How To Get Replacement Social Security Card?

After getting married or divorced and changing their names, many people find they need to update or correct their Social Security information. If you lose your original Social Security card or it’s stolen, you may need a replacement. Here’s what you need to do.

Key Takeaways

• You may be able to request a new Social Security card entirely online if you have lost your old one.
• The Social Security Administration requires you to fill out a form and submit supporting documents, either by mail or in person, if you want to change your name or other information.

How To Get Replacement Social Security Card?

You may not need to replace your Social Security card if you lose it. You can find a replacement online or in person by simply knowing your Social Security number (SSN). You can request a new Social Security card online at the Social Security website if all you need is a replacement card, without any other changes.

Find out how to replace your Social Security card by visiting the SSN and Card webpage and answering a few questions. You can request a replacement card via your my Social Security account in most states. If you are unable to do that, you can still begin your application online and schedule an appointment to complete it at your local Social Security office or Card Center. 

In some cases, you may be able to apply online for a replacement card. If not, you will need to schedule an appointment at a local office. If you cannot complete the application online using my Social Security, you must provide the required documents in person. 

Based on your citizenship and the type of card you are applying for, you need to provide different documents. Your application for a Social Security Card (Form SS-5) must be completed in writing and brought to a Social Security office or Card Center if you don’t begin it online. SS-5 paper application form can be downloaded, completed, and printed before you arrive to save time.

You will need to provide a copy of a driver’s license or a state-issued identification card from a participating state or the District of Columbia, as well as a US mailing address.

You can also request a new Social Security card by mailing or dropping it off at your local Social Security Administration office after filling out the application. In addition, applicants can fill out an application at their local Social Security Administration office.

Requesting a Social Security Card under a different name

As with applying for a card in the first place, updating your card after a name change follows the same steps. In order to receive a Social Security Card, you will need to complete Form SS-5: Application for a Social Security Card and provide supporting documents.

You can print and fill out form SS-5 by hand, or fill out the form on a PDF form, then print it. This form is a one-page form with 18 items.

Also check: If social security runs out will I get my money back?

How to Complete Form SS-5

To get another social security card and complete the form, follow these steps:

• Please provide your first name, full middle name, and last name exactly as you wish them to appear on the card. If you had a different name at birth, please also indicate that here.
• Leave this section blank if you have never had a Social Security number.
• The city and state where you were born, or the foreign country where you were born, should be entered.
• Please provide your birth month, day, and year.
• Select whether you’re a U.S. citizen, a legal alien allowed to work, or a legal alien not allowed to work. If you fall into one of these categories, you’ll need to submit extra documentation.
• It is not mandatory for you to fill out items 6 and 7, which relate to ethnicity and race. However, if you would like to assist with the government’s informational and statistical analysis of SS-5 form users, you may…
• Select the boxes that apply to you.
• On the current version of the form, there are only two choices: male or female. Please check the appropriate box.
• Identify each of your parents and provide their Social Security numbers (if any), or check “unknown” if you don’t know them.
• Please refer to item 9.
• If you are applying on behalf of someone else, have they ever filed for a Social Security card? Check the appropriate box: yes, no, or don’t know. (If not, you can skip to item 14.)
• You will need to answer questions 12 and 13 if your answer to item 11 was yes…
• If the date of birth you provided in item 4 is different, please provide that person’s date of birth.
• Today’s date should be provided.
• Give the Social Security Administration a daytime phone number, including the area code, at which you may be contacted.
• Your new card will be mailed to the address you give.
• The child may sign the form themselves or their parents or legal guardians may sign on their behalf.
• When you fill out this form, you’ll be asked whether you filled it out on behalf of yourself or another person. If you filled it out on behalf of someone else, you’ll need to select the box that describes how you’re related to them.

Included with Form SS-5 are the following documents:

It is also necessary to collect the documentation you will need to prove your identity, age, citizenship, and citizenship status, if applicable – or that of the person you are applying for a card for. These documents typically include:

• Birth certificates, passports, adoption decrees, or U.S. hospital records created at the time of birth are acceptable forms of proof of age. 
• You must have an unexpired US driver’s license or passport, or a state ID card, in your legal name, which appears on your Social Security card. A U.S. military identification, an employee identification, a certificate of naturalization, a certified medical record, a health insurance card, or a school record / ID may also be accepted. Foreign passports and U.S. immigration documents may be provided by non-U.S. citizens.
• Certificates of Citizenship, Naturalization Certificates, and Consular Reports of Birth are other options to prove citizenship when submitting a birth certificate or a U.S. passport.

Only originals or copies certified by the agency issuing the original will be accepted by the Social Security Administration. No copies, not even notarized ones, will be accepted.

Your state department of motor vehicles can provide you with a certified copy of your driver’s license if you plan to mail your documents to the Social Security Administration.

Mailing or hand-delivering your application

You can find the address for your local Social Security office by using the Field Office Locator on the Social Security Administration’s website. SS-5 forms and documents should be submitted to your local Social Security office by mail or in person.

Your original documents will be mailed back to you along with your new Social Security card if you apply by mail. (Those applying for an original Social Security number must appear in person for the interview if they are 12 or older.)

If you go in person, you are less likely to lose or steal sensitive or hard-to-replace personal documents, such as your birth certificate, driver’s license, or passport. You can also call the office ahead of time and ask what documents you need to bring with you if you have any questions.

What is the waiting time for a Social Security card?

Upon receiving all of the necessary information, it will mail your Social Security card to you. It should arrive within 7-10 business days. Due to slight delays in processing mail-in Social Security card applications, it may take between 2-4 weeks for the application to be processed and the evidence returned.

After the Department of Homeland Security approves your work authorization or Permanent Residence application, we will issue your Social Security card within seven to ten business days.

How Do I Find My Social Security Number?

It is a nine-digit number that identifies you in the Social Security Administration’s system, allowing your benefits to be calculated by the government. In addition to being assigned at birth, the Social Security Number is also used for voter identification.

Is it possible to look up your social security number?

In the event that you have forgotten your SSN, you may be able to find it on a bank statement or similar document. You may also be able to find it at your doctor’s office.

How Do I Get My Social Security Card?

If you want to replace your Social Security card, you’ll need a state-issued identification card such as a driver’s license or passport. You’ll also need to show proof of your age and citizenship.

Conclusion

The procedure for replacing or updating your Social Security card can be relatively straightforward, and it can usually be done online or in person if you lose, steal, change your name, or have other circumstances. In most cases, your application is processed and you receive your card within seven to ten business days, but up to four weeks may be required.