Security Freeze Laws Listed By State

[Credit Expert]

Security Freeze Laws Listed By State




Here is a great article about identity theft and how to protect yourself: http://www.expert-credit-advice.com/identity_theft.htm


Also, try http://www.TheBestCreditReport.com for identity theft protection services. They currently have a free two week trial and it is the best one that I have found.



Alabama
Alabama is one of the few states that has not passed a law requiring the availability of the security freeze. However, as of November 1, 2007, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion are all making the freeze available voluntarily to Alabama residents. In order to effectively freeze access to your credit files, you must request the security freeze at all three major credit bureaus.
Eligibility: All Consumers
Fees: No fee for identity theft victims. All others pay $10 to place, temporarily lift, or remove the freeze altogether.



Alaska
Eligibility: All consumers.
Fees: No fees for identity theft victims with a copy of a complaint to law enforcement. All others pay a $5 fee to place the freeze and $2 for a temporary lift.
Effective date of law: July 1, 2009
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.



Arizona (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers.
Fees: No fees for identity theft victims with police reports. All others pay a $5 fee to place the freeze, lift it temporarily, or remove it altogether. $5 PIN replacement fee.
Effective date of law: August 31, 2008



Arkansas (security freeze rights for identity theft victims established by state law)
All others use the voluntary program.
Fees: $10 to place the freeze, lift it temporarily, or remove it altogether
Effective date of law: January 1, 2008
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.
Non-ID theft victims may use the voluntary program.



California (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers
Fees: No fee for identity theft victims. Consumers over 65 years of age pay $5 and all others pay $10 to place, temporarily lift or remove the freeze.
Effective date of law: January 1, 2003
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.


Colorado (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers
Fees: No fee for the first freeze; $10 to lift the freeze temporarily, or to remove it altogether. $12 to temporarily lift the freeze for a specific creditor. $10 to place a second freeze.
Effective date of law: July 1, 2006
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.



Connecticut (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers
Fees: $10 to place the freeze, lift it temporarily, or remove it altogether; $12 to lift it temporarily for a specific creditor
Effective date of law: January 1, 2006
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.


Delaware (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers.
Fees: No fee for identity theft victims. All others pay $20 to place the freeze, but no fees to lift it temporarily, or remove it altogether.
Effective date of law: September 28, 2006
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.



District of Columbia (security freeze rights established by D.C. law)
Eligibility: All consumers
Fees: No fees for identity theft victims. All others pay $10 to place the freeze, but no fees to lift it temporarily, or remove it altogether.
Effective date of law: July 1, 2007
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.




Florida (security freeze rights established by state law)

Eligibility: All consumers.
Fees: No fees for identity theft victims and seniors 65 years and older. All others pay $10 to place the freeze, lift it temporarily, or remove it altogether.
Effective date of law: July 1, 2006
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.


Georgia
Fees: No fees for identity theft victims with police reports. No fee for placement of the freeze for seniors 65 or older. All others pay a $3 fee to place the freeze, lift it temporarily, or remove it altogether.
Effective date of law: August 1, 2008
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.


Hawaii (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers.
Fees: No fees for identity theft victims. All others pay $5 to place the freeze, lift it temporarily, or remove it altogether.
Effective date of law: Original law limited to identity theft victims was effective January 1, 2007. All consumers became eligible for the security freeze on June 15, 2007.
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.


Idaho (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers.
Fees: No fees for identity theft victims with police reports. All others pay a $6 fee to place the freeze, lift it temporarily, or remove it altogether. $10 PIN replacement fee.
Effective date of law: July 1, 2008
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.



Illinois (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers.
Fees: No fees for identity theft victims with police reports and seniors 65 years and older. All others pay a $10 fee to place the freeze, lift it temporarily, or remove it altogether.
Effective date of law: January 1, 2007
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.


Indiana (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers
Fees: No fee to place the freeze, lift it temporarily, or remove it altogether.
Effective date of law: September 1, 2007
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.



Iowa (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers.
Fees: No fee for identity theft victims. All others pay $10 to place the freeze, $12 to temporarily lift, or $10 to remove the freeze altogether.
Effective date of law: July 1, 2008.
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.



Kansas (security freeze rights for identity theft victims established by state law)
Eligibility: Identity theft victims only. As of November 1, 2007, the security freeze will be offered by all three major credit bureaus voluntarily to all consumers.
Fees: No fees permitted by law for identity theft victims. All others pay $10 to place, temporarily lift, or remove the freeze altogether.
Effective date of law: January 1, 2007
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.
Non-ID theft victims may use the voluntary program.


Kentucky (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers
Fees: No fees for identity theft victims who provide a police report. All others pay $10 to place the freeze, lift it temporarily, or remove it altogether. $10 to have PIN reissued.
Effective date of law: July 11, 2006
Note: Security freeze automatically expires after 7 years from date of placement.


Louisiana (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers
Fees: No fees for identity theft victims or persons aged 62 years and older. All others pay $10 to place the freeze, or $8 to lift it temporarily. No fee to remove the freeze altogether.
Effective date of law: July 1, 2005
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.


Maine (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers
Fees: No fees for identity theft victims who provide a police report. All others pay up to $10 to place the freeze, lift it temporarily, or remove it altogether. $10 to have PIN reissued, and $12 to lift the freeze temporarily for a specific creditor.
Effective date of law: February 1, 2006
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.



Maryland (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers
Fees: No fees for identity theft victims who provide report of alleged identity fraud or with an identity theft passport. All others pay $5 to place the freeze, lift it temporarily, or remove it altogether.
Effective date of law: January 1, 2008
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.



Massachusetts (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers.
Fees: No fee for identity theft victims or victim's spouse. $5 to place the freeze, lift it temporarily, or remove it altogether
Effective date of law: February 3, 2008
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.



Michigan
Michigan is one of the few states that has not passed a law requiring the availability of the securitry freeze. Michigan consumers may use the voluntary program.
Eligibility: All Consumers
Fees: No fee for identity theft victims. All others pay $10 to place, temporarily lift, or remove the freeze altogether.



Minnesota (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers.
Fees: No fees for identity theft victims who provide police report. All others pay $5 to place the freeze, lift it temporarily, or remove it altogether.
Effective date of law: August 1, 2006
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.


Mississippi (security freeze rights for identity theft victims established by state law)
Eligibility: Identity theft victims with a police report, investigative report or complaint filed with a law enforcement agency.
Fees: $10 to place a freeze for identity theft victims. All others pay $10 to place, temporarily lift, or remove the freeze altogether.
Effective date of law: July 1, 2007
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.




Missouri
Missouri has not passed a law requiring the availability of the securitry freeze.
Eligibility: All Consumers
Fees: No fee for identity theft victims. All others pay $10 to place, temporarily lift, or remove the freeze altogether.



Montana (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers.
Fees: No fees for identity theft victims. All others pay $3 to place the freeze or to lift it temporarily. $5 to have PIN reissued. No fee to remove the freeze altogether.
Effective date of law: July 1, 2007


Nebraska (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers.
Fees: No fees for identity theft victims and minors. All others pay a one time $15 fee to place the freeze. No fee for lifting the freeze temporarily or removing it altogether.*
Effective date of law: September 1, 2007
Note: Security freeze automatically expires after 7 years from date of placement.**
*Fees will be reduced to $3 to place, temporarily lift and remove the freeze beginning September 1, 2009. Minors, or persons under 19 years of age, may obtain a freeze for free.
**Beginning September 1, 2009, LB 177 prevents the security freeze from expiring after 7 years from date of placement.



Nevada (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers
Fees: No fees for identity theft victims who submit a police report. All others pay $15 to place the freeze, $18 to lift it temporarily or remove it altogether. $20 to lift it temporarily for a specific creditor.
Effective date of law: October 1, 2005
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.


New Hampshire (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers
Fees: No fees for identity theft victims who submit a copy of a police report, investigative
report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency. All others pay $10 to place the freeze, lift it temporarily, or remove it altogether.
Effective date of the law: January 1, 2007


New Jersey (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers
Fees: No fee to place the first security freeze. $5 fee to lift the freeze temporarily, remove it altogether, or to have PIN reissued.
Note: Consumers are also permitted to make such requests directly to consumer reporting
agencies via secured electronic mail.
Effective date of law: January 1, 2006
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.


New Mexico (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers.
Fees: No fees for identity theft victims with a copy of police or investigative report
and for residents over 65 years of age. All others pay $10 to place a freeze and $5 to lift it temporarily or remove it altogether.
Effective date of law: July 1, 2007
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.


New York (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers.
Fees: No fees for identity theft victims. All others can place the freeze for free the first time it is used. These consumers pay $5 to lift it temporarily or remove it altogether. If they wish to re-start the freeze after it is removed, they pay a $5 fee.
Effective date of law: November 1, 2006
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.


North Carolina (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All Consumers
Fees: No fees for consumers who request a freeze electronically. Consumers may be charged a fee of up to $3 to place, lift or remove a freeze by telephone or mail. No fees for consumers over 62 or for identity theft victims or identity theft victims’ spouses with valid copy of a police report or police case number documenting the investigative report or complaint to law enforcement agency. No fee for temporary lift or removal when requests are made electronically.
Effective date of law: December 1, 2005, amendments effective October 1, 2009


North Dakota (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers.
Fees: No fees for identity theft victims with valid copy of a police report or police case number documenting the investigative report or complaint to law enforcement agency. All others pay $5 to place or lift the freeze. No fee for removing freeze.
Effective date of law: July 1, 2007



Ohio (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers.
Fees: No fee for identity theft victims. All others pay $5 to place the freeze, temporarily lift, or remove the freeze altogether.
Effective date of law: September 1, 2008 for the security freeze provisions.
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.


Oklahoma (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers.
Fees: No fees for identity theft victims with investigative report or for seniors aged 65 years and older. All others pay $10 to place the freeze, lift it temporarily, or remove it altogether.
Effective date of law: January 1, 2007
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.



Oregon (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers
Fees: No fee for identity theft victims. $10 to place the freeze, lift it temporarily, or remove it altogether
Effective date of law: October 1, 2007
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.


Pennsylvania (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers.
Fees: No fees for identity theft victims or seniors aged 65 and older. All others pay $10 to place the freeze or to lift it temporarily. No fee to remove the freeze.
Note: Security freeze automatically expires after 7 years from date of placement.
Effective date of law: January 1, 2007



Rhode Island (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers.
Fees: No fees for identity theft victims or seniors aged 65 years and older. All others pay $10 to place the freeze, lift it temporarily, or remove it altogether.
Effective date of law: January 1, 2007
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.



South Carolina (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers.
Fees: None.
Effective date of law: December 31, 2008
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.


South Dakota (security freeze rights for identity theft victims established by state law)
Eligibility: Identity theft victims with a valid police report. As of November 1, 2007, the security freeze will be offered by all three major credit bureaus voluntarily to all consumers.
Fees: No fees permitted by law for identity theft victims. All others pay $10 to place, temporarily lift, or remove the freeze altogether.
Note: Only freezes credit report and automatically expires after 7 years from date of placement
Effective date of law: July 1, 2006



Tennessee (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers.
Fees: No fees for identity theft victims. All others pay $7.50 to place the freeze, no fee to lift it temporarily, and $5 to remove it altogether.
Effective date of the law: January 1, 2008
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.



Texas (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers.
Fees: No fees for identity theft victims. All other consumers pay $10 to place the freeze, lift it temporarily, or to remove it altogether. $12 to lift the freeze temporarily for a specific creditor.
Effective date of law: September 1, 2003 for identity theft victims; September 1, 2007 for all consumers
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.



Utah (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers
Fees: Utah’s law allows credit bureaus to charge “reasonable fees,” without specifying the amount that can be charged.
Note: Consumers will be able to temporarily lift or "thaw" the freeze within 15 minutes of electronic request
Effective date of law: September 1, 2008
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.


Vermont (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers.
Fees: No fees for identity theft victims. All others pay $10 to place the freeze, $5 to lift it temporarily or remove it altogether.
Effective date of law: July 1, 2006
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.


Virginia
Eligibility: All consumers.
Fees: No fees for identity theft victims with police reports. All others pay a $10 fee to place the freeze.
Effective date of law: July 1, 2008
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.



Washington (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: Currently applies to identity theft victims, including persons who receive a notice of a security breach of computerized personal information. Beginning September 1, 2008, all consumers will be eligible for the freeze.
Fees: No fees for identity theft victims or seniors aged 65 years and older. Once all other consumers become eligible in September 2008, they will pay $10 to place the freeze, lift it temporarily, or remove it altogether.
Effective date of law: July 24, 2005 for identity theft victims; September 1, 2008 for all consumers
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.


West Virginia (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers.
Fees: No fees for identity theft victims. All others pay $5 to place the freeze, lift it temporarily, or remove it altogether.
Effective date of the law: July 2, 2007
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.


Wisconsin (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers
Fees: No fee for an "individual who submits evidence satisfactory to the CRAs that the individual made a report to a law enforcement agency.” All others pay $10 to place, temporarily lift, or remove the freeze altogether.
Effective date of law: January 1, 2007
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.


Wyoming (security freeze rights established by state law)
Eligibility: All consumers
Fees: No fees for identity theft victims. All others pay $10 to place the freeze, lift it temporarily, or remove it altogether.
Note: Requires electronic and telephone methods to lift, imposes the 15 minute lift timeframe starting September 1, 2008.
Effective date of law: July 1, 2007
Permanent freeze remains until removal requested by consumer.



Tip.............. Go to: http://www.CreditAgenda.com for help deleting fraudulent accounts from your credit reports with Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.






Tags: ID Theft Help, Security Freeze Help, Freeze Credit, Freeze Equifax, Freeze TransUnion, Freeze Experian, protect identity, identity theft laws, free security freeze, help resolve identity theft, dispute identity theft, identity theft affadavit