Deanna Reiten spent about 30 hours dealing with the hassles of having her identity stolen. She believes a new state law that takes effect today would have prevented the headaches altogether.

The law approved by state legislators earlier this year allows North Dakotans to ask the nation's three primary credit reporting agencies for a "security freeze" on their credit files. A frozen file cannot be accessed without the customer's permission, meaning no new credit accounts can be opened in that person's name without the person's knowledge or approval.

"I think the new legislation would have prevented identity theft from happening to me," said Reiten, 42, of Bismarck, who got a letter in the mail from an attorney seeking payment for a $1,300 cell phone bill on an account in Michigan opened by a thief with her personal information. "Had it been in place prior, the red flag would have gone up immediately."

A security freeze is free for victims of identity theft. For others, it costs $5 for each of the three reporting agencies, for a total of $15, which goes to the agencies. The paperwork takes about half an hour, said Parrell Grossman, director of the attorney general's consumer protection division.

"For a half hour worth of time, I think it's very worth it," Reiten said. "For $5 (for each reporting agency), I think it's very worth it."

The consumer reporting agencies must place a freeze no later than two days after receiving proof from a victim of identity theft, and no later than three days after receiving a request from others.

Consumers can temporarily "thaw" a freeze if they want to open a new credit account or get a new loan. The cost for that also is $5 for each credit reporting agency, for a total of $15.

About 30 states have a similar law, though Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem and Grossman said North Dakota's law is among the stronger ones because customers can request a freeze three ways: mail, fax or telephone. Grossman said if a request is done by telephone, the freeze could take effect the same day. He said North Dakota and Minnesota are the only states in which a freeze can be requested over the phone.

Stenehjem said a credit security freeze is a personal decision but that he considers it valuable protection. He pointed to recent high-profile security breaches, such as the Veterans Affairs Department last year having a laptop stolen with information for more than 26.5 million military personnel. "A month doesn't go by that we don't see a case like that," he said.

Stenehjem said the only drawback to a credit security freeze would be the delay - up to three days - for a person seeking to take advantage of an instant-credit offer at a store.

Reiten said an employee database was stolen from the Pennsylvania-based company she was doing work for about four years ago. About a month ago, "I got a letter from a lawyer - 'You owe me money!'" she said, referring to the overdue bill for the fraudulent cell phone account.

Tom Porter, 48, of Bismarck, said he has no idea how his identity was stolen, but the thief used his personal information to rack up $25,000 on various credit accounts. Porter said he has spent about 70 hours clearing up the mess, "and that doesn't count the hours I spent worrying about it."

He said he does not know if a credit security freeze would always stop an identity theft, but that he believes it would prompt a thief to look for an easier target. "There are enough people who don't have freezes on their accounts," Porter said.

Consumers can download credit security freeze forms and other information from the attorney general's Web site, at www.ag.nd.gov.