How-to
Protecting a child from identity theft
Check whether your child has a credit report, freeze their credit with each bureau, and keep their Social Security number out of the wrong hands.
Satisfy+ Editorial · Published July 16, 2026 · 2 min read · 45 min to do
This is general education, not individual financial, investment or tax advice.
At a glance
- A credit report at their age
- Usually none before 18
- The check
- A manual search with each of the three bureaus
- The freeze
- Free, for a child under 16, until you lift it
- Ages 16 and 17
- The teen can request a freeze on their own
An identity thief can use a child's Social Security number, name, address or date of birth to commit fraud. With them, a thief can apply for government benefits, open bank and credit card accounts, take out loans, set up utilities or rent a home. A child under 18 generally has no credit report, so a report in their name is a sign something is wrong.
What you need
- Your government-issued ID, such as a driver's license
- Proof of your address, such as a utility bill or a credit card or insurance statement
- Your child's birth certificate and Social Security card
- Papers showing you're the legal guardian, if you aren't the parent
Steps
- 1
Ask each bureau for a manual search
Contact each of the three credit bureaus and ask for a manual search for your child's Social Security number. The contact details for all three are at IdentityTheft.gov.
20 min
- 2
Read what comes back
No report is the expected answer for a child. Any account on a report is one to follow up.
5 min
- 3
Freeze the child's credit
For a child under 16, a parent or guardian can ask each bureau for a freeze. It's free, and it stays in place until you ask the bureaus to lift it. Each bureau has its own instructions for minors.
15 min
- 4
Store the papers safely
Keep the Social Security card, medical bills and other papers with your child's details somewhere safe, such as a locked cabinet.
5 min
Protect each child's identity
- Ask each credit bureau to search for the child's file
- Ask all three bureaus to freeze the child's credit
- Store the child's Social Security card in a locked cabinet
The warning signs
- A company contacts you about an overdue bill on an account in your child's name that you never opened.
- An application for government benefits, such as health care or nutrition assistance, is turned down because someone is already using your child's Social Security number.
- The IRS writes about unpaid income tax for your child, which can happen when someone used the number on a new job's tax forms.
- Your child is turned down for a student loan because of bad credit they didn't create.
At school and at home
When a school asks for your child's Social Security number, ask why it's needed, how it will be protected, and whether another identifier or the last four digits will do. Shred papers with your child's details before you throw them out, and look for a local shred day if you don't have a shredder. Delete personal information from old computers and phones before you get rid of them.
At 16 and 17
A teen of 16 or 17 can request a freeze, and lift one, without a parent.
FAQ
Should my child have a credit report?
Usually not. A child under 18 generally won't have one unless someone has used their information.
Does freezing a child's credit cost anything?
No. The freeze is free and stays in place until you ask the bureaus to remove it.
Sources
Checked October 19, 2026
- Federal Trade Commission. How to protect your child from identity theft (2024)
- Credit
- Free
- Theft
