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You need a Social Security number
(SSN) to work. We use your SSN to
record your earnings and determine your
eligibility for Social Security benets
and certain government services. Many
nancial institutions, such as banks
and credit companies, also ask for your
number when you open an account.
If you are a noncitizen living in the United
States, you also may need an SSN. For
more information, see Social Security
Numbers for Noncitizens (Publication
No. 05-10096). If you are temporarily in
the United States to work, see Foreign
Workers and Social Security Numbers
(Publication No. 05-10107).
How do I get an SSN and card?
To apply for an SSN and card, visit
our Social Security Number and Card
page at www.ssa.gov/ssnumber. On
this page, you will answer a series of
questions to determine whether you can:
• Complete the application process
online.
• Start the application process online,
then bring any required documents
to your local ofce to complete the
application, typically in less time.
• Complete the full application process
at your local ofce.
If you cannot complete the application
online, you must visit a Social Security
ofce. You will need to show us original
documents or copies certied by the
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issuing agency which prove identity, age,
and citizenship/immigration status. We
cannot accept photocopies or notarized
copies.
To learn what documents
you need, visit
www.ssa.gov/ssnumber/ss5doc.htm.
Once you complete your application
(online or in person), we will mail your
card to the address that you provided
on your application. You should receive
your card within 7-10 business days.
We require an in-person interview for
anyone age 12 or older applying for
an original SSN, even if a parent or
guardian will sign the application on
behalf of a child.
What does it cost?
There is no charge for an SSN and
card. If someone wants to charge you
for getting a number or card, please
remember that these services are free.
You can report anyone attempting to
charge you to our Ofce of the Inspector
General at https://oig.ssa.gov.
Are there dierent types of cards?
We issue 3 types of Social Security
cards. All cards show your name and
SSN.
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• The 1
st
type of card shows only your
name and SSN. People who have
this type of card can work without
restriction. We issue it to:
—U.S. citizens.
—People with Lawful Permanent
Resident status.
• The 2
nd
type of card shows your
name and number and notes,
“VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH
DHS AUTHORIZATION.” We issue
this type of card to people lawfully
admitted to the United States
on a temporary basis who have
Department of Homeland Security
(DHS) authorization to work.
• The 3
rd
type of card shows your
name and number and notes, “NOT
VALID FOR EMPLOYMENT.” We
issue it to people from other countries
who meet one of the following:
—They are lawfully admitted to
the United States without work
authorization from DHS, but with a
valid nonwork reason for needing
an SSN.
—They need an SSN because of a
federal law requiring an SSN to get
a benet or service.
How do I get my child an SSN?
It is a good idea to request the number
when your child is born. You can apply
for an SSN for your baby when you apply
for your baby’s birth certicate. The state
agency that issues birth certicates will
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share your child’s information with us.
We’ll assign an SSN and mail the Social
Security card to you.
Or you can wait and apply at any Social
Security ofce. If you wait, you must
provide evidence of your child’s age,
identity, and U.S. citizenship status.
You must show us evidence of your
relationship to, or responsibility for the
child. You also must show us proof
of your identity. We must verify your
child’s birth record, which can add up
to 12 weeks to the time it takes to issue
a card. To verify a birth record, we will
contact the ofce that issued it.
For an adopted child, we can assign
your child a number before the adoption
is complete, but you may want to wait.
Then, you can apply for the number
using your child’s new name. If you
want to claim your child for tax purposes
while the adoption is still pending,
contact the Internal Revenue Service for
Form W-7A, Application for Taxpayer
Identication Number for Pending U.S.
Adoptions. For more information, see
Social Security Numbers for Children
(Publication No. 05-10023).
What if my name changed?
If you legally change your name because
of marriage, divorce, court order, or any
other reason, you need to tell us so we
can issue a corrected card. If you are
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working, also tell your employer. To
begin a name change, you can follow the
steps at www.ssa.gov/ssnumber.
If you do not tell us when your name
changes, it may:
• Delay your tax refund.
• Prevent your wages from being posted
correctly to your Social Security
record, which may lower the amount
of your future Social Security benets.
If you need to change your name on
your Social Security card, you must
show us a document that proves your
legal name change. Documents we may
accept as proof of a legal name change
include:
• Marriage document.
• Divorce decree.
• Certicate of Naturalization showing a
new name.
• Court order for a name change.
If the document you provide as evidence
of a legal name change doesn’t give us
enough information to identify you in our
records, or if you changed your name
more than 2 years ago (4 years ago if
you are younger than age 18), you must
show us an identity document in your old
name (as shown in our records). We will
accept an identity document in your old
name that has expired.
If you don’t have an identity document
in your old name, we may accept an
unexpired identity document in your new
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(over)
name. We may do this as long as we
can properly establish your identity in our
records.
Your new card will have the same
number as your previous card but will
show your new name.
How do I make sure my records
are accurate?
Each year your employer sends us a
copy of your Form W-2 (Wage and Tax
Statement). We compare your name and
SSN on Form W-2 with the information in
our records. We add the earnings shown
on Form W-2 to your Social Security
earnings record.
It is critical that your name and SSN on
your Social Security card match your
employer’s payroll records and Form
W-2. This will allow us to credit your
earnings to your record. It is up to you
to make sure that your Social Security
records and your employer’s records
match. If your name or number on the
Social Security card is incorrect, contact
any Social Security ofce to make
changes. Check your Form W-2 to make
sure your employer’s record is correct
and, if it isn’t, give your employer the
accurate information.
You can check your earnings record
with a personal my Social Security
account. To review your earnings, go to
www.ssa.gov/myaccount and create
an account.
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What if my immigration status
or citizenship changed?
If your immigration status changed or
you became a U.S. citizen, you should
tell us so we can update your records.
To get your immigration status or
citizenship updated in our records, you
need to show documents that prove your
new immigration status or citizenship.
We can accept only certain documents
as proof of citizenship for new and
replacement cards. These include a U.S.
passport, a Certicate of Naturalization,
or a Certicate of Citizenship. If you
aren’t a U.S. citizen, Social Security
will ask to see your current immigration
documents.
What if my card is lost or stolen?
You can replace your or your child’s
Social Security card for free if it is lost or
stolen. However, card holders are limited
to 3 replacement cards in a year and 10
during a lifetime. Legal name changes
and other exceptions don’t count toward
these limits. For example, changes
in noncitizen status that require card
updates may not count toward these
limits. Also, you may not be affected
by these limits if you can prove you
need the card to prevent a signicant
hardship.
To get a replacement Social Security
card, you must show us documents
proving your identity. You must also
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show us documents proving your age
and U.S. citizenship, if they’re not
already in our records.
Your replacement card will have the
same name and number as your
previous card.
To get a replacement Social Security
card, you’ll need to follow the steps at
www.ssa.gov/ssnumber.
How can I protect my SSN?
You should treat your SSN as
condential information and avoid giving
it out unnecessarily. You should keep
your Social Security card in a safe place
with your other important papers. Don’t
carry it with you unless you need to show
it to an employer or service provider.
We do several things to protect your
number from misuse. For example, we
require and carefully inspect proof of
identity from people who apply to replace
a lost or stolen Social Security card or
apply to correct a card. One reason
we do this is to prevent people from
fraudulently obtaining SSNs to establish
false identities.
We maintain the privacy of Social
Security records unless:
• The law requires us to disclose
information to another government
agency.
• Your information is needed to conduct
Social Security or other government
health or welfare program business.
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You should be very careful about sharing
your number and card to protect against
misuse of your number. Giving your
number is voluntary even when you’re
asked for the number directly.
If requested, you should ask:
• Why is your number needed?
• How will they use your number?
• What happens if you refuse?
• What law requires you to give
your number?
The answers to these questions can
help you decide if you want to share your
SSN. If you are unsure, don’t give out
your SSN until you can conrm the need
for it.
Contacting Us
The most convenient way to do business
with us is to visit www.ssa.gov to get
information and use our online services.
There are several things you can do
online: apply for most types of benets;
start or complete your request for an
original or replacement Social Security
card; nd publications; and get answers
to frequently asked questions.
When you open a personal
my Social Security account, you have
more capabilities. You can review your
Social Security Statement, verify your
earnings, and get estimates of future
benets. You can also print a benet
verication letter and get a replacement
SSA-1099/1042S. Access to your
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personal my Social Security account
may be limited for users outside the
United States.
If you don’t have access to the internet,
we offer many automated services by
telephone, 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week, so you may not need to speak
with a representative.
If you need to speak with someone, call
us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 or at our
TTY number, 1-800-325-0778, if you’re
deaf or hard of hearing. A member of
our staff can answer your call from 8
a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.
We provide free interpreter services
upon request. For quicker access to a
representative, try calling early in the
day (between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. local
time) or later in the day. We are less
busy later in the week (Wednesday to
Friday) and later in the month.
Social Security Administration
Publication No. 05-10002
January 2023 (Recycle prior editions)
Your Social Security Number and Card
Produced and published at U.S. taxpayer expense
