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The number of States where Credit Freeze laws have become effective continues to grow. Today, North Dakota becomes the 26th State where Credit Freeze / Security Freeze / Credit Lock Law becomes effective, enabling residents to lock access to their Credit Report.

An interactive color-coded map providing a visual effect of the spread of Credit Freeze in the U.S. is available at http://www.creditlock.com/creditlockdownpro.html . North Dakota is joining California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. Furthermore, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, West Virginia and DC are expected to have effective Credit Freeze laws on July 1, 2007, while Utah is expected to have an effective Credit Freeze law in September 2008.

In North Dakota, residents can now place a Credit Freeze / Credit Lock / Security Freeze on their Credit Report for free if they are a victim of Identity Theft. Otherwise, it will cost $5 for each of the three Credit bureaus. Furthermore, residents can also request a Temporary Removal of such Freeze also for $5 for each of the three Credit Bureaus. A Temporary Removal can be requested either for a specific period of time, or for a specified third party or Creditor.

Credit Freeze can be highly effective in fighting Identity Theft. When a consumer places a Credit Freeze on his Credit Report, access to the consumer's Credit Report is blocked. Identity Thieves would find it almost impossible to open a new credit account in the name of their victim when a Credit Freeze is in place. Most creditors, banks, and credit card companies typically request access to the applicant's Credit Report before approving any new loans. Hence, when a Credit Freeze is in place, access to the Credit Report is denied, and hence creditors would not be able to process new loan or credit applications.

Meanwhile, if you have a Credit Freeze in place on your Credit Report, and you wish to apply for a new loan or credit account, you can either request the permanent removal of the Credit Freeze, or the Temporary Removal of the Credit Freeze. A Credit Freeze does not affect your ability to charge to your existing Credit Cards. It also does not affect your Credit Score, nor your ability to retrieve your own Credit Report.

The North Dakota Credit Freeze law requires Credit Reporting Agencies to process your request for placing a Credit Freeze within 3 business days from receiving your request. For victims of Identity Theft, such requests must be processed within 48 hours. Credit Freeze removals must be processed within 3 business days from the date of receipt for such request.

Requests for placing a Credit Freeze must be sent either by Certified or overnight Mail. Requirements for placing and removing a Credit Freeze, along with additional information and kits containing Instructions, Checklist, Address Forms, Payment Forms, and Print & Fill letters are available at http://www.creditlock.com/creditlockdownpro.html .