How to Freeze Your Credit and Avoid Credit Fraud in Canada

A credit freeze blocks lenders from accessing your credit report, which prevents fraudsters from opening new accounts in your name. In Canada, only Quebec residents can currently freeze their credit, but Ontario will gain access to the same protection on July 1, 2026, and other provinces are expected to follow. The freeze is free, does not affect your credit score, and can be lifted at any time when you need to apply for new credit. If you live outside Quebec, fraud alerts and credit monitoring are your best alternatives until provincial legislation catches up.

How a Credit Freeze Works in Canada and Who Can Get One

When you place a credit freeze, the credit bureaus stop sharing your report with lenders who request it. Any application for a credit card, loan, or mortgage made by someone using your identity will effectively be denied, because the lender won’t be able to access your credit file.

"If you're concerned about people opening up credit in your name or if your info were part of a leak, freezing your credit file is something you should consider. It's an inconvenience when you want to open up a new credit product, but it's a great way to avoid credit fraud," explained Richard Goyder, Chief Credit Risk Officer at Neo Financial.

The Quebec's Credit Assessment Agents Act, passed in 2021, has required Equifax and TransUnion to offer free credit freezes to Quebec residents since February 2023. "It's only available in Quebec for now, but starting on July 1st, 2026, credit freezes will also be available in Ontario, and I believe it's eventually going to come to all other Canadian provinces," stated Richard Goyder, Chief Credit Risk Officer at Neo Financial.

The reason for the slow rollout is technical as much as it is political. Julie Kuzmic, Head of Consumer Advocacy and Compliance at Equifax Canada, explained the infrastructure challenge directly. "Credit freeze is legislation driven, because there is work that has to happen on the part of the lenders in order to be able to handle it. In provinces where the credit freeze is not offered, there are only two possible results when a lender requests a credit report: getting the credit report, or a no hit. If we want to offer credit freezes in a province, all lenders need to be able to handle a third possible result: there is a credit report available, but we cannot share it with you because it is locked," stated Kuzmic.

Despite that limitation, credit freeze could become available outside of Ontario and Quebec soon, since British Columbia and Nova Scotia are both planning to introduce a credit freeze legislation and the expectation is that other provinces will follow.

How to Place and Remove a Credit Freeze

Quebec residents must freeze their files separately with each bureau. They can place or remove a credit freeze, which they call a credit lock, with Equifax through the myEquifax portal, by phone at 1-866-828-5961 or even by mail by filling out this form and mailing it. TransUnion accepts requests online through their portal, by phone at 1-800-663-9980, or even by mail, but does not provide a form to do so. The credit freezes or locks requested online or by phone takes effect immediately, has no expiry date, and costs nothing. However, it could take up to 30 days for a credit freeze requested by mail to be implemented. 

When you need to apply for new credit, you have options. "At Equifax, there are two options for someone with a credit freeze to apply for credit. You can either temporarily suspend your lock when you're about to apply for something or you can turn it off and re-enable it later if you want the freeze to come back," explained Julie Kuzmic of Equifax Canada.

Matt Fabian, Director of Financial Services Research at TransUnion, offered similar guidance. "If you have a credit freeze on your file and you decide 6 months from now that you need to apply for a mortgage or a loan, you just have to contact the credit bureau and have that freeze lifted. If you apply without removing the freeze, the lender would let you know that you have a freeze on your account," said Fabian.

A freeze does not affect your existing accounts, your ability to check your own credit score, or your current credit card usage. It also does not block collection agencies from accessing your report.

What to Do if You Cannot Freeze Your Credit

Canadians outside of Quebec and Ontario can take several steps to protect themselves. Equifax offer a $24,95 subscription allowing you to get credit alerts when your credit inquiries are made on your credit file and TransUnion offer a similar service costing the same. Reviewing your credit reports at least once a year through both bureaus, which is 100% free, remains one of the most practical defences available.

Beyond your credit file, protecting individual cards matters too. Some issuers let you freeze a card instantly through their app if you suspect it has been lost or compromised. "If you are worried about someone using your credit card, you could just freeze your Neo card while you figure out whether you lost your card or not, for example," noted Richard Goyder of Neo Financial. All Neo credit cards include this card-level freeze feature.