What to do if you lose your Social Security Card?

You can get a replacement card for free if you’ve lost your Social Security Card.

You can usually start the process or finish it online using your Social Security Account. For more complex requests, it may be necessary to submit the request personally.

You can expect your new Social Security Card to arrive in 14 days after the Social Security Administration has approved your application.


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If you want to know if you are eligible for online application, or even in part to do so, visit the SSA website. Answer a short questionnaire .

2. Select the heading “Replace Your Social Security Card” at the top of the page. You’ll then be asked to answer a few questions to see if you are able to submit the entire application online.

3. You can fill out the requested form online if you are able to do so. You can use the online link to fill out a part of your request before you visit an office to submit the required documentation.

You can start an online request for a more complex replacement card, but the final step will require you to visit a Social Security Office with all the required documents. You may need to visit a Social Security office if:

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  You can apply for a new card for your children.
  

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  You’re not an American citizen.
  

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  Change your name
  

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  You must have a valid state issued ID if you do not possess a driver’s licence or non-drivers’ license.
  

It is possible in rare circumstances to submit your online request. For example, you may not have an U.S. postal address. You’ll have to go into a Social Security Office instead.

Anyone can request a new Social Security Card in person. This may be your only choice for more complex requests, where there is no online form available. What to do is:

To replace your Social Security Card, you’ll need to provide the following documentation:

• You will need to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.

• This proof must show your current name, birth date or age as well as a current photograph. You can use a U.S. Driver’s License, state issued non-driver ID card, or U.S. Passport.

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    Social Security may ask for other forms of identification if you do not have any of the three documents listed above and cannot get one in 10 days. They include identification cards for employees, identification cards from schools, and health insurance cards that are not Medicare cards.
    

• You must provide proof of your immigration status in the United States if you are not an American citizen.

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  According to the SSA, “Generally only those noncitizens with permission from DHS (Department of Homeland Security), who are authorized to work can apply for a Social Security Number.”
  
  
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You may need additional documentation in certain circumstances to complete your replacement card application.

• If your name is changing due to marriage or divorce, you’ll need: An original or certified version of the marriage certificate or divorce order.

• To change your birthplace: A birth certificate or federal or state record of census, or a religious record, established before the age of five, showing date or age of birth, is required.

• A supporting document is required if you want to update the parents listed in a child’s records.

You can ask your local Social Security office about alternative options if you don’t have the documents required.