---
title: "Unfreezing & Freezing a Credit Profile"
slug: "unfreezing-and-freezing-a-credit-profile-new-credco-application"
tags: ["Credco", "Encompass Desktop", "Encompass Web", "EPC"]
updated: 2026-10-08T14:19:46Z
published: 2026-10-08T14:19:46Z
canonical: "docs.cotality.com/unfreezing-and-freezing-a-credit-profile-new-credco-application"
excludeFromSearch: true
excludeFromExternalSearch: true
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cotality.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Unfreezing & Freezing a Credit Profile

## Overview

When a credit report is frozen with a credit bureau, it cannot be accessed for applications requiring a credit inquiry. To obtain a **three‑bureau credit report**, borrowers must **unfreeze all three bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) prior to the credit pull**. If any bureau remains frozen, a complete three‑bureau report cannot be retrieved.

Before you start this process, consider the following:

- **Avoid using a temporary unfreeze or lift**. These short-term options are often too brief for processing and may expire before the report is pulled, so consider keeping the file permanently unfrozen until the loan closes.
- After the loan is closed, borrowers can refreeze their credit profiles.

---

## Unfreezing and freezing a credit profile

**Equifax**

[Embedded content](https://app.storylane.io/demo/xtmshdbsmji1?embed=inline)

#### Unfreezing Your Equifax Credit Profile

1. Navigate to the [**Equifax Security Freeze**](https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze/) and sign in or create an account.
2. Select **Freeze** from the left navigation menu.
3. Click **Manage Freeze**.
4. Select **Temporarily lift a security freeze** or **Permanently remove a security freeze**.
5. Click **Continue**.
6. Click **Remove Freeze** to submit the request.
7. A confirmation will display that the freeze was successfully removed.

#### Freezing Your Equifax Credit Profile

1. Navigate to the [**Equifax Security Freeze**](https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze/) and sign in or create an account.
2. Select **Freeze** from the left navigation menu.
3. Click **Place a Freeze**.
4. Click **Place A Freeze** to submit the request.
5. A confirmation will display that the freeze was successfully placed.

#### Requesting Changes by Phone or Mail

- By Phone: 1-888-378-4329
- By Mail: Equifax Information Services LLC

P.O. Box 105788

Atlanta, GA 30348-5788

> [!NOTE]
> **Note**: If contacting a bureau by mail, you should verify which forms, identification, or other documents are necessary to initiate or complete a credit report freeze or unfreeze.

**Experian**

[Embedded content](https://app.storylane.io/demo/hamw3822nsjn?embed=inline)

#### Unfreezing Your Experian Credit Profile

1. Navigate to the [**Experian Credit Freeze**](https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze/) and sign in or create an account.
2. Click the credit score to navigate to the Credit Overview page.
3. Scroll to the **Quick action** and select **Lock or Freeze your Experian credit file**.
4. Select **Open** from the list of options.
5. Click **Continue**.
6. Select **Open Experian credit file**, or **Pick a date range** to open it temporarily.
7. Click **Apply**.
8. A confirmation will display that your file is now open.

#### Freezing Your Experian Credit Profile

1. Navigate to the [**Experian Credit Freeze**](https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze/) and sign in or create an account.
2. Click the credit score to navigate to the Credit Overview page.
3. Scroll to the **Quick actions** and select **Lock or Freeze your Experian credit file**.
4. Select **Frozen** from the list of options.
5. Select **Apply**.
6. A confirmation will display that your file is now frozen.

#### Requesting Changes by Phone or Mail

- By Phone: 1-888-397-3742
- By Mail: Experian Security Freeze

P.O. Box 9554

Allen, TX 75013

> [!NOTE]
> **Note**: If contacting a bureau by mail, you should verify which forms, identification, or other documents are necessary to initiate or complete a credit report freeze or unfreeze.

**TransUnion**

[Embedded content](https://app.storylane.io/demo/h91grh56bg0d?embed=inline)

#### Unfreezing Your TransUnion Credit Profile

1. Navigate to the [**TransUnion Credit Freeze**](https://www.transunion.com/credit-freeze) and sign in or create an account.
2. Select the **Credit Freeze** tile.
3. Click **Remove Freeze**.
4. Click **Continue** to remove credit freeze.
5. A notification will display that the freeze has been removed.

#### Freezing Your TransUnion Credit Profile

1. Navigate to the [**TransUnion Credit Freeze**](https://www.transunion.com/credit-freeze) and sign in or create an account.
2. Select the **Credit Freeze** tile.
3. Click **Add Freeze**.
4. Click **Continue** to apply the credit freeze.
5. A notification will display that the freeze has been applied.

#### Requesting Changes by Phone or Mail

- By Phone: 1-888-909-8872
- By Mail: TransUnion

P.O. Box 160

Woodlyn, PA 19094

> [!NOTE]
> **Note**: If contacting a bureau by mail, you should verify which forms, identification, or other documents are necessary to initiate or complete a credit report freeze or unfreeze.

---

## Outcome

Borrowers can unfreeze their credit profiles with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion to enable the retrieval of a three-bureau credit report, then refreeze their credit profiles after the loan closes.