How to Freeze Credit of a Deceased Person

You Can't Freeze It — But You Can Do Something Better

If you've ever frozen your own credit, you know it takes about five minutes online. You go to each bureau's website, answer some verification questions, and the freeze goes into effect immediately. None of that works for a deceased person. The online credit freeze tools are designed for living consumers who can authenticate their own identity — they require knowledge-based questions, account PINs, and active authentication that no executor can complete on someone else's behalf.

What you can do is request a deceased alert. Once placed, the credit file displays a deceased warning intended to tell potential creditors not to extend credit. It is a warning on the file, not a guarantee that every application or inquiry will be blocked. Credit bureaus remove credit accounts seven years after they are notified of the death.

The process differs from a standard credit freeze: an executor requests a deceased alert by sending the bureau the required documentation.

The Process, Bureau by Bureau

You should notify all three credit bureaus individually. Notifying one bureau may trigger notices to the other two, but synchronization can fail or be delayed. Send separate documentation to each one.

What to include in each package:

• A certified death certificate (original with raised seal — no copies)
• Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the probate court
• A clear copy of your government photo ID
• A cover letter requesting the deceased alert, listing the deceased's full name, Social Security number, date of birth, date of death, and last address

Where to mail:

• Equifax: P.O. Box 105139, Atlanta, GA 30348-5139
• Experian: P.O. Box 4500, Allen, TX 75013
• TransUnion: P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016

Use certified mail with return receipt for all three. The receipts prove delivery and give you a paper trail for follow-up.

What If Probate Hasn't Started Yet?

If Letters Testamentary haven't been issued, ask each bureau what alternate proof of authority it accepts. Call each bureau to confirm:

• Equifax: 1-888-378-4329
• Experian: 1-888-397-3742
• TransUnion: 1-800-916-8800

The key is not to wait. The gap between the date of death and the date a deceased alert appears on the credit file is when most posthumous fraud happens. Even partial protection — notifying one bureau while you wait for probate documents — is better than leaving all three files unprotected.

What the Deceased Alert Doesn't Cover

A deceased alert blocks new credit applications, but it doesn't close existing accounts, stop mail, prevent tax fraud, or remove the deceased's data from people-search websites. Those require separate actions:

• Existing accounts: Contact each bank and card issuer directly to close accounts and flag them as deceased
• Mail: Redirect or hold mail through USPS (requires proof of executor status, not just a death certificate)
• Tax fraud: File IRS Form 56 to establish your fiduciary relationship and prevent fraudulent tax returns from being filed
• Data brokers: Submit opt-out requests to sites like Spokeo, Whitepages, and BeenVerified to remove the deceased's personal information from public search results

If tracking all of these parallel tasks feels overwhelming — and for most executors, it genuinely is — the Identity Theft Prevention After Death toolkit organizes every action into a chronological timeline with pre-drafted letters, tracking sheets, and clear verification steps so you know each one actually went through.