proof of citizenship, such as U. S. birth certificate or a U. S. passport[4] X Trustworthy Source US Social Security Administration Independent U. S. government agency that administers Social Security and related information Go to source a record of age and date of birth, including religious record showing date of birth, U. S. hospital record, or U. S. passport[5] X Trustworthy Source US Social Security Administration Independent U. S. government agency that administers Social Security and related information Go to source proof of identity, including a U. S. driver’s license, a state-issued (non-driver) identification card, or U. S. passport. If none of these documents can be acquired or replaced within 10 days, other documents may be accepted, including an employee ID card, a student’s school-issued ID card, a health insurance card (not including Medicare cards), or a U. S. military ID card. [6] X Trustworthy Source US Social Security Administration Independent U. S. government agency that administers Social Security and related information Go to source

Some states have a state records office or vital records office. [7] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source Other states issue vital records through the state Department of Health offices. [8] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source Check with the CDC website to determine which office is responsible for vital records in your state. Be prepared to pay the necessary costs for a vital records copy. Birth certificates vary in cost from one state to another. For example, California charges $25,[9] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source Colorado charges $17. 75,[10] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source and New York State charges $30. [11] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source

The application for U. S. citizens can be found at the SSA website by visiting https://www. ssa. gov/forms/ss-5. pdf. Non-citizens must fill out the required information on Form DS-230 or Form DS-260 as part of the Visa application process. Form DS-260 can be accessed by entering your case number through the Consular Electronic Application Center website at https://ceac. state. gov/IV/Login. aspx. Generally speaking, the only non-citizens eligible for a Social Security number are those authorized by the Department of Homeland Security to work in the United States. A Social Security number is not required for employment, banking services, private health insurance, or drivers license issuance. [12] X Trustworthy Source US Social Security Administration Independent U. S. government agency that administers Social Security and related information Go to source

The application must be printed on 8. 5 inch by 11 inch paper, and must be filled out using only blue or black ink. [14] X Trustworthy Source US Social Security Administration Independent U. S. government agency that administers Social Security and related information Go to source Race and ethnicity questions are voluntary. Opting out of these sections will not affect your application, and you will not be penalized in any way, as long as the rest of the application is complete and accurate. [15] X Trustworthy Source US Social Security Administration Independent U. S. government agency that administers Social Security and related information Go to source

You can find your local SSA office by entering your zip code in the SSA website at https://secure. ssa. gov/ICON/main. jsp. Some SSA offices permit applican’ts to apply by mail, provided that the applican’t can verify his or her identity and citizenship. However, in order to apply by mail, the applican’t must mail the original copies of all required documents to an SSA office. The documents will be returned after the application process has been completed, but some people may feel uneasy about sending the original copies of such important documents through the mail.

Replacement cards are free. However, there are limits to the number of times an individual may replace his or her Social Security card. All U. S. citizens, regardless of age, are limited to three replacement cards in a given year, and no citizen may replace a Social Security card more than 10 times over the course of an entire lifetime. [18] X Trustworthy Source US Social Security Administration Independent U. S. government agency that administers Social Security and related information Go to source Replacements due to a legal name change and other exceptional circumstances are exempted from the limits on the number of card replacements available to a citizen. [19] X Trustworthy Source US Social Security Administration Independent U. S. government agency that administers Social Security and related information Go to source

Contact your local police department immediately to file a theft report. [21] X Research source Contact the SSA to alert them to the situation and begin the process of requesting a replacement card. You can call the SSA directly at 1-800-772-1213. [22] X Research source Review any information that seems out of place. This includes inquiries from companies you have not contacted; accounts you know you have not opened; and debts that you know you did not incur. Close any accounts that you know you did not open and file a police report in the city where you believed the theft to have taken place. Report any suspected identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC is the primary investigative body for solving cases of identity theft, including theft resulting from a stolen Social Security card. [23] X Research source You can file a complaint report by visiting https://www. ftccomplaintassistant. gov/#crnt&panel1-2, or by calling 1-877-438-4338. Be sure to print and save your FTC Identity Theft Affidavit the moment you finish it. Once you’ve left the webpage, you will not be able to recover your affidavit. [24] X Research source

be recent (less than two years old for adults, or less than four years old for minors under 18 years of age)[26] X Trustworthy Source Social Security Administration Independent U. S. government agency responsible for the administration and management of Social Security Go to source identify you by both your old and new identity[27] X Trustworthy Source Social Security Administration Independent U. S. government agency responsible for the administration and management of Social Security Go to source

a state-issued non-driver’s ID card for the child[32] X Trustworthy Source Social Security Administration Independent U. S. government agency responsible for the administration and management of Social Security Go to source an official adoption decree[33] X Trustworthy Source Social Security Administration Independent U. S. government agency responsible for the administration and management of Social Security Go to source a record from the child’s doctor, or from a clinic or hospital, verifying that the child has been given medical attention after birth[34] X Trustworthy Source Social Security Administration Independent U. S. government agency responsible for the administration and management of Social Security Go to source a religious record (like a baptismal certificate, for example)[35] X Trustworthy Source Social Security Administration Independent U. S. government agency responsible for the administration and management of Social Security Go to source a record of the child from a school daycare center[36] X Trustworthy Source Social Security Administration Independent U. S. government agency responsible for the administration and management of Social Security Go to source a school ID card[37] X Trustworthy Source Social Security Administration Independent U. S. government agency responsible for the administration and management of Social Security Go to source

If you are seeking a Social Security card for your child to claim him or her for tax credits, and the adoption has not yet been finalized, you can contact the IRS directly to fill out Form W-7A (Application for Taxpayer Identification Number for Pending U. S. Adoptions - available at https://www. irs. gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw7a. pdf). The IRS can also help provide you with additional information on how to proceed. [39] X Trustworthy Source Social Security Administration Independent U. S. government agency responsible for the administration and management of Social Security Go to source