In almost every case, no — a 17-year-old does not have a credit score. Credit scores are built from the information in your credit reports at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, and most minors have no file at those bureaus because federal law and basic contract law keep them out of the credit system. The usual way to start building one before you turn 18 is to be added as an authorized user on a parent’s or guardian’s credit card.
Why a 17-Year-Old Usually Has No Score
FICO and VantageScore both run on a 300 to 850 scale, and both pull from the data the three bureaus hold on you. If nothing has ever been reported in your name, there is no file, and with no file there is no score.
Two legal rules explain why that file is usually empty. First, people under 18 generally lack the legal capacity to enter binding contracts. A minor who signs one can later walk away from it, because the agreement is voidable at the minor’s option. Lenders don’t want to extend credit that the borrower can cancel, so they don’t.
Second, the Credit CARD Act of 2009 blocks anyone under 21 from opening a credit card account unless they have a cosigner who is at least 21 or can show enough independent income to make the minimum payments.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1637 – Open End Consumer Credit Plans A 17-year-old sits on the wrong side of both rules.
When a Credit File Might Already Exist
Some 17-year-olds do have a credit report. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, that usually comes from one of three situations:2Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. How Do I Check to See if a Child Has a Credit Report
- A parent or guardian added them as an authorized user on a credit card, and the account’s history is now reporting under the minor’s Social Security number.
- Someone used the minor’s Social Security number to open accounts fraudulently. Children are frequent targets because the numbers are clean and the fraud often goes undetected.
- A bureau mixed the minor’s information with that of a relative who has a similar name, most often a parent and child who share the same first and last name.
Only the first is helpful. If you suspect identity theft or a mixed file, contact each bureau directly to dispute the inaccurate information. The Federal Trade Commission flags collection notices, denied government benefits, IRS letters about unpaid taxes, and denied student loans as common signs that a child’s identity is being used.3Federal Trade Commission. How to Protect Your Child From Identity Theft
Starting Credit as an Authorized User
Being added to a parent’s or guardian’s credit card is the most effective move available at 17. Once you are an authorized user, the full history of that account — payment record and credit utilization — gets added to your credit report.2Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. How Do I Check to See if a Child Has a Credit Report
The process is simple. The primary cardholder calls the issuer or uses the bank’s website or app and provides your full legal name, date of birth, and Social Security number. Age minimums vary. Some issuers require authorized users to be at least 13, others set 15, and some have no minimum at all. The issuer doesn’t run a credit check on you.
You don’t need to use the card or even carry a copy of it. Being listed on the account is enough for the history to appear on your report.
Choosing the Right Account
Not every card is a good foundation. Look for an account with a long record of on-time payments, a low balance relative to its credit limit, and several years of age. Length of credit history is one of the inputs scoring models use, so being added to a card that has been open for a decade gives you a stronger starting point than being added to one opened last month.
What You’re Taking On
Authorized user status ties your report to someone else’s behavior on that account. If the primary cardholder misses payments or runs up high balances, those marks show up on your report too. You are not legally responsible for the debt; only the primary cardholder owes money on the account. If the account starts hurting rather than helping, you can ask the issuer to remove you and then ask the bureau to delete the account from your report.
How Long Before a Score Appears
Being added as an authorized user does not produce a score the next day. The wait depends on which scoring model a lender is checking.
FICO, the most widely used model, needs at least one account open for six months or more, plus at least one account that has reported activity to a bureau within the past six months.4myFICO. What Are the Minimum Requirements for a FICO Score If you’ve been added to a card that has been open for years, you may meet that threshold almost immediately, because the account’s full history typically appears on your file. If the card is new, you’ll need to wait the full six months.
VantageScore works on thinner data. VantageScore 4.0 can generate a score from as little as one month of history and has a specific category for “thin file and young” consumers who have two or fewer accounts or no account older than six months. A new authorized user often sees a VantageScore well before a FICO score.
Issuers report to the bureaus roughly once a month, usually on the statement date, so the account itself typically shows up on your report within one or two billing cycles after you’re added.
What Changes at 18
Turning 18 gives you the legal capacity to enter contracts, but the Credit CARD Act still applies until 21. To open a credit card between 18 and 20, you need a cosigner who is at least 21 or proof of enough independent income to cover the minimum payments.5Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Regulation Z 1026.51 – Ability to Pay
A secured credit card is one of the easiest ways around that. You put down a refundable deposit, often $200 to $300, and that deposit becomes your credit limit. The card otherwise works like any other credit card and reports your payment activity to the bureaus each month.
Other starter options at 18:
- Student credit cards, built for applicants with limited history, which often carry low limits and may skip the deposit requirement.
- Credit-builder loans, where you make fixed monthly payments into a savings account, the lender reports those payments, and you receive the funds at the end of the term.
- Keeping your authorized user status on the family card while you open accounts of your own.
Having accounts in your own name builds a stronger profile than relying on authorized user status alone. A mix of account types and a consistent record of on-time payments do the most to grow a score over time.