain unanswered. Neither the FTC, the CFPB, nor the three nationwide credit bureaus publish comprehensive statistics on how many people have active freezes or how often they are lifted and reinstated. Without that data, it is difficult for researchers to say whether free freezes have become a routine part of consumers’ security habits or remain a niche tool used mainly after identity theft.
What is clear is that a freeze is most powerful when put in place before trouble starts. People who know their Social Security number has been exposed in a data breach, or who have experienced mail theft or phishing attempts, may be especially strong candidates. But the protection is not limited to victims. Any adult can request a freeze as a preventive measure, and parents can extend that protection to children under 16, whose clean credit files are particularly attractive to identity thieves.
Consumers considering a freeze should start by taking inventory of upcoming credit needs. Someone planning to shop for a mortgage, car loan, or student loan in the next few weeks may prefer to wait until after applications are complete, or to schedule a temporary lift for the specific bureau a lender will use. Others with no near-term borrowing plans may choose to freeze immediately and leave the freeze in place indefinitely.
Because there is no fee to place, lift, or reinstate a freeze, people can adjust their approach over time. They can also combine freezes with other protections, such as monitoring bank and card statements, pulling free annual credit reports, and using strong, unique passwords for financial accounts. Even without detailed adoption statistics, the legal framework is settled: every consumer has the right to this no-cost tool, and using it remains one of the most direct ways to reduce the risk of new-account identity theft.
