A "parental control" ("PC") telephone subscriber feature on a telephone system is disclosed. An authorized subscriber, such as a parent, may enter a feature code which initiates the PC feature. To deactivate the feature, the subscriber enters the code and is prompted for an authorization code, such as a personal identification number ("PIN"). If the authorization code entered matches the authorization code on file for the subscriber, the PC feature is deactivated. If no match is found in the subscriber database for the PIN, the feature is not deactivated.