How to Get Proof of Social Security Number

Applying for a Replacement Card

Assemble evidence of your citizenship or immigration status. If you are a U.S. citizen born in the U.S., you will need to submit your birth certificate or U.S. Passport. If you are a foreign-born U.S. citizen, provide your passport; or Certificate of Naturalization, Citizenship, Report of Birth; or Consular Report of Birth Abroad. If you are a noncitizen, provide a Lawful Permanent Resident Card, work permit, student or exchange visa, or unexpired foreign passport with an admission stamp.

Gather evidence of your identity. To prove your identity, you will need to submit a U.S. driver’s license, state ID card, or U.S. passport. If you cannot locate one of those document or get a replacement quickly, you will need to provide an employee, school, or military ID; or a health insurance card other than for Medicare.

Complete the application. You can find the application for a replacement Social Security card with instructions at https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ss-5.pdf. Follow the instructions, fill out the form, and attach copies of the requested evidence.

Submit the application. Submit your application by mail to your local SSA office. You can use the online office locator at https://secure.ssa.gov/ICON/main.jsp. You can also ask for office locations by calling 1-800-772-1213.

Registering With a Data Exchange Program

Consider requesting an Electronic Data Exchange. The SSA can set up data exchanges to exchange information with employers, state and local agencies, and some third parties. Exchanges can be used to electronically confirm SSNs. To set up an exchange, you must contact SSA to request and exchange, provide your reasons for the request, and demonstrate that you can comply with SSA’s Information Security Guidelines.

Contact the SSA. The SSA requires different types of requesters to make their requests in different ways. Contact the SSA through the method specified for your situation. If you are a federal agency, fill out the date exchange request form at https://www.socialsecurity.gov/dataexchange/request_dx.html. Email it to [email protected]. If you are a researcher, visit https://www.ssa.gov/policy/about/epidemiology.html. If you are neither a federal agency or researcher, email SSA at [email protected] to make your request.

Explain why you are requesting an exchange. SSA will ask you to provide the following information: What information you are requesting and why; What legal authority supports your request; How much information you expect to be requesting and how often; What security measures you intend to take to protect information released by SSA; and Whether you have ever had a data exchange agreement with SSA before.

Enroll in E-Verify. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) operates and E-Verify program that allows employers to verify that prospective employees are eligible to work in the United States. E-Verify allows you to verify a Social Security number very quickly, either in real-time or overnight. To enroll, visit https://e-verify.uscis.gov/enroll/StartPage.aspx and click on “Begin E-Verify Enrollment.”

Create a Business Services account with SSA. SSA’s Business Services Online Suite of Services is used by organizations, business, employers, attorneys and others to securely access SSA information over the internet. In order to confirm an SSN through Business Services, you must create an account. To register online, visit https://secure.ssa.gov/acu/IRESWeb/registration.jsp.