09/24/2026
For your child's safety
Does it makes sense to freeze a child's credit?
In many cases, yes, freezing a child's credit is a smart preventive
step, especially because children are unlikely to be applying for loans or
credit cards and are frequent targets of identity theft.
Benefits of freezing a child's credit:
Prevents new
credit accounts from being opened in their name.
Helps protect
against identity theft that can go undetected for years.
Credit freezes
are generally free at the major credit bureaus.
You can
temporarily lift or remove the freeze later when needed.
A few things to know:
A child may not
yet have a credit file. In that case, the credit bureau may create a
protected file solely for the freeze.
You'll typically need to provide documentation proving:
Your identity
Your child's identity
Your legal relationship to the child (such as a birth certificate)
The three major U.S. credit bureaus are:
Equifax
Experian
TransUnion
A freeze should generally be placed at all three bureaus.
As a practical rule, if your child is under 18 and not using credit, there is
little downside to a freeze and potentially significant protection against
fraud. The main inconvenience is keeping track of the PINs or credentials
needed to lift the freeze in the future.
If you'd like, I can also walk you through the exact process and required
documents for freezing a child's credit with each bureau.
Yes. For most families, freezing a child's credit is one of the simplest
ways to prevent identity theft before it happens. The FTC specifically notes
that a child's credit can be frozen to make it harder for identity thieves to
open accounts in the child's name. [consumer.ftc.gov],
[consumer.ftc.gov]
What you'll need
Typically, the credit bureaus ask for:
Your government-issued photo ID
Proof of your address
Your child birth certificate
Your child's Social Security card
Proof that you're the parent or legal guardian (if needed) [experian.com],
[equifax.com]
Where to freeze
You need to contact all three bureaus separately:
Equifax, Experian, TransUnion
A freeze is free and remains in place until removed. [consumer.ftc.gov],
[equifax.com],
[experian.com]
Before freezing
A useful first step is to ask each bureau whether your child already has
a credit file. Most children should not have one. If a file exists and you
never intentionally created one (for example, by adding the child as an
authorized user on a credit card), that could be a warning sign of identity
theft. [transunion.com],
[experian.com]
My recommendation
If your child is under 18 and not actively using credit, I would
generally freeze their credit at all three bureaus. The cost is $0, the
downside is minimal, and it can prevent years of headaches later. [consumer.ftc.gov],
[equifax.com]
Sources
Here's the simplest way to do it for a child in the U.S.:
Step 1: Gather documents
You'll generally need:
Your driver's license or government ID
Proof of your address
Your child's birth certificate
Your child's Social Security card
Guardianship documentation if applicable [experian.com],
[equifax.com]
Step 2: Contact all three credit bureaus
Equifax
Child freeze
information: Equifax Child Credit Freeze FAQ
Phone:
1-800-685-1111 [consumer.ftc.gov],
[equifax.com]
