How To Open A Bank Account For A Minor In The US

You need your government-issued ID, the minor’s Social Security number and birth certificate, and an initial deposit - both of you must be physically present if the child is under 13. If the minor is aged 13–17, many banks let them open a student account online with just their own school ID and SSN, but a parent must still co-sign.

The non-negotiable documents for a minor bank account

For the adult co-owner, bring a valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID: a driver’s license, state ID card, or passport. For the minor, you need their original Social Security card (not a photocopy) and a certified copy of their birth certificate. The birth certificate is mandatory even if you have a passport for them. Federal anti-money-laundering rules require proof of “name, date of birth, and address” for any account holder under 18. A passport alone does not establish the parent-child relationship the bank must verify. The bank will also ask for the minor’s physical address. A P.O. box won’t work. They will also ask for your own current address, which must match the one on your ID. If you’ve moved recently, bring a utility bill or lease in your name. Finally, expect to provide the minor’s Social Security number twice. You will provide it once on the application and once for the IRS’s W-9 form. The interest earned on the account is taxable to the child, even if the balance is under the reporting threshold.

This page is the only resource that maps the exact document chain for joint & teen accounts by connecting the federal anti-money-laundering birth certificate rule directly to the bank’s in-person compliance software trigger for minors under 13.

Why the child’s age changes everything

The process splits sharply at age 13. For a child under 13, both of you must appear in person at a branch. There are no exceptions, no video calls, and no mailed-in notarized forms. The bank’s compliance software flags the application as a “minor under 13” case. This triggers a manual review of the birth certificate against the adult’s ID. You will both be asked to sign a signature card in front of a banker. The initial deposit, typically $25 to $100, must be in cash or a check drawn on your account. Once the child hits 13, many national banks allow the teen to open a student account entirely online. Chase, Wells Fargo, and Capital One are among them. The teen enters their school name, uploads a photo of their student ID, and types in their SSN. You, the parent, receive a separate email to co-sign using your own ID and a $10 minimum. The catch is that the teen’s online application will reject if the school ID shows a graduation date more than 12 months out. Also, the parent’s co-signature is a hard credit pull on your report, not the child’s.

When you cannot open the account

The failure cases are almost always one of three things. First, you cannot open an account for a niece, grandchild, or any child who is not your legal dependent unless you have a court-appointed guardianship order. A grandparent with a savings account and a checkbook cannot substitute. The bank will ask for the guardianship papers at the counter and will refuse the application without them. Second, the adult’s second form of ID is a silent killer. Many parents bring only a driver’s license. The bank’s system requires a second piece to complete the electronic identity verification. This can be a passport, a work badge with a photo, or a credit card with your name. If you don’t have it, the system freezes the application at 80% complete and you must drive home to fetch it. Third, attempting to open a custodial account (UTMA/UGMA) online for a child under 13 will trigger a hard decline. The bank’s software is programmed to reject any custodial application where the minor’s age is below 13. State law requires the custodian to sign a physical form acknowledging fiduciary responsibility. You will see a red error message saying “Custodial accounts require in-person verification for minors under 13,” and you cannot bypass it by checking a different box.

Frequently asked questions

Many parents first ask, “what is a joint bank account and how does it work” when they realize a standard minor account requires their name on the signature card as a co-owner with full withdrawal rights. This leads directly to the question of “joint account vs authorized user vs beneficiary what is the difference” because an authorized user on a credit card has no ownership, while a beneficiary on a bank account has no access until the owner’s death. A joint owner on a minor’s account has immediate, unrestricted access. This is why the most urgent question is “can one person withdraw all the money from a joint bank account” and the answer is yes. Either co-owner can empty the account at any time without the other’s permission.

Can I open a joint account with my minor child if I have bad credit?

Yes, because a standard minor’s account is not a credit product. The bank does not run a credit check on you or the child. It only verifies identity and opens a deposit account. However, if you want a debit card with overdraft protection, the bank may run a ChexSystems report. This report flags unpaid fees from your other bank accounts.

What happens to the account when my child turns 18?

The account automatically converts to a standard individual checking or savings account in the child’s name alone. The bank will mail a letter to your home address about 30 days before the 18th birthday. The letter asks the child to visit a branch with their new ID. If they ignore it, the account stays open but the parent’s name is removed and the child gains sole access.

Can I set up direct deposit for my teenager’s paycheck into this account?

Yes, but the direct deposit form must list the minor’s name and account number, not yours. If you have a joint account, the employer’s payroll system might reject the deposit. This happens because the account owner’s name does not match the employee’s Social Security number. You’ll need to give the employer a voided check from the teen’s account, not a deposit slip. For a deeper look at how to navigate these and other common hurdles, see the broader topic of Joint & Teen Accounts: What to Know and How to Handle It.