Original Card for a U.S. Born Adult 
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 th

user: I want to get a new Social Security card and would like to know what I will have to bring with me to get one

assistant: We would need proof of citizenship if you are a U.S. citizen. We can accept only certain documents as proof of U.S. citizenship . These include a U.S. birth certificate or a U.S. passport .

assistant: Do you have a U.S. birth certificate?

user: Yes, I do

assistant: If one exists , you must submit it .

user: And do I need a picture ID to show who I am?

assistant: Yes, we need a U.S. driver's license, State issued ID card or a U.S. passport. If you do not have one of these specific documents or you can not get a replacement for one of them within 10 days , we will ask to see other documents. Any documents submitted , must be current not expired and show your name , identifying information date of birth or age and preferably a recent photograph.  We accept such documents as Employee identification cards and some similar documents

user: Can I ask what would happen if I don't have a birth certificate?

assistant: 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 a U.S. passport .

user: Okay, and I don't really need a license or state ID card since I can bring in other documents right?

assistant:  If you do not have one of those documents we will ask to see other documents. Any documents submitted must be current not expired and show your name , identifying information date of birth or age and preferably a recent photograph. You can provide an Employee identification card ; a School identification card ; a Health insurance card not a Medicare card ; or a U.S. military identification card .