New Protection for the Credit Reports of Minors and Incapacitated Individuals

Parents, legal guardians and conservators now have the power to place a security freeze on the credit reports, and related information, of children under the age of 16 and those that are legally incapacitated. The primary goal of this new law is to protect this highly targeted group of individuals from identity theft and scams.

To place a security freeze, you must provide sufficient proof of identification and proof that you have the legal authority to act on behalf of the minor or incapacitated individual. The credit agencies may also require you to pay a fee for the request, but the law limits the maximum fee to $10 per request. You may submit your request online at the websites for Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

A security freeze will remain in effect until a request to remove is submitted.