Preferred carrier freeze: what it is and how it works

What the rule is protecting against

A preferred carrier freeze is a lock on your choice of phone carrier. Section 64.1190(a) defines the freeze in a single line: it prevents a change in a subscriber's preferred carrier selection unless the subscriber gives the carrier from whom the freeze was requested his or her express consent. The rule applies to every local exchange carrier that offers freezes, and it is not a duty to offer them: the duties run to carriers that choose to.

Who is covered, and the nondiscrimination rule

All local exchange carriers that offer preferred carrier freezes must comply with section 64.1190. They must offer freezes on a nondiscriminatory basis to all subscribers, regardless of the subscriber's carrier selections. A carrier cannot, in other words, offer the freeze only to customers who use its own long distance service. The freeze can attach to different services, and the carrier's procedures, including any solicitation, must clearly distinguish among them: local exchange, intraLATA toll and interLATA toll are the examples the rule uses. A separate authorization is required for each service for which a freeze is requested.

What a carrier must tell you

Under paragraph (d)(1), every solicitation and other carrier-provided material about freezes must include three things. First, an explanation in clear and neutral language of what a freeze is and which services may be subject to one. Second, the specific procedures for lifting it, along with an explanation that those steps are in addition to the Commission's verification rules for changing carriers in sections 64.1120 and 64.1130, and that the subscriber will be unable to change carriers unless the freeze is lifted. Third, an explanation of any charges associated with the freeze.

Three ways to authorize a freeze

A carrier may not impose a freeze until your request has been confirmed in one of three ways, listed in paragraph (d)(2).

1. Written or electronically signed authorization that meets the content rules of paragraph (d)(3).
2. Electronic authorization placed from the telephone number to be frozen, confirming verification data (such as a date of birth or Social Security number) and the information required in (d)(3)(ii)(A) through (D). A carrier choosing this route must set up one or more toll-free numbers exclusively for the purpose, connecting the subscriber to a voice response unit that records the request, including the originating automatic numbering identification.
3. Oral authorization verified by an independent third party that confirms the verification data and the required information. The third party must not be owned, managed or directly controlled by the carrier or its marketing agent, must have no financial incentive to confirm freezes, and must operate from a location physically separate from the carrier or its agent. The verification must include a clear and conspicuous confirmation that the subscriber has authorized a freeze.

What a written authorization must say

A written authorization that does not conform to the section is invalid and may not be used to impose a freeze. It must follow the form and content rules for letters of agency in sections 64.1130(b), (c) and (h), and be printed in readable type of sufficient size to be clearly legible. It must clearly confirm: the subscriber's billing name and address and the number or numbers covered; the decision to freeze particular services, with separate statements for each selection where a jurisdiction allows freezes on several (local exchange, intraLATA toll, interLATA toll); that the subscriber understands she or he cannot change carriers unless the freeze is lifted; and that the subscriber understands a freeze may involve a charge.

Lifting a freeze

Paragraph (e) sets the minimum ways to lift a freeze. The carrier administering the freeze must accept a written or electronically signed authorization stating your intent to lift it. It must also accept an oral authorization and offer a mechanism for a three-way conference call among the administering carrier, the submitting carrier and the subscriber, so that a new carrier can help you lift the freeze in one call. In an oral lift the administering carrier must confirm appropriate verification data (such as a date of birth or Social Security number) and your intent to lift the particular freeze.

Practically: if you froze your service and a new carrier cannot sign you up, the freeze is why, and it must be lifted by you, not by the new carrier acting alone.

What the section does not do

The section does not set the price of a freeze, does not require any carrier to offer one, and does not say how long a freeze lasts. Charges, if any, must be explained to you, and the amount is set by the carrier and any state rules. If you believe a carrier switched your service without authorization, the verification rules in sections 64.1120 and 64.1130, which this page did not read, and the FCC's complaint process are the next step. For other telecom-carrier duties under part 64, see the STIR/SHAKEN page and the Robocall Mitigation Database page.

Sources

• 47 CFR 64.1190, Preferred carrier freezes (eCFR). Read November 2, 2026.

Text read: the eCFR (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations) text of Title 47 as it stood on October 29, 2026, retrieved through the eCFR versioner API on November 2, 2026. The eCFR is an editorial compilation and is not the official legal edition; the Federal Register and the annual CFR are. Rules change, so confirm the current wording on the eCFR before relying on it. This page paraphrases the rule and does not replace it.