Children rarely have credit reports, and that makes their Social Security numbers valuable to thieves. Here is how a free credit freeze at all three bureaus can close that door.
This article is general information and isn’t financial or legal advice. Card terms, fees and rules change, so check the issuer’s current terms and official sources such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission before you decide.
The essentials
- Minors usually have no credit report, so fraud in a child’s name can go unnoticed for years until the child first applies for credit.
- Federal law has let parents and guardians place free credit freezes for children under 16 at all three bureaus since September 2018.
- Ask each bureau for a manual search of your child’s Social Security number before freezing, and keep the confirmation codes for later.
- A freeze blocks new credit applications but does not close existing accounts or stop every form of identity misuse.
- The freeze lasts until it is lifted, and a child who is 16 or older can choose to keep it or remove it.
A child rarely has a credit history, and that is exactly what makes a child’s Social Security number appealing to an identity thief. A credit freeze, also called a security freeze, blocks lenders from viewing a credit report, which stops most new accounts from being opened in the child’s name. A federal law that took effect on September 21, 2018 lets parents, legal guardians and child welfare representatives request a free freeze for a child under 16 at all three credit bureaus. This guide walks through the whole process: checking whether a file exists, gathering documents, freezing at each bureau, and undoing it years later.
Why a child’s credit needs protecting
A credit bureau is a company that collects records of how people borrow and repay money. The three nationwide bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, use those records to build credit reports, which lenders check before approving a card, a loan or an apartment.
Children normally have none. That means a thief can use a child’s Social Security number, name and date of birth to open accounts without running into an existing file, and because nobody is checking a report that does not exist, the fraud can continue for years. One study cited by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found that about 2.5 percent of U.S. households with children under 18 experienced child identity fraud at some point. The damage usually surfaces when the child becomes a young adult and applies for a first card, a student loan, housing or a utility account, and is turned down over bad credit that was never theirs.
A report can appear for harmless reasons, too. Some parents add a child as an authorized user, meaning a person allowed to use an adult’s credit card, and many lenders report that account to the bureaus, which creates a file. Records can also get mixed up when a child shares a name with a parent.
Warning signs worth taking seriously include:
- bills, credit card offers or debt collection calls that arrive in the child’s name
- a notice about an overdue bill for an account you never opened
- a denial of government benefits because the child’s number is already in use
- a letter from the IRS about unpaid income taxes for the child
- a denied student loan because the child has bad credit
How to check whether your child has a credit file
To find out whether a file exists, contact all three bureaus and ask each one to run a manual search for the child’s Social Security number. You may be asked to send documents proving you are the parent, legal guardian or an authorized representative.
Each bureau handles the request differently. TransUnion and Experian both run online forms for child identity theft inquiries, and Experian says it typically responds within 10 to 15 days about whether a report exists. Equifax requires the request by mail. Check each bureau’s website for the latest instructions before you start.
If a report turns up and you know of no legitimate reason for it, treat it as a possible sign of identity theft. Our guide to what to do if someone opens credit in your name covers the recovery steps.
What documents you need to freeze a minor’s file
Freezing a minor’s credit is a different process from freezing your own, and the bureaus ask for proof that you may act for the child. In general, be ready to provide:
- the child’s birth certificate, or another document showing your authority, such as a power of attorney, a court order or a letter from a child welfare or probation agency certifying that the child is in that agency’s care
- the child’s Social Security card
- proof of guardianship if your name is not on the birth certificate
Each bureau needs its own set of copies, so prepare three of everything. Store the originals somewhere secure, such as a locked file cabinet, and shred anything you no longer need instead of throwing it out.
Freezing with each of the three bureaus
A freeze must be requested separately at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Each bureau publishes its own forms and instructions for a minor freeze request, and you can usually submit online or by mail. If a bureau finds no existing file for the child, it will create one so that it can be frozen. That record cannot be used for credit purposes; it exists only to protect the child.
Once the freeze is in place, each bureau sends confirmation along with instructions for lifting it, which may include a PIN, a password or another identifier. Keep that information with your important papers, because you will need it later.
Smart move
A file can exist at one bureau and not the others, so freezing at a single bureau is not full protection. Complete the request at all three, and keep every confirmation letter.
One term worth knowing: some companies sell a credit lock, which works in a similar way but is a commercial product that may involve subscription or monthly fees. The security freeze under federal law is free to place and to lift.
What a freeze does and does not stop
A freeze is a strong but narrow tool. It stops lenders from accessing the child’s report, so an application for a new credit card or loan made with the child’s information will not be approved. There is no cost to place or lift it, it does not affect any credit score, and it stays in place until you remove it. Freezing works even when a child has no report at all, because it prevents unauthorized applications from being processed.
It does not do everything:
- It does not close or change accounts that already exist, such as an authorized user account on your card.
- It does not stop every form of misuse, such as someone using the child’s number to obtain government benefits or file taxes.
- It is not the same as a fraud alert, which asks businesses to verify your identity before opening new credit but does not block access to the report. Our comparison of a credit freeze and a fraud alert explains when each one fits.
How to lift the freeze later
The freeze lasts until someone removes it. A parent or guardian can lift it at any time, and once the child turns 16 the child can choose to keep the freeze or have it removed. Lifting it mirrors placing it: a request to each bureau, the same kinds of documents proving authority, and the PIN or password from the confirmation letter.
When your child is ready to apply for a first card or loan, the freezes at all three bureaus will need to come off, because you usually will not know in advance which bureau a lender uses. Our guide to how student credit cards work is a good place to plan that first application. Once it is done, the freezes can be replaced with the same requests you made the first time.
If the file contains errors or accounts you do not recognize, dispute them with each bureau before you treat the file as clean.
The most useful first step is a small one: find your child’s birth certificate and Social Security card, make copies, and request a manual search from one of the three bureaus.
Questions and answers
Does a credit freeze cost money for a child?
No. Federal law makes it free to place and lift a security freeze for a child under 16 at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
What if the bureaus find no credit file for my child?
That is normal, since minors typically have no credit reports. A bureau with no file on your child will create one so it can be frozen, and that record cannot be used for credit purposes.
How long does a child’s credit freeze last?
Until you or the child removes it. Once the child turns 16, the child can choose to keep the freeze in place or have it removed.
What are the warning signs of child identity theft?
Watch for bills, credit card offers or collection calls in the child’s name, denials of government benefits, an IRS letter about unpaid taxes for the child, or a denied student loan because of bad credit.