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The Legislature is considering a new tool to help residents guard against identity theft: Freezing your credit file.

But a national consumer watchdog group says Arizonans would pay too much for the proposed "security freeze," and the measure faces opposition from retailers.

Arizona residents currently can't order credit freezes, which keep new credit accounts from being issued in their name.

The Arizona Senate is considering a bill that would add Arizona to a current roster of 13 states that authorize such freezes, for a fee. The goal is to prevent stolen information from being used to obtain fraudulent credit cards.

The bill's sponsor, Sen. John Huppenthal, R-Chandler, said he anticipates the Senate will send the legislation to the House in the next few days.

"It allows a consumer to take control of their credit information," Huppenthal said.

While 13 states have passed similar legislation, Arizona's bill is being criticized by a national consumer watchdog.

Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, has told Huppenthal it has concerns about the bill's costs, said Gail Hillebrand, who heads Consumers Union's financial privacy campaign.

Under Arizona's proposed law, it would cost $45 per person to obtain a security freeze. People would be required to pay $15 to request a freeze from each of the three major reporting agencies.

Among the 13 states that passed security freeze laws, 12 charge $30 or less in combined fees. New Jersey allows the freezes at no charge.

And unlike most states, Hillebrand said, Arizona's proposal doesn't allow identity-theft victims to obtain a freeze for free.

Among the 24 states that introduced bills this year to enact security freezes, Arizona was the only state to suggest that identity-theft victims should pay, Hillebrand said.

Huppenthal said that the $45 charge should help ease some opposition and improve the likelihood that the bill will pass.

Future legislatures could always reduce the fee, he said.

Hillebrand disagreed, saying legislatures seldom care about cutting these types of surcharges. "Once a fee gets enshrined in state law, it stays there," she said.

The Arizona Retailers Association opposes the bill, said Michelle Ahlmer, executive director for the association.

Shoppers often benefit by having their credit files checked, Ahlmer said. Credit checks have become a standard part of signing up for cellular phone service, she said. Retailers sometimes offer 10 percent discounts for shoppers who sign up for a store credit card — something that would not be possible with a security freeze.

"They could wind up being more frustrated than helped," Ahlmer said.