How to Freeze a Child’s Credit in the U.S.: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion Steps

• Parents and legal guardians can request a free credit freeze for a child under 16, but they must contact Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion separately.
• Expect to provide identification, proof of your relationship to the child, the child’s Social Security information, and proof of address.
• If you suspect fraud, first ask each bureau to search manually for a credit file, then report the identity theft and dispute any fraudulent accounts.

What a child credit freeze does

A child credit freeze limits access to the child’s credit file, making it harder for someone to open a new account using the child’s name and Social Security number. It is free under federal law and stays in place until an authorized person requests its removal.

The process is different from freezing your own credit. A parent, legal guardian, conservator, or authorized child welfare representative generally has to prove both their identity and their authority to act for the child. You also need to submit a separate request to each of the three nationwide credit bureaus.

Children usually do not have credit reports. If a bureau cannot find an existing file, it may create a protected record so the freeze can be placed. That record is not meant to function like an ordinary credit report.

Before you freeze the file, check whether one exists

A freeze helps prevent new-account fraud, but it does not tell you whether someone has already used your child’s information. If your child receives collection notices, credit card offers, bills, tax notices, or other financial mail addressed to them, treat those as reasons to investigate.

Ask each bureau for a manual search of your child’s Social Security number. The FTC recommends contacting all three bureaus because a file could exist with one bureau but not the others.

Find the credit bureaus’ current contact information ↗

If a bureau finds a report, request a copy and look for accounts, addresses, inquiries, or employers that do not belong to your child. Do not assume that a “no file” response from one bureau means the other two will also have no file.

Gather the documents you are likely to need

Prepare copies before starting. Requirements can differ slightly by bureau, and the bureaus may ask for additional information if names or addresses do not match.

• Your driver’s license, state ID, passport, or another government-issued identification document.
• Your Social Security number or a copy of your Social Security card.
• Your child’s birth certificate or another official document proving the relationship.
• Your child’s Social Security card or other document confirming the child’s identity.
• Proof of your current address, such as a utility bill, bank statement, insurance statement, or similar document.
• Proof of guardianship, conservatorship, power of attorney, or foster-care authority if you are not the child’s parent listed on the birth certificate.

Send copies, not original documents. Keep a record of what you sent, the date, the mailing method, confirmation numbers, and any correspondence from the bureaus.

Request the freeze from all three credit bureaus

A request to one bureau does not freeze the child’s file at the other two. Complete all three requests for full coverage.

Equifax

Equifax provides instructions for requesting a minor security freeze and lists the supporting documents it accepts. Review the current requirements before mailing or submitting anything, because the bureau may update its process or forms.

Experian

Experian’s child identity theft service provides instructions for requesting a minor’s credit report, fraud alert, or security freeze. The process may involve printing a form, sending supporting documents by mail, or uploading documents through Experian’s document portal.

TransUnion

TransUnion calls the minor freeze a “Protected Consumer Freeze.” Its current instructions say that parents and guardians generally request it by mailing a written request with documents proving authority and confirming the identities of both the adult and the child. TransUnion does not currently offer this minor freeze request by phone or online because of the documentation requirements.

Bureau	What to expect	Important point
Equifax	Minor security freeze request and supporting documents	Follow the current form and submission instructions
Experian	Minor request form or document-upload process	Keep copies of the form and uploaded documents
TransUnion	Written Protected Consumer Freeze request by mail	Include proof of authority and identification for both people

What changes when your child turns 16?

Federal rules allow a parent or guardian to request a freeze for a child under 16. Once the child is 16 or older, the child can generally request removal of the protected consumer freeze themselves after proving their identity. The exact removal process can vary by bureau.

A freeze does not automatically disappear when a child turns 16. Before your child applies for a first credit card, apartment, job that uses a credit check, or other service that requires a credit report, check whether the freeze must be temporarily lifted or permanently removed at each bureau.

Keep the confirmation letters and account credentials in a secure place. Your child may need them years later when applying for credit independently.

When to check for identity theft

There is no need to wait for a major warning sign if you want to check. A manual search can be especially sensible after a data breach involving your child’s information, when important documents were lost or stolen, or if the child has lived in foster care or experienced frequent changes in guardianship.

Look for these warning signs:

• Credit card or loan offers addressed to a young child.
• Debt-collection letters or bills for accounts the child never opened.
• Tax notices saying a Social Security number was already used on a return.
• Medical bills, utility accounts, apartment records, or employment records in the child’s name.
• A bureau confirms that the child has a credit report despite never applying for credit.

Receiving a normal marketing letter is not proof of identity theft by itself. However, a collection notice, account statement, or government notice deserves prompt investigation.

What to do if you find fraudulent activity

Contact the company connected to the fraudulent account and ask its fraud department to close the account. Request written confirmation that the child is not responsible for the debt.

Next, contact each credit bureau showing the fraudulent information. Ask the bureau to remove the account and provide the documents it requires. A copy of the child’s birth certificate and an explanation that the child was a minor who did not authorize the account may be useful, but follow the bureau’s specific instructions.

Report the identity theft through the Federal Trade Commission’s IdentityTheft.gov service. The FTC recovery plan can help organize the next steps and provide guidance for communicating with companies and credit bureaus.

A practical parent checklist

1. Collect copies of your ID, proof of address, the child’s birth certificate, and the child’s Social Security card.
2. Gather guardianship or foster-care documents if your relationship is not shown on the birth certificate.
3. Ask Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion to search for a file if you suspect prior misuse.
4. Submit a separate protected consumer or minor freeze request to all three bureaus.
5. Record submission dates, mailing receipts, confirmation numbers, and responses.
6. Dispute any fraudulent accounts and report confirmed identity theft to the FTC.
7. Recheck the freeze before your child first applies for credit or another service that requires a credit report.

Helpful Links

• FTC child identity theft guidance – Learn how to check for a child credit report, request a freeze, and respond to identity theft.
• FTC credit bureau contact information – Find the current contact information for Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
• Equifax minor security freeze instructions – Review Equifax’s instructions and documentation requirements for freezing a minor’s credit.
• Experian child identity theft services – Request a minor’s credit report, fraud alert, or security freeze through Experian.
• IdentityTheft.gov recovery steps – Create an identity theft recovery plan and follow the FTC’s recommended steps.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Do I have to freeze my child’s credit if they do not have a credit report?

A. You can still request a protected consumer freeze. If a bureau has no existing file, it may create a protected record so the freeze can be placed. You must make the request separately with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

Q. Can I freeze credit for a 16- or 17-year-old child?

A. Federal parent or guardian authority for a minor freeze generally applies to children under 16. At 16 or older, the young person can generally manage removal of the protected consumer freeze themselves after completing the bureau’s identity-verification process.

Q. Does a credit freeze remove fraudulent accounts already on my child’s report?

A. No. A freeze helps prevent new accounts, but it does not erase existing accounts or correct inaccurate information. If fraud is already present, contact the company, dispute the accounts with the affected bureaus, and report the identity theft through IdentityTheft.gov.

Q. Can I submit one request to freeze all three credit bureaus?

A. No. A minor’s credit freeze must be requested separately from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Each bureau has its own forms, submission method, and documentation requirements.