DOCUMENTS REQUIRED TO OBTAIN A SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER AND CARD OR A REPLACEMENT CARD

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SOCIAL SECURITY CARDS: DOCUMENTS REQUIRED TO OBTAIN A SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER AND CARD OR A REPLACEMENT CARD

The following information was obtained from the U.S. Social Security Administration’s web page at: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber/.

TO OBTAIN A NEW SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER AND CARD you will need to provide at least two documents to prove age, identity, and U.S. citizenship or current immigration status.

TO OBTAIN A REPLACEMENT CARD you must prove your identity. Proof of U.S. citizenship and age are not required if they are already in Social Security’s records.

To prove identity: Social Security must see:

U.S. driver’s license; or
State-issued non-driver identity card; or
U.S. passport; or
Foreign passport.

If you do not have these specific documents or cannot get a replacement for them within ten days, Social Security will ask to see other documents, such as:

Employee ID card;
School ID card;
Health insurance card (not a Medicare card);
U.S. military ID card;
Adoption decree;
Immigration documents if noncitizen.

To Prove Age: Documents that Social Security accepts for proof of age include:

Birth certificate;
Hospital record of your birth (created at the time of your birth);
Religious record established before age five showing your age or date of birth;
Passport;
Final Adoption Decree (must indicate birth data from original birth certificate).

To prove U.S. citizenship: Under recent changes in law, only certain documents can be accepted as proof of U.S. citizenship. These include:

U.S. birth certificate;
U.S. passport;
Certificate of Naturalization;
Certificate of Citizenship.

To prove immigration status: If you are not a U.S. citizen, Social security must see your current U.S. immigration documents. Acceptable documents include:

I-94 for all noncitizens, Arrival/Departure Record;
I-20 for F-1 or M-1 students, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status;
DS-2019 for J-1 or J-2 exchange visitors, Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status;
I-766 or I-688B (from Dept. of Homeland Security) for some foreign workers, Work Permit;
I-551 with immigrant visa and passport.

All documents must be either originals or copies certified by the issuing agency. Social Security cannot accept photocopies or notarized copies of documents or receipts showing you have applied for a document.

TO FIND THE NEAREST SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE LOOK IN CONNECTICUT'S COMMUNITY RESOURCES DATABASE:
Search by Service Name: Social Security Numbers.

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SOURCE: U.S. Social Security Administration: “Social Security Number & Card.”
PREPARED BY: 211/rj
CONTENT LAST REVIEWED: May2010