Get all the required information about your social security card

Your nine-digit Social Security number remains your first and continuous link with Social Security. It helps us accurately record your covered wages or self-employment earnings. We also use it to monitor your record once you start getting benefits. You need a Social Security number to get a job, collect Social Security benefits and get some other government services. But you don't often need to show your Social Security card. Do not carry your card with you. Keep it in a safe place with your other important papers.

You May Be Able To Apply for a Replacement Card Online

You can use a Social Security account to apply for a replacement Social Security card online if you:

Are a U.S. citizen age 18 or older with a U.S. mailing address (this includes APO, FPO, and DPO addresses);

Are not requesting a name change or any other change to your card; and

Have a valid driver's license or a state-issued identification card from one of the following:

Arizona (driver's license only);

District of Columbia (driver's license only);

Idaho (driver's license only);

Iowa;

Kentucky;

Maryland;

Michigan;

Mississippi;

Nebraska;

North Dakota (driver's license only);

New Mexico;

Pennsylvania;

South Dakota;

Washington; or

Wisconsin (driver's license only).

How to Get a New, Replacement or Corrected Card Important You must present original documents or copies certified by the agency that issued them. We cannot accept photocopies or notarized copies. All documents must be current (not expired). We cannot accept a receipt showing you applied for the document. What original documents do I need? Citizenship We can accept only certain documents as proof of U.S. citizenship. These include a U.S. birth certificate or a U.S. passport. Age You must present your birth certificate. If one exists, you must submit it. If a birth certificate does not exist, we may be able to accept your: Religious record made before the age of 5 showing your date of birth; U.S. hospital record of your birth; or U.S. passport Anyone age 12 or older requesting an original Social Security number must appear in person for an interview. We will ask for evidence to show you do not have a Social Security number. Here are examples of documents you can use to prove a Social Security number was never assigned: If you lived outside the United States for an extended period, a current or previous passport, school and/or employment records, and any other record that would show long-term residence outside the United States could be used to show you do not have a Social Security number. If you have lived in the United States and you are applying for an original Social Security number, we may ask you for information about the schools you attended or we may ask you to provide copies of tax records that would show you were never assigned a Social Security number.

Identity

We can accept only certain documents as proof of identity. An acceptable document must be current (not expired) and show your name, identifying information (date of birth or age) and preferably a recent photograph. For example, as proof of identity Social Security must see your:

U.S. driver's license;

State-issued non-driver identification card; or

U.S. passport.

If you do not have one of these specific documents or you cannot get a replacement for one of them within 10 days, we will ask to see other documents. Any documents submitted, including the following, must be current (not expired) and show your name, identifying information (date of birth or age) and preferably a recent photograph:

Employee identification card;

School identification card;

Health insurance card (not a Medicare card); or

U.S. military identification card.

Note

We may use one document for two purposes. For example, we may use your U.S. passport as proof of both citizenship and identity. However, you must provide at least two separate documents.

Purpose Of social security card

A Social Security number is a nine-digit number that the U.S. government issues to all U.S. citizens and eligible U.S. residents who apply for one. The government uses this number to keep track of your lifetime earnings and number of years worked. When the time comes to retire, or if you ever need to receive Social Security disability income, the government uses the information about your contributions to Social Security to determine your eligibility and calculate your benefit payments. Most people will use the same Social Security number for their entire lives, though some people might need to apply for a replacement number at some point because of identity theft. Keep reading to find out more about when and why you need a Social Security number as well as when you should avoid using it.

When and Why You Need a Social Security Number

Anytime you get hired for a new job, your employer will ask for your Social Security number. Your employer’s accounting department will use this number to report your income to the Internal Revenue Service and to report your Social Security wages to the Social Security Administration. Your employer will also use it for state income tax reporting, unless your state doesn’t have an income tax. Employers who participate in E-Verify, a program to make sure employees can legally work in the United States, also must obtain your Social Security number before you can begin work.

Here are some other scenarios where you’ll need to provide your Social Security number.

When opening an account with any U.S. financial institution. Since 1970, the federal government has required banks to obtain customers’ Social Security numbers. Financial institutions use your SSN to check your credit, to report your interest and investment income or losses to the IRS, to report your tax-deductible mortgage interest to the IRS, and to manage your account. As an alternative, some financial institutions will accept a taxpayer identification number (on some forms, also called an Employer Identification Number, or EIN) which you’ll need to apply for through the IRS.

When applying for a federal loan. The government will use your Social Security number to make sure you’re eligible when you apply for a federal loan, such as a federal student loan. For example, to qualify for federal student loans, you must not be in default on another federal loan, you must have an eligible citizenship or visitor status, and most male applicants must have registered with the Selective Service.

When applying for certain types of public assistance. Public assistance programs, such as unemployment benefits or Social Security disability income, are usually managed by federal or state government agencies that use Social Security numbers to identify people and make sure they aren’t claiming benefits they aren’t entitled to.

When enrolling in Medicare. The Social Security Administration works with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to enroll people in Medicare.

When applying for a passport. Federal law requires you to provide a Social Security number if you have one when you apply for a U.S. passport. If you don’t have an SSN, expect delays in processing your application. If you have been issued one but don’t provide it, you could be fined $500.

On your tax return. The IRS uses this number to match the income you report on your tax return to the income your employer and financial institutions report having paid to you. Also, you’ll need to provide your child’s SSN to claim your child as a dependent on your tax return.

To get a driver’s license. If you have an SSN, you have to provide it when you apply for a driver’s license.

Non-citizens who don’t have Social Security numbers are exempt from providing a Social Security number in many situations that normally require it; including getting a driver’s license, registering for school, getting private health insurance or applying for public assistance such as subsidized housing. The government doesn’t like to give Social Security numbers to non-citizens who aren’t authorized to work in the United States. It says that even banks and credit companies usually can’t require you to provide a Social Security number if you don’t have one. However, without this number, financial institutions won’t be able to run a credit check on you, which could make it difficult if not impossible to get a credit card or loan.

Mr. Peter Johnson has been working on social security application process, social security claim and social security benefits for more than 2 years.