How to Freeze Your Experian Credit Report

Consumers can protect their credit information by placing a freeze on their credit reports. According to Consumers Union, over eight million people in the USA have their identities stolen each year. Many times the thieves use stolen information to open new credit accounts in the victims' names. A freeze can help guard against credit theft by restricting access to the report until the verified account owner lifts the freeze, either temporarily or permanently. Requirements and restrictions for credit freezes vary from state to state, so check the laws if you want to freeze your credit report.

Instructions

1

Find your state's information on the FinancialPrivacyNow.org website. The credit freeze has been available in all states since November 2007. The filing fee, if any, will be listed.

2

Navigate to the security freeze page of the Experian website (see References) and select your state. This will open a page with specific information on how to file a freeze with Experian.

3

Read this information page to find out what exactly is needed to file a credit freeze. Each state has different regulations. Look at the requirements for personal identification.

4

Fill out the online form at Experian's "Add a Credit Report Security Freeze" web page. Use a credit card to pay if a fee is required.

5

Gather the personal identification needed and make photocopies. Use certified mail to send in the photocopies to the address specified for your state. Do not send original documents as Experian does not send them back to you.

6

Wait for the confirmation notice from Experian. It will include a personal identification number (PIN), which allows you to temporarily lift the freeze as needed. File the PIN in a safe place.