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www.socialsecurity.gov

New Rules For Getting A 

Social Security Number And Card

New Rules For Getting A 

Social Security Number And Card

Recent provisions in law have changed 

the rules for assigning a Social Security 

number and issuing a Social Security card. 

This fact sheet gives the most up-to-date 

information available on the documents 

needed to apply for a Social Security number 

and card.

All documents must be either originals 

or copies certified by the issuing agency. 

We cannot accept photocopies or notarized 

copies of documents.

Proof of citizenship and identity

To get a Social Security number or a 

replacement card, you must prove your 

U.S. citizenship or immigration status, age 

and identity. For a replacement card, proof 

of your U.S. citizenship and age are not 

required if they are already in our records. 

Under the new law, only certain documents can be accepted as proof of U.S. citizenship. These include your U.S. birth 

certificate, a U.S. passport, a Certificate 

of Naturalization or a Certificate of 

Citizenship. If you are not a U.S. citizen, different rules apply for proving your 

immigration status, and those rules have 

not changed.

Also under the new law, only certain 

documents can be accepted as proof of identity. An acceptable document must show 

your name, identifying information about 

you and preferably a recent photograph. 

If you are a U.S. citizen, Social Security 

must see your: 

•	 U.S. driver’s license;

•	 State-issued nondriver identity card; or

•	 U.S. passport.

If you do not have these specific documents or cannot get a replacement for them 

within 10 days, we will ask to see other 

documents, including: 

•	 Employee ID card;

•	 School ID card;

•	 Health insurance card (not a Medicare

card); or

•	 U.S. military ID card.

If you are not a U.S. citizen, Social 

Security must see your current U.S. immigration documents. Acceptable documents 

from the Department of Homeland Security

include your: 

•	 Form I-551 (includes machine-readable

immigrant visa with your unexpired 

foreign passport);

•	 I-94 with your unexpired foreign

passport; or

•	 Work permit card (I-766 or I-688B).

Documents for a name change

If you legally change your name because 

of marriage, divorce, court order or any 

other reason, you need to tell Social 

Security so that you can get a corrected 

card. If you are working, also tell your 

employer. If you do not tell us when your 

name changes, it may:

•	 Delay your tax refund; and

• Prevent your wages from being posted

correctly to your Social Security record, 

which may lower the amount of your 

future Social Security benefits. 

If you need to change your name on 

your Social Security card, you must show 

us a recently issued document as proof of 

your legal name change. Documents Social

Security may accept to prove a legal name 

change include:

•	 Marriage document;

•	 Divorce decree;

•	 Certificate of Naturalization showing a

new name; or

•	 Court order for a name change.
www.socialsecurity.gov

If the document you provide as evidence 

of a legal name change does not give us 

enough information to identify you in our 

records or if your document was issued more 

than two years ago, you must provide Social 

Security with additional documentation.

Marriage, divorce or annulment: In

addition to showing us a legal document 

proving your marriage, divorce or annulment, you must provide an identity document. That document must show your

old name, as well as other identifying 

information or a recent photograph. (We

can accept an expired document as 

evidence of your old name.)

Adoption, naturalization or other name 

change: In addition to showing us a legal 

document citing your new name, such as a 

court order, adoption decree or Certificate 

of Naturalization, you must provide us with 

two identity documents, including:

•	 One identity document in your old name

(which can be expired); and

•	 One identity document in your new legal

name, which must be current (unexpired)

Both of these documents must show identifying information or a recent photograph.

Citizenship: Also, if you are a U.S. 

citizen born outside the United States and 

our records do not show you are a citizen, 

you will need to provide proof of your U.S. 

citizenship. If you a not a U.S. citizen, 

Social Security will ask to see your current 

immigration documents.

Your new card will have the same number 

as your previous card, but will show your 

new name.

Verification of birth records

Social Security must verify a birth record 

for all U.S.-born applicants of any age who 

apply for an original Social Security number. An exception is made when a parent 

applies for a baby’s Social Security number

at the hospital when the baby is born. 

Social Security must also verify a birth 

record for U.S.-born individuals who ask to 

correct the date of birth on our records. To 

verify a birth record, Social Security will 

contact the office that issued it.

NOTE: For Social Security purposes, “U.S.-

born” means a person born in the 50 states, 

the District of Columbia, American Samoa, 

Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, 

Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Limits to replacement cards

You can replace your Social Security card 

for free if it is lost or stolen. However, you

may not need to get a replacement card. 

Knowing your Social Security number is 

what is important. You are limited to three 

replacement cards in a year and 10 during 

your lifetime. Legal name changes and 

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 significant hardship.

Contacting Social Security

For more information and to find copies 

of our publications, visit our website at

www.socialsecurity.gov or call toll-free, 

1-800-772-1213 (for the deaf or hard of hearing, call our TTY number, 1-800-325-0778). 

We treat all calls confidentially. We can

answer specific questions from 7 a.m. to

7 p.m., Monday through Friday. We provide

information by automated phone service 

24 hours a day.

We also want to make sure you receive

accurate and courteous service. That is why 

we have a second Social Security representative monitor some telephone calls.

Social Security Administration

SSA Publication No. 05-10120

November 2008 (Destroy prior editions)