To open a bank account for a minor, start with the chosen bank’s requirements for the child and the adult. Expect to provide legal names, dates of birth, addresses and identification numbers. The OCC explains these basic identification rules. You may also need accepted identity documents, a parent or guardian as a co-owner, and an initial deposit. The exact list depends on the account.
The useful question is not just, “Did we bring an ID?” It is, “Did we bring the right documents for this account, this child and this opening method?” A short check before applying can prevent a wasted trip.
This guide is for U.S. families preparing to open a child’s checking or savings account. Use the preparation table and call script below. Bank examples explain different requirements; they are not product rankings or recommendations.
Choosing the right account for your child: checking or savings
Start with what the child needs. A checking account may fit a teen who receives paychecks and uses a debit card. A savings account may fit a child setting money aside without needing everyday payments. Read the ownership rules rather than assuming every product labeled “kids” works the same way.
The FDIC’s youth money guidance recommends comparing balance requirements, features and fees. It also notes that someone under 18 may need an adult to open an account with them. That is a starting point, not a universal rule that every bank accepts every adult.
Joint or custodial account: who controls the money?
Check the type of account, not just the label “kids bank account.” A joint account and a custodial account can give the child very different access. Wells Fargo’s ownership guide, for example, gives each joint co-owner control over the funds. Its separate “Minor by” account puts the adult custodian in control; the minor cannot make deposits or withdrawals. The money still belongs to the child. Under those terms, adulthood does not add transaction access beyond closing the account.
Those are that bank’s terms, not a rule for every provider. Ask who owns the money, who has control of the account and when that changes. A custodial account under state gift or transfer laws is not simply another name for teen checking. Choose the structure that fits the child’s needs.
What documents do you need to open a bank account for a minor?
Use this as a preparation list. The bank’s current instructions decide what you actually submit.
| Item | What to confirm |
|---|---|
| Personal details | Legal name, date of birth, current address and contact information. |
| Identification number | A Social Security number for a U.S. citizen. For other applicants, confirm which permitted tax or government ID number the bank needs. |
| Identity documents | Accepted documents for the child’s age and the adult. Ask whether two forms are needed. |
| Address evidence | What works if an ID shows an old address or the child has no bill in their own name. |
| Adult’s authority | Who may open with the child and what evidence a legal guardian must provide. |
| Opening requirements | Who must attend, whether opening online is allowed, any linked-account requirement and any opening deposit. |
A credit union is another option. The NCUA’s account-opening guide recommends calling ahead to ask what to bring, and asking the credit union what you need when the account is for a minor. Check whether your family is eligible to join, as well as the identification, application and deposit it requires. Do not assume a familiar family connection completes the membership check.
Keep the checklist separate from the documents. There is no reason to write a full Social Security number on a family planning sheet. Record “ready” or “need to obtain,” then provide sensitive information only through the bank’s verified process.
Branch or online: two account examples
Chase High School Checking: prepare for a branch visit
Chase High School Checking is for students ages 13 to 17 at opening. Chase says both the student and parent or guardian must be at the branch together. The adult is a co-owner and needs a qualifying linked Chase checking account.
Chase’s identification checklist calls for primary and secondary ID. Its U.S.-citizen list includes a birth certificate as a primary option for minors and a photo student ID as a secondary option. It requires valid original documents, not copies or screenshots. Confirm the exact combination for your applicant category before leaving home.
Capital One MONEY: check the online application
Capital One’s student-account information lists MONEY Teen Checking for ages 6 and older with a parent or legal guardian as joint owner. It lists details such as addresses, birth dates, tax identification numbers and the teen’s phone number. The separate MONEY account page says you open this account online, not in a branch. Only one parent or legal guardian can be the adult account holder, and that adult can link an account at another bank.
Do not treat these examples as interchangeable. A branch account’s original-document list is not automatically the upload list for an online account. Ask the provider about any identifier or document your family uses that the application does not clearly support.
What if your child has no driver’s license?
Ask for the minor-specific document list before deciding the child cannot qualify. A driver’s license is not the only possible identity document, as Chase’s list illustrates. But a school ID alone is not a universal substitute for everything the bank requests.
For example, a parent preparing to open an account with a 15-year-old who has a birth certificate and a photo school ID should confirm that both originals work for the chosen product and applicant category. They should also ask what the parent must bring. This is a preparation example, not an approval guarantee.
For a child without a Social Security number, do not enter a parent’s number as though it belongs to the child. Ask which identifiers the bank accepts and which application route to use. Requirements for non-U.S. citizens can differ. Follow the provider’s specific instructions.
Call before you open an account: a parent script
Use the bank’s verified support channel. You do not need to share document numbers just to ask about requirements.
“I want to open [account name] for my [age]-year-old. I will be the parent or guardian on the account. Which documents do you require from each of us? My child has [document types, not numbers]. Will those work? Do we both need to attend, and is there an opening deposit or linked-account requirement?”
Write down the account name, the date you checked, the documents confirmed and anything still missing. Ask for the official checklist link. If a representative’s answer conflicts with that checklist, resolve it before submitting personal information.
For an online application, stop if the form asks for something you cannot accurately provide. Contact the bank instead of guessing a birth date, using someone else’s identity details or sending documents through an unsolicited message.
Compare account options before you sign
Opening the account is only useful if the family understands how it will work. Ask about:
- Cost: monthly charges, ATM fees, replacement-card costs and any minimum balance.
- Control: who can make a withdrawal, view activity, change settings or close the account.
- Spending: debit-card limits, overdraft settings and what happens when a payment exceeds the available balance.
- Deposits: ways to add cash or checks and when deposited money becomes available.
- Growing up: when account terms change and whether the adult remains an owner.
Help your child build money management skills and good financial habits
Once approved, involve your child in the first login. Practice checking the available balance, finding bank statements and locating the official lost-card reporting route. If the card ever goes missing, our guide to a teen’s lost debit card covers the first steps. Review mobile banking or online banking controls together, including who receives an alert. Agree which expenses the teen covers and when to review the account together.
For a younger child with a kids savings account, pick one of their savings goals and start saving toward it rather than giving a long lesson. Ask what the money is for, when they hope to use it and how much they can add. For a teenager receiving wages, practice matching a deposit to the pay stub. These small tasks build financial literacy and good money habits.
A deposit is not automatically spending money. Our first-paycheck budget guide shows how to give take-home pay separate jobs without forcing a fixed savings percentage.
Opening a bank account is also different from protecting a child’s credit record. The child credit-freeze guide explains that separate task. Do not assume one replaces the other.
Frequently asked questions
Can a minor open a bank account without a parent?
Neither bank example above offers an independent account for the child. Both require a parent or guardian. For another product, ask about the child’s age and the allowed ownership arrangement. Do not assume that an older sibling or any trusted adult can sign instead.
What happens when the child reaches adulthood?
It depends on the account. Chase says High School Checking converts to Chase Total Checking at 19, and the parent or guardian remains a co-owner unless removed. Capital One says that at 18, the teen has the option to open a 360 Checking account and transfer the balance; otherwise the MONEY account stays open. Wells Fargo says that when a minor reaches the age of majority, a “Minor by” account still does not let them make deposits, withdrawals or other transactions except to close it. Read the transition terms before you open the account.
The simplest next step
Choose one suitable account. Confirm its exact opening requirements. Gather only what it asks for, then apply through the verified bank channel. Your goal is not the biggest folder of paperwork. It is a correct application and an account your child can understand.
U.S. source requirements checked November 1, 2026. Bank examples explain preparation differences, not endorsements. Confirm current requirements with the provider before applying.