Thousands of Canadians fall victim to identity theft every year, and as a result, some have even lost their entire savings. With emerging technology, hackers are getting better and better at accessing your personal data.
A credit freeze (or credit lock) is a great preventative measure in stopping fraudsters from creating false credit accounts in your name and protecting your credit report.
Key Points You Should Know About A Credit Freeze In Canada
Key Points
1. A credit freeze prevents access to your credit report to help protect you from fraud.
2. Credit freezes are available to residents of Quebec and, as of July 2026, Ontario.
3. A credit freeze is free and does not affect your credit score.
4. If a freeze is not available where you live, alternatives like credit monitoring and fraud alerts can still help protect you.
What Is A Credit Freeze In Canada?
Also known as a security freeze or a credit lock, a credit freeze prohibits the credit bureau from sharing your credit information or personal data when a lender or creditor tries to access it.
So, if a fraudster steals your information and tries to open a new credit account in your name, they’re unlikely to succeed as the lender won’t be able to properly vet them.
A credit freeze is especially valuable during a data breach. If a bank, a financial service provider, or even the CRA has its systems compromised, your personal information can end up in the wrong hands. With a freeze in place, even if a fraudster gets hold of your details, they can’t use them to open new credit in your name, because lenders can’t pull your report to approve the application.
That said, a credit freeze is not a cure-all. It won’t stop a fraudster from misusing credit accounts you already have open, and it won’t block activity that doesn’t require a credit check, such as someone making charges on your existing credit card. Think of it as one strong layer of protection, not the only one you should rely on.
Provinces You Can Place A Credit Freeze In Canada
You can place a credit freeze in Canada, but only in certain provinces. For years, Quebec was the only place you could do it. As of July 1, 2026, Ontario residents can now place one too.
Equifax and TransUnion, the two major credit bureaus in Canada, are able to put credit freezes on your account voluntarily but aren’t required to. Legislation is what forces them to offer it, which is why availability comes down to provincial law. Quebec was first, and Ontario has now followed, while the rest of Canada’s provinces and territories haven’t yet introduced similar legislation. That gap matters, because fraud keeps climbing. Canadians reported more than $704 million lost to fraud in 2025 alone.2
Here are the two provinces where you can currently place a credit freeze, and the law that made it possible.
| Province | Availability |
|---|---|
| Quebec | Available since February 1, 2023, under the Credit Assessment Agents Act (Bill 53). |
| Ontario | Available as of July 1, 2026, under the Province of Ontario’s Better for Consumers, Better for Businesses Act (Bill 142). |
Why Don’t All Provinces Have Credit Freeze Available?
The short answer is that a mandatory credit freeze has to be backed by legislation. Equifax and TransUnion are private companies, and while they can offer a freeze voluntarily, they generally only roll it out where a province has passed a law requiring it.
Quebec did this through the Credit Assessment Agents Act (Bill 53), and Ontario followed with its Better for Consumers, Better for Businesses Act (Bill 142). Every other province and territory has yet to pass similar legislation, so residents there cannot place a true credit freeze just yet. Consumer advocates continue to push for it nationwide, so this is an area that may keep expanding in the coming years.
Does It Cost Money To Place A Credit Freeze?
No. In both Quebec and Ontario, placing, lifting, or removing a credit freeze is completely free. The law requires the credit bureaus to offer it at no charge, so you never have to pay to protect your credit report this way.
Similarly, it does not cost anything to unfreeze your account. You are free to freeze and unfreeze your credit account as many times as you like for free.
How To Place A Credit Freeze In Quebec And Ontario
You can place a credit freeze or credit lock on your account by mail, phone or online.
How To Place A Credit Freeze With Equifax
You can place a credit lock through your Equifax account in the following ways:
| Method | How To Do It |
|---|---|
| Online | You can lock your account by logging in to your Equifax account. If you don’t have an account, you can create one for free. |
| Phone | 1-866-828-5961 |
| By Mail | Equifax Canada Co. National Consumer Relations, P.O. Box 190, Montreal, Quebec, H1S 2Z2 |
How To Lock Your Equifax Credit Report Online: Step By Step
Locking Your Equifax Credit Report
From your myEquifax dashboard, find the “Equifax Credit Report Status” box and select “Manage a lock.” You can also open “Credit Report” then “Credit Lock” from the left menu.
LOCK
On the Credit Lock page, you will see that your Equifax credit report is unlocked. Click the “LOCK” button to get started.
- A lock helps prevent access to your credit report, with certain exceptions.
- Only your Equifax report is locked. To lock your TransUnion report, contact them directly.
LOCK
A confirmation screen appears explaining what a lock does. Click the red “LOCK” button to confirm.
Back to Dashboard
A green checkmark confirms your report is locked. This only locks Equifax, so contact TransUnion to lock your report with them too.
How To Place A Credit Freeze With TransUnion
You can place a lock on your credit file with TransUnion in the following ways:
| Method | How To Do It |
|---|---|
| Online | Log in to your TransUnion account |
| Phone | 1-800-663-9980 |
| By Mail | TransUnion Canada, P.O. Box 338, LCD1, Hamilton, Ontario, L8L 7W2 |
Does A Credit Lock Affect Your Credit?
No. Placing a credit lock or freeze has no effect on your credit score. It is not treated as a hard inquiry, and it does not change any of the factors that make up your score, such as your payment history, your credit utilization, or the length of your credit history. All it does is control who is allowed to access your credit report.
A credit lock also does not touch your existing accounts. You can keep using the credit cards, loans, and lines of credit you already have as normal, and your lenders can still report your activity to the bureaus. If anything, a lock can help protect your score over the long run, because it makes it harder for a fraudster to open accounts in your name that could damage your credit.
Benefits Of A Credit Freeze In Canada
A credit freeze is a relatively simple process that offers several perks:
Protects You From Fraud
A credit freeze makes it difficult for someone to fraudulently create a credit account in your name. For example, if an imposter pretending to be you applies for a loan, the lender won’t be able to access your credit information when they try to conduct a credit check. And, without that important credit information, a lender will likely not lend or authorize a new credit account to that unauthorized individual.
Free Of Charge
A credit freeze is free in both Quebec and Ontario. To comply with their respective laws, the credit bureaus are legally required to offer credit freezes to residents of those provinces at no charge.
No Expiry
Once you successfully request a credit freeze, you can rest easy. Credit freezes don’t expire, so they remain in effect until you decide to lift them.
Doesn’t Affect Your Credit Score
Credit freezes don’t hurt your credit score or your ability to use your current credit accounts. Instead, a credit freeze may help protect your credit score, as it helps stop individuals from opening and using any credit accounts under your name.
Helps You Practice Restraint In Spending
A credit freeze might help you think twice before applying for too many credit cards. The time it takes you to lift the freeze might give you time to reconsider an impulsive decision.
Drawbacks Of A Credit Freeze In Canada
Make sure you consider the downsides of a credit freeze before putting one in place:
No Guarantee
Credit freezes aren’t guaranteed to be 100% effective in preventing scammers from opening new credit accounts in your name. Plus, there are other ways fraudsters can victimize you, such as stealing your credit card number. Additionally, credit freezes don’t help you protect credit accounts that are already open in your name.
Must Contact Each Credit Bureau
You must get in touch with each credit bureau to not only request a credit freeze but also to lift or delete the freeze.
Requires Planning For The Future
Credit freezes require planning. If you are thinking about opening a new credit account, such as a mortgage or credit card, you’ll have to plan for extra time in requesting a lift on the freeze.
How To Remove A Credit Freeze
To remove a credit freeze, you can contact the respective credit bureau the same way you did to put the freeze in place:
- TransUnion. To remove a credit freeze through TransUnion, you can do so online by visiting ocs.transunion.ca. You can also request the removal by contacting TransUnion by phone or mail.
- Equifax. You can remove a credit freeze by accessing your online account. You can also call Equifax or mail them to request the removal of your credit freeze.
Credit Freeze vs Fraud Alert vs Credit Monitoring
A credit freeze is not your only option, and it helps to understand how it stacks up against the two most common alternatives.
| Credit Freeze | Fraud Alert | Credit Monitoring | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it does | Blocks lenders from accessing your credit report | Tells lenders to verify your identity before approving new credit | Notifies you of changes to your credit report |
| Stops new fraudulent accounts? | Yes, in most cases | Not directly, but it adds a verification step | No, it only alerts you after something changes |
| Cost | Free | Free | Free basic versions, or paid for more features |
| Where it is available | Quebec and Ontario | Across Canada | Across Canada |
| Effect on applying for credit | You must lift it first | No real effect | No effect |
| Expiry | Stays until you lift it | Needs to be renewed periodically | Ongoing |
Other Ways To Protect Yourself From Credit Fraud
If you’re a Canadian and want to protect yourself from fraud but don’t live in Quebec or Ontario, there are other actions you can take:
Sign Up For Fraud Alerts
You can sign up for fraud alerts with either Equifax or TransUnion. Having these alerts in place will ensure that you’re notified if there is any suspicious activity on your credit file. Both bureaus allow you to set up alerts to your phone or email. If a lender sees a fraud alert on a potential borrower’s credit file, they are legally obligated to take reasonable steps to verify someone’s identity before lending them money.
Protect Your Personal Information
Don’t overshare personal information, like your birth date, address, Social Insurance Number (SIN), or family members’ names. This is especially true with social media, where many eyes can see what you put out there on the internet.
When shopping online, be prudent about where you enter your credit card information. Only enter your credit card number on secure websites, which typically begin with “https” instead of just “http.” The “https” provides an additional level of security.
Credit Monitoring
Credit monitoring is similar to a fraud alert. It notifies you if there are any changes to your credit reports, which reminds you to check your accounts and helps you catch fraudulent activity early. Some changes you might be alerted of include:
- Hard credit inquiries
- New credit accounts in your name
- A changed name or address
- Public records, like bankruptcies
- Changed balances and payments on your credit products
Credit monitoring isn’t a fool-proof preventative measure against identity theft. Before signing up, remember its limitations:
- Your information isn’t guaranteed to be safe from data breaches
- It won’t alert you if someone withdraws money from your bank account
- It doesn’t warn you of potentially fraudulent tax activity
- It doesn’t freeze your credit
- It doesn’t stop phishing emails
Review Your Transactions
Go through your credit card bills each month to find any unfamiliar transactions. Additionally, make sure you call your creditor immediately if you don’t receive your bill. This is often a sign of fraud, since scammers may try to change your contact information to hide their activities.
Bottom Line
Credit freezes are now available to Canadians living in Quebec and Ontario, and they may expand to more provinces over time. If you can’t place one where you live, there are still several ways to protect yourself from identity theft. From fraud alerts to regularly monitoring your credit report, these actions can all help keep your credit safe.
Credit Freeze FAQs
A credit freeze is a great preventative measure for people who suspect they might become a victim of fraud. However, it doesn’t guarantee that no fraud will take place. For example, a credit freeze doesn’t stop a fraudster from using your existing credit accounts.
Yes. As of July 1, 2026, Ontario residents can place a free credit freeze, which Equifax calls a Credit Lock, under the province’s Better for Consumers, Better for Businesses Act (Bill 142).
Nothing. Placing a credit freeze on your credit report is free in both Quebec and Ontario.
Quebec was first, and Ontario followed as of July 2026. All other provinces and territories haven’t yet passed legislation requiring credit freezes, though it’s an area that may keep expanding.
No, placing a credit freeze on your credit report has no effect on your credit score.
References
- Equifax Canada. (2026). Equifax Canada introduces Credit Lock to empower Ontarians and help fight identity theft and fraud. Equifax. https://www.equifax.ca/about-equifax/newsroom/-/intlpress/equifax-canada-introduces-credit-lock-to-empower-ontarians-and-help-fight-identity-theft-and-fraud/
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. (2025). Annual Statistical Report 2024. Government of Canada. https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm
