Original Card for a U.S. Born Child 
Important Social Security must verify a birth record for all U.S .- born applicants who apply for an original Social Security number. An exception is made for a parent who applies for a baby's Social Security number at the hospital when the baby is born. To verify a birth record , Social Security will contact the office that issued it. All documents must be either originals or copies certified by the issuing agency. We cannot accept photocopies or notarized copies of documents. We also cannot accept a receipt showing you applied for the document. Get a certified copy of a document showing a birth, marriage or divorce that took place in the U.S. Adoption In some cases , we can assign your adopted 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 Identification Number for Pending U.S. Adoptions. For more information, see Social Security Numbers For Children (Publication No. 05-10023). 

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 U.S. passport. Age If your child has or can obtain a U.S .- State - Issued birth certificate that recorded his or her birth before age 5 , you must submit it. If not , we can consider other documents, such as your child's passport, to prove his or her age. 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 that your child does not have a Social Security number. Here are examples of documents you can use to prove a Social Security number was never assigned : If your child lived outside the United States for an extended period , a current or previous passpo

user: I need to get my kid his first social security card. He's born in the US.

assistant: First, you should provide Social Security the birth record of your son to prove he's born in the U.S.

assistant: just so you know...

user: Yes?

assistant: Social Security will contact the office that issued your son's birth record to verify it.

user: What if I don't have a state-issued birth record of my son?

assistant: Other documents, like his passport, can be used to prove your son's age.

user: Since the process can take some time, is there a way to claim my child for tax purposes until the process is completed?

assistant: Yes, you can contact the Internal Revenue Service and ask them for the form W-7A, Application for Taxpayer Identification Number for Pending U.S. Adoptions.

user: My kid lived outside the States for quite some time, what can I use as proof that he has never gotten a social security number?

assistant: You can use his passport or any record that shows he lived in another country. It could be school records or employment records.

user: Are there exceptions to the need for providing a birth certificate for U.S. born children?

assistant: Yes, but only for parents that apply for a social security number at the hospital when the baby is born.