You can freeze your child’s credit for free with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. For a child under 16 in the United States, a parent or legal guardian can make the request. You need to contact each bureau separately.
A freeze makes it harder for someone to open a credit account using your child’s information. You can request one before you see any sign of theft. The job is not finished until you have confirmation from all three bureaus.
What a child credit freeze protects
A freeze restricts access to a credit record when someone applies for new credit. If your child has no credit file, the bureau can create a protected record and freeze it. That record helps protect their identity; it does not start a credit score.
A freeze does not prevent every kind of identity theft or fix accounts already opened through fraud. Keep protecting your child’s documents and checking unfamiliar bills or account notices. The CFPB explains how free security freezes work.
1. Gather the documents
Each bureau needs to check who you are, who your child is and whether you have authority to act for them. Depending on the bureau, you may need copies of:
- Your government-issued ID and proof of your current address.
- Your child’s birth certificate and Social Security card.
- A document showing your relationship or legal authority, if the birth certificate does not establish it.
Read each bureau’s own document list before sending anything. Send the copies requested, not original documents. Keep the files somewhere secure and use only the bureau’s official submission process.
2. Request a freeze at all three bureaus
Equifax
Use Equifax’s Minor Freeze Request Form for a child under 16. Select the option to place a freeze, gather the supporting copies and mail the packet to the address on the current form. The form says to submit it through U.S. mail.
Experian
Start with Experian’s Child Identity Theft Services. Choose the security-freeze request for a minor and follow the document and submission instructions. Experian also has an explanation of the child-freeze process.
TransUnion
Follow TransUnion’s Protected Consumer Freeze instructions. It currently requires a written request by mail, along with proof of identity and your authority to act for the child. TransUnion says this minor-freeze process is not available by phone or online.
Check the receiving bureau’s current instructions before sending your packet. A form you download online may still need to be mailed. Do not assume an adult freeze form is the correct form for your child.
3. Keep a simple confirmation record
Make one note for each bureau with these three items:
- The date you sent the request and any mailing or submission reference.
- The date you received confirmation that the freeze was placed.
- Where you saved the confirmation and instructions for removing the freeze.
Keep sensitive documents separately from a general household checklist. You do not need your child’s full Social Security number on that checklist. If a bureau asks for missing information, follow up through its official process.
What if your child already has a credit report?
A report is a reason to check, not automatic proof of theft. An authorized-user account may explain it. Ask each bureau about a search for your child’s record and review any unfamiliar accounts.
If you suspect fraud, contact the companies involved and dispute the fraudulent information with the bureaus. Use IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan. The FTC’s child identity theft guide explains the warning signs and recovery steps.
When your child gets older
Teens who are 16 or 17 can request or remove a freeze themselves. Check each bureau’s process before your teen applies for credit. Do not assume an existing child freeze disappears on a birthday: TransUnion says its protected-consumer freeze can remain after age 18 unless it is removed or converted.
Freezing a credit record and teaching spending habits are separate jobs. If your teen is starting to manage their own money, our guide to prepaid card costs and protections can help you compare that option.
Do you need to pay for credit monitoring?
You do not have to buy a monitoring plan to request these free freezes. Paid monitoring and credit locks are separate products. Start with the free bureau process, keep the confirmations and protect the information you share.
U.S. information checked October 27, 2026. Check the current official bureau instructions before sending personal documents.