How To Freeze Your Kids' Credit
Your child's credit is a wide-open target. Minor children are prime victims of identity theft precisely because no one monitors their credit — which means a fraudster can take out loans in your kid's name for years without anyone noticing. The first sign of trouble is often when your child applies for their first job, apartment, or car loan and gets denied.
The fix is simple, free, and takes an afternoon. Freeze their credit now.
Background
There are three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Each one independently tracks credit history and calculates credit scores. When someone applies for a loan, the lender pulls a report from at least one bureau. A fraudster can't borrow a dime if the lender can't pull your kid's credit.
Freezing your own credit is easy — you can do it online in minutes. Freezing your child's credit takes a little more effort, but it's absolutely worth it. You'll need to contact each bureau separately, so plan on three freezes per child.
How to Freeze Your Kids' Credit
Step 1: Fill Out the Freeze Request Forms
Equifax and Experian each have a form to complete. TransUnion doesn't offer a standard form, but we created a fillable letter you can use.
Fill out one copy per child for each bureau:
Step 2: Gather Identity Documents
Make three copies per child of the following:
Your driver's license, Social Security card, and birth certificate
Your child's Social Security card and birth certificate
Proof of your address (a utility bill works fine)
Send copies — never originals. Each bureau technically requires slightly different documentation, but this list satisfies all three, so it's easier to send the same packet everywhere.
Step 3: Mail the Requests
Mail the completed form or letter to each bureau along with the corresponding identity documents.
If you're freezing for multiple kids, you can send all requests in one envelope per bureau — just keep each child's documents stapled together separately. For example:
One envelope to Equifax:
Johnny's request form + identity documents, stapled together
Susie's request form + identity documents, stapled together
Repeat the same process for Experian and TransUnion
Regular mail is fine, but consider adding tracking since you're sending sensitive documents.
Step 4: Save the Confirmation PINs
You'll receive a confirmation letter in the mail containing a PIN for each child. Your child will need that PIN to unfreeze their credit when the time comes — which could be many years from now.
Store the PINs somewhere you won't lose them. A password manager is ideal for this.
When Kids Freeze Their Own Credit
The age at which children can manage their own credit freeze varies by bureau. As of this writing:
Equifax:
Parents freeze for kids 15 and under
Kids 16–17 freeze by phone or mail
Kids 18+ freeze online
Experian:
Parents freeze for kids 13 and under
Kids 14–17 use the same mail-in process a parent would use for younger children
Kids 18+ freeze online
TransUnion:
Parents freeze for kids 15 and under
Kids 16–17 freeze by mail
Kids 18+ freeze online
For more detail, both Equifax and TransUnion publish FAQs:
Ready to put this into practice? If you're an ER physician or high-income professional looking for straightforward, evidence-based financial guidance, we'd love to connect. Schedule a free intro call with Yahara Wealth Management — no pressure, no sales pitch, just a conversation.
This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute personalized financial, legal, or tax advice.