How to Freeze Your Child’s Credit: Documents, Bureaus, and Lifting

To freeze your child’s credit, you mail a separate request with identity documents and proof of your legal authority to each of the three nationwide credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Federal law requires each bureau to place the freeze within three business days of receiving your request, and there is no fee.¹ If your child has no credit file yet — which is true for most children — the bureau creates a record for the sole purpose of locking it, so new accounts can’t be opened using your child’s Social Security number.²

The right to place this freeze belongs to a “protected consumer’s representative”: a parent, a court-appointed legal guardian, or a representative from a county welfare or probation agency for a child in foster care. The protection covers children under 16. Older teens and adults are handled differently, which is covered further down.³

Documents to Gather Before You Start

Every bureau requires the same core paperwork, so assemble one complete package and then make three copies. Send photocopies only; do not mail originals. Legibility and matching names matter — mismatches between your ID, the birth certificate, and the request form are a common reason applications get rejected.

Proof of Your Child’s Identity

A copy of your child’s Social Security card, or their Social Security number.
A certified copy of your child’s birth certificate.

Proof of Your Identity and Address

A copy of your government-issued photo ID (driver’s license, state ID card, or passport).
A utility bill or similar document showing your current address, matching the address on your photo ID.⁴

Proof of Your Authority Over the Child

The document depends on your role:

Parents: a government-issued document showing parentage, typically the child’s birth certificate, which doubles as proof of the child’s identity.
Legal guardians: a court order appointing you as guardian, or a valid power of attorney.
Foster care representatives: written documentation from the county welfare or probation department certifying that the child is under that agency’s jurisdiction.⁵

How to Submit the Request to Each Bureau

All three bureaus require this request by mail. Online submission isn’t available for minors under 16, because the bureaus can’t verify custody documents electronically.⁶ Work through the three bureaus in parallel:

Download each bureau’s protected consumer or minor security freeze request form from the Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion websites. Fill each one out completely.
Attach legible copies of every required document to each form.
Mail each package to the dedicated address printed on that bureau’s form. Use certified mail with return receipt requested so you have proof of delivery.

Once a bureau receives your request, it must place the freeze within three business days and send you a written confirmation within five business days after that.³ The confirmation typically includes a PIN or other authentication method you’ll use later to lift or remove the freeze. Store all three confirmations in a safe place. Because you’re filing separately, they may arrive on different days.

Check for Signs Someone Already Used Your Child’s Information

Children are appealing targets because misuse of their Social Security number can go undetected for years, sometimes until the child applies for their first loan or credit card. Before or alongside placing the freeze, look for warning signs that fraud already happened:

Preapproved credit card offers or other financial mail addressed to your child by name.
A denied bank account or savings account application citing a poor credit history or an existing account.
Denied government benefits — such as health coverage or nutrition assistance — because your child’s Social Security number is already linked to another account.
A credit report existing for your child even though you never added them as an authorized user on any account.

To check whether a credit file already exists, contact each bureau directly and provide your child’s name, date of birth, and Social Security number, along with copies of the birth certificate, Social Security card, your ID, and a utility bill.⁴

If Fraud Has Already Happened

A freeze blocks new accounts. It does not close accounts that already exist. If you find fraudulent activity tied to your child’s Social Security number, the FTC recommends three steps together:⁷

Contact the fraud department at every company where an account was opened in your child’s name. Ask them to close the account and to send you written confirmation that your child is not responsible for it. Also ask each credit bureau to remove the fraudulent accounts from your child’s credit report.
Freeze the credit file at all three bureaus using the process above.
File a report at IdentityTheft.gov with as much detail as possible. The FTC uses reports to investigate patterns and can generate a recovery plan for your situation.

Lifting or Removing the Freeze Later

As the authorized representative, you can remove or temporarily lift the freeze at any time before the child turns 16 by mailing a written request to each bureau. Include the PIN or confirmation number from the original freeze along with updated copies of your identification.⁸

A temporary lift is useful if, for example, you want to add your child as an authorized user on your credit card. Bureaus must act on a temporary lift within one business day of a phone or online request, or within three business days of a mailed request.²

If You Lose the Confirmation PIN

A lost PIN doesn’t lock you out, but recovery takes longer. You’ll usually need to mail each bureau a written request for a replacement, along with fresh copies of your ID, proof of address, the child’s birth certificate, and the child’s Social Security card. If your name isn’t on the birth certificate, include a court document or other legal proof of guardianship. The replacement PIN arrives by mail. Plan for several weeks.

What Changes at 16 and 18

The federal protected consumer status applies only under age 16. It doesn’t end the freeze at 16 — a freeze already in place stays in place — but your child can now manage a freeze on their own. At TransUnion, a 16-year-old can place or remove a freeze by mailing a letter with their identifying documents.⁸ At Equifax, phone and mail requests are available for minors under 18, though creating an online account requires age 18.⁹

The freeze also doesn’t expire at 18. If it’s still in place when your child becomes an adult, it stays there as a protected consumer freeze until your child converts it to a standard credit freeze or removes it. Conversion generally requires mailing documentation to each bureau, after which your child can manage the standard freeze online through their own bureau accounts.¹⁰ If your child will need credit soon for a student loan, car loan, or first credit card, handle the lift or removal before they apply, because a freeze blocks lenders from pulling the report.

1
Federal Trade Commission. Free Credit Freezes Are Here
2
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. What Is a Credit Freeze or Security Freeze on My Credit Report
3
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681c-1 – Identity Theft Prevention Fraud Alerts and Active Duty Alerts
4
Annual Credit Report.com. Requesting Reports in Special Situations
5
Federal Trade Commission. New Protections Available for Minors Under 16
6
Experian. Freeze or Unfreeze Your Credit File for Free
7
Federal Trade Commission. How To Protect Your Child From Identity Theft
8
TransUnion. Child Identity Theft
9
Equifax. Freezing Your Child’s Credit Report FAQ
10
Equifax. Security Freeze – Freeze or Unfreeze Your Credit