How to Freeze Your Child’s Credit: Documents and Steps

To freeze your child’s credit, mail a protected consumer security freeze request to each of the three nationwide credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — along with proof of your identity and proof of your legal authority over the child. The freeze is free, and each bureau must put it in place within three business days of receiving your request. If no credit file exists yet (the usual situation for a child), the bureau creates one solely to lock it, so no one can use your child’s Social Security number to open new accounts.

Who Can Request the Freeze

Federal law under 15 U.S.C. § 1681c-1(j) limits protected consumer freeze requests to people with legal authority over the child. You qualify if you are:

A biological or adoptive parent, proven with a government-issued document such as the child’s birth certificate.
A court-appointed legal guardian, proven with the court order or a valid power of attorney.
A representative of a county welfare or probation agency acting for a child in foster care, with written documentation certifying the child is under the agency’s jurisdiction.¹

The “protected consumer” category covers children under 16 at the time of the request. Children aged 16 and 17 are handled differently and can request a standard freeze on their own, which is covered further down.

Documents to Gather

You will put together two sets of paperwork: one that identifies you and the child, and one that proves your legal relationship to the child.¹

Proof of Identity

For the child, you need at least one of the following:

The child’s Social Security number or a copy of the Social Security card
A certified copy of the child’s birth certificate

For yourself, you need:

A copy of your government-issued photo ID (driver’s license, state ID card, or passport)
Proof of your current address, such as a utility bill, that matches the address on your photo ID

Proof of Authority

You need one document establishing your legal role. Parents typically use the child’s birth certificate, which doubles as proof of the child’s identity. Legal guardians use a court order of guardianship or a valid power of attorney. Foster care representatives use written certification from the welfare or probation department.² Equifax will also accept a foster care certification as standalone proof of authority.³

Make sure every copy is legible and names match across documents. Mismatches between your ID, the birth certificate, and the application form are a common reason requests get rejected.

How to Submit the Request

You have to submit a separate request to each of the three bureaus. For children under 16, all three require mail. Online submission is not available, because the bureaus cannot verify legal custody documents electronically.⁴

Download the protected consumer or minor security freeze form from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Fill each one out completely; the form acts as the cover sheet for your documents.
Assemble a packet for each bureau with legible photocopies of every required document. Do not send originals.
Mail each packet to the dedicated address printed on that bureau’s form. Use certified mail with return receipt so you have proof of delivery.

There is no fee. Federal law eliminated charges for placing, lifting, and removing credit freezes in September 2018.⁵

What Happens Next

Each bureau must place the freeze within three business days of receiving your packet. If no credit file exists for your child, the bureau creates one for the sole purpose of locking it. That record cannot be used to evaluate creditworthiness; it exists only to block new accounts.⁶

Within five business days after placing the freeze, the bureau must send you written confirmation.¹ That confirmation usually includes a PIN or other authentication detail you will need later to lift or remove the freeze. Store all three confirmations together in a safe place. If you lose a PIN, the bureau will typically ask you to mail fresh identity documents to get a replacement, which takes weeks.

Because the three requests travel separately, confirmations may arrive at different times.

Lifting or Removing the Freeze

You can remove the freeze at any time while your child is under 16, or temporarily lift it for a specific window — for example, to add your child as an authorized user on a credit card. Submit a written request to each bureau, include the PIN or confirmation number from when the freeze was placed, and attach updated copies of your ID.⁷

A temporary lift must take effect within one business day for phone or online requests, or within three business days for a mailed request.⁶

When Your Child Turns 16

Protected consumer status ends at 16, but any freeze you already placed stays active. At that point, your child can manage a standard security freeze on their own. At TransUnion, a 16-year-old can place or remove a freeze by mailing a letter with their identifying documents.⁷ At Equifax, phone and mail requests are available for anyone under 18, though online account creation requires age 18.³

When Your Child Turns 18

A protected consumer freeze does not expire automatically at 18. It stays in place until it is removed or converted. Once your child is an adult, they can convert it to a standard credit freeze and manage it themselves, or remove it entirely.⁷ Conversion generally requires mailing documentation to each bureau, after which your child can open online accounts with the bureaus to manage freezes electronically going forward.⁸

If your child will need credit soon — a student loan, a car loan, or a first credit card — handle the conversion or lift before they apply. A freeze blocks lenders from pulling their credit report, so a pending application will stall.

If You Discover Existing Fraud

A freeze stops new accounts from being opened, but it does not clean up accounts already opened in your child’s name. If you find fraudulent activity, the FTC recommends three steps:⁹

Contact the fraud department at every company holding an account in your child’s name. Ask them to close the account and send written confirmation that your child is not responsible for it. Ask each credit bureau to remove the fraudulent accounts from your child’s file.
Place the freeze with all three bureaus using the process above.
File a report at IdentityTheft.gov. The FTC can generate a recovery plan tailored to your situation.

Doing only one of the three leaves gaps. A freeze alone will not remove the fraudulent accounts, and closing the accounts without a freeze leaves the door open for new ones.

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