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When you have a baby, one of the things that should be on your to-do list is getting him or her a social security number. If you have your baby in a hospital, the hospital will have a process for you to apply for the number. To apply for a social security card for your infant, simply check the "yes" box at your hospital when you are requesting your child's birth certificate. While you can wait to get your child a social security number, the process will be more involved and will require an in-person visit to the Social Security Office. To fill out this application, you will be required to provide information about the parents of the child (social security number, address, and phone number). You must show original or certified copies of documents that prove your child's U.S. citizenship, age and identity. Proof of citizenship: U.S. birth certificate, U.S. consular report of birth, U.S. passport, Certificate of Naturalization, or Certificate of Citizenship Proof of age: U.S. birth certificate, foreign birth certificate, religious record made before the child turned 5, passport, or U.S. hospital record of birth Proof of identity: U.S. passport, doctor or hospital record, religious record, daycare or school record, or school ID card. This document should have a recent photo on it. If you don't have a document with a photo, you need to bring proof of identity that has enough information to identify the child (such as child's name date of birth, and parents' names). The most common documents used to prove a parent's identity are a U.S. driver's license, a state-issued identification card or a U.S. passport. If these documents are not available, you may use an employee identification card, a school identification card, a marriage document, adoption decree, life insurance policy or a U.S. military identification card. The identification document needs to have a recent photograph of the parent. You can either submit your application in person or you can mail it. Find your local Social Security Office by visiting the Social Security Administration website or calling 1-800-772-1213. It may be preferable to visit the Social Security Office in person, since you need to bring the originals of your identification. Be sure to check the hours for the office. They may have limited hours on certain days of the week. Mail or take the SS-5 form and all necessary documents to the proper Social Security office. The Social Security Office must verify your child's birth record. Be aware that this can take up to 12 weeks before the card will be issued. Once the Social Security Administration processes your application, you will be issued a new card. It will be sent to your house in the mail.
Request a Social Security Number when getting your infant's birth certificate. Print and fill out the SS-5 form. Bring identification for your child. Bring picture identification for the child's parent or parents. Find your local Social Security Office. Submit your application to the Social Security Office. Wait for your card to arrive by mail.