How to Freeze Your Child’s Credit Report

Do I Need to Freeze My Child's Credit?

Children under the age of 18 normally do not have credit reports, so if you have reason to believe your child has a credit report—perhaps because they received bills or credit card offers in the mail—freezing those reports can curtail illegal activity that may be occurring. For example, a credit report could have been generated if a thief fraudulently opened credit accounts in your child's name.

Even if your child has no credit report, or their report is legitimate (as it may be if an adult makes the child an authorized user on a credit card), a security freeze can prevent the processing of unauthorized credit applications until the child comes of age and is old enough to apply for credit themselves. That can help prevent fraud or child identity theft.

How to Request a Security Freeze for a Minor

As a parent or guardian, you can request a security freeze at Experian, TransUnion and Equifax for a child under the age of 16. Security freezes remain in place until the report owner requests their removal, so when your child is ready to apply for credit for themselves, they'll need to have the freezes lifted on all three of their credit reports.

Here's how to start the freeze process:

1. Gather Necessary Documentation

To initiate a security freeze as a parent or guardian, you'll need to provide copies of several documents to validate your identity and your child's identity. Collect the following:

• Your driver's license or other government-issued ID
• Proof of your current address, in the form of a utility bill or bank or insurance statement
• Proof that you are the child's guardian, if your name isn't on their birth certificate
• The child's birth certificate
• The child's Social Security card

2. Complete the Online Form or Write a Letter

Next, fill out an online form to request a credit freeze for your child, or, if the credit bureau requires it, write a letter to make the inquiry. For full protection, you'll need to request a credit freeze separately at Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. Here's where to find the instructions on each credit bureau's website:

• Experian: You can fill out an online form and find a list of required supporting documents in Experian's Child Identity Theft Services center.
• Equifax: It's also possible to request a minor security freeze online at Equifax, via its Minor Freeze Request Form.
• TransUnion: At TransUnion, you'll need to write a letter requesting to place a "Protected Consumer Freeze" on the child's credit report. You can do so for children aged 15 and below. Find the required proof of identity to send along with your letter at TransUnion's Freeze Support Center, under the question, "How do I freeze for a minor or incapacitated adult?"

3. Contact Each Credit Bureau Individually

Then, either print your online form or package your letter along with copies of the required documents and send them to the respective credit bureaus. Here are the relevant mailing addresses for each:

Experian

Via standard mail:

Experian
PO Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013

Via overnight mail:

Experian
701 Experian Parkway
Allen, TX 75013

Equifax

Via U.S. Mail only:

Equifax Information Services LLC
P.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, GA 30348

TransUnion

Via standard or certified mail:

TransUnion
P.O. Box 380
Woodlyn, PA 19094

Other Ways to Protect Your Child From Identity Theft

In addition to placing security freezes on your child's credit reports, preventing child identity theft requires vigilance on lots of other fronts, too. Here are some additional steps you can take to protect your minor children:

• Address credit report entries that shouldn't exist. If your requests for security freezes reveal that your child has credit reports you didn't know about, address any accounts, credit applications or other suspicious data that isn't your child's responsibility. They could be signs of identity theft. Contact any creditors listed on the credit report to let them know your child was misrepresented. Additionally, you have the right to file a dispute with the appropriate credit bureau to have fraudulent credit report entries investigated and removed. It's also important to report identity theft to the appropriate authorities.
• Safeguard Social Security numbers. Keep Social Security cards in a secure spot such as a safe deposit box. Never share a child's Social Security number with anyone who doesn't have a very good reason for having it.
• Be safe on social media. When it's time for your kids to get on social media, discourage them from using their real names, limit their sharing to people in their network and make sure they include you in their networks so you can keep watch for suspicious friends or followers. Advise them not to overshare information about birthdays and to keep in mind that names of pets, schools and best friends—commonly used in security questions—can be used to commit identity theft.
• Use your contact information instead of your child's. Even trustworthy companies can expose personal information in data breaches. If your child wants to sign up for an online service, consider linking enrollments or subscriptions to your email or phone number, rather than the child's, to help you pick up on any suspicious activity.
• Teach your kids about identity theft. It's important for kids to understand identity theft risks and how online scams work. Explain that phone calls, text messages and emails don't always come from where they say they do, and that they should check with you before replying to any that seek personal information. Also let them know it's OK to hang up on adult callers who ask for sensitive data, no matter who they say they are.

The Bottom Line

Placing a freeze on your child's credit report, and giving them the option to lift it once they're old enough to apply for credit on their own, is a reliable way to limit their exposure to identity theft.

If you're not sure whether your child has a credit report yet, you can ask the credit bureaus to investigate—for example, by filling out the form under "Check if a minor has a credit report" at Experian's Child Identity Theft Services page. You may already be regularly monitoring your own credit report, which you can also do for free with an Experian account. But it's crucial to stay vigilant about your children's data and potential exposure to fraud, too.