Can You Get a Social Security Number Without a Job?

Yes, you can get a Social Security number without a job. The Social Security Administration issues SSNs to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and certain other non-citizens for reasons that have nothing to do with employment, including receiving federal benefits, filing taxes, and identifying newborn children. In fact, about 99% of infant SSNs are assigned at the hospital before the child ever leaves, which makes birth itself the single most common reason a number gets issued.¹

Who Qualifies Without a Job

Federal regulation names three groups of people eligible for an SSN. Any U.S. citizen qualifies, regardless of age or whether they work. An immigrant lawfully admitted for permanent residence or otherwise authorized to work in the United States qualifies. And a non-citizen who lacks work authorization can still receive a number if a federal, state, or local law requires an SSN to receive a benefit the person is otherwise entitled to.²

The Social Security Act reinforces this. It directs the SSA to assign numbers to immigrants upon lawful admission, to anyone applying for or receiving benefits under a program financed in whole or in part with federal funds, and to children below school age at a parent’s request.³ None of these categories require a job offer or proof of employment.

Common Reasons People Get an SSN Without Working

Newborns

Most SSNs go to people who could not possibly hold a job: babies. Through the Enumeration at Birth program, parents request a number as part of the hospital birth registration process. The hospital passes the information to the state vital records office, which transmits it electronically to the SSA. The card arrives by mail a few weeks later with no separate application.¹

The program is voluntary but nearly universal, accounting for roughly 99% of infant SSNs.¹ Parents need the number to claim the child as a dependent, open a bank account in the child’s name, or apply for health insurance or benefits on the child’s behalf.

Receiving Federal Benefits

Anyone receiving Title II Social Security benefits (retirement, disability, or survivor payments) must provide an SSN to receive those payments. That includes people claiming on a spouse’s or parent’s work record — you still need your own number. Medicare enrollment also requires an SSN.⁴

Non-Citizens Without Work Authorization

A non-citizen who isn’t authorized to work can still qualify for an SSN, but only for what the SSA calls a “valid nonwork reason.” The category is narrow. It covers eligibility for Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, food assistance programs, Medicare based on end-stage renal disease, or other benefits under a federal, state, or local law that specifically requires an SSN to receive them.⁵ Wanting a number for convenience or general identification is not enough.

What the SSA Won’t Issue an SSN For

School enrollment alone is not a valid reason. International students on F-1 or J-1 visas sometimes assume they need an SSN to register at a U.S. college; the SSA will not issue one solely for that. If the school uses SSNs as student IDs, it is supposed to provide an alternative number for students who don’t have one.⁶ A driver’s license, a lease, a gym membership, or a credit card application also do not count as reasons the SSA will issue a number.

How to Apply

The application is Form SS-5, a one-page Application for a Social Security Card. You can download it from ssa.gov or pick one up at any Social Security office.⁷ There is no fee.

If you’re in the United States, you can start the application online at ssa.gov and then visit a local Social Security office to show your documents in person.⁸ In most cases you can also mail the completed Form SS-5 along with your original documents. The SSA returns the originals after processing.⁷ Photocopies and notarized copies are not accepted unless the issuing agency itself certified them. If you’d rather not put a birth certificate or passport in the mail, apply in person and the SSA will examine and return your documents on the spot.

Documents You’ll Need

Every application must prove three things: age, identity, and either U.S. citizenship or current immigration status. Some documents count for more than one.

Age

A birth certificate is preferred. A U.S. passport also works. If neither is available, the SSA will consider a religious record showing your date of birth made before you turned five, or a hospital record of your birth.⁹

Identity

A U.S. driver’s license, a state-issued ID card, or a U.S. passport is accepted. For children too young for those, a hospital birth record, adoption decree, or school ID card may be used.¹⁰

Citizenship or Immigration Status

U.S. citizens can show a U.S. birth certificate, U.S. passport, Certificate of Naturalization, or Certificate of Citizenship.¹¹ Non-citizens need current immigration documents such as a Permanent Resident Card, a foreign passport with an I-94 Arrival/Departure Record, or an Employment Authorization Document.¹⁰

How Long It Takes

Once the SSA has everything it needs, the card arrives by mail within 5 to 10 business days.⁸ Mail-in applications take longer because the SSA processes the paperwork and returns your documents separately; as of early 2026, they may take two to four weeks.¹²

Non-citizens should expect additional time. The SSA verifies immigration documents with the Department of Homeland Security before issuing a number. If you applied through a work authorization or permanent residence petition using Forms I-765 or I-485, the SSA will issue the card within 7 to 10 business days after USCIS approves the underlying application.¹²

If You Can’t Get an SSN but Need to File Taxes

If you don’t qualify for an SSN but need to file a federal tax return or be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s, the IRS issues an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number instead. An ITIN is a nine-digit number that works only for federal tax purposes. It does not authorize employment, does not qualify you for Social Security benefits, and does not make you eligible for the earned income credit.¹³

Common situations for an ITIN include a non-resident alien filing a U.S. tax return, a spouse or dependent of a U.S. citizen who doesn’t qualify for an SSN, and a non-resident alien claiming a tax treaty benefit. You apply using IRS Form W-7, which can be submitted with your federal tax return. An ITIN also cannot be used to claim the child tax credit, the American opportunity tax credit, the premium tax credit, or the child and dependent care credit.¹⁴

The Application Is Free

Applying for a Social Security card costs nothing. That’s true for original cards, replacement cards, and name corrections alike.⁷ Any website, letter, or phone call asking you to pay for an SSN application is either a scam or an unnecessary middleman charging for a free government service.

The SSA has identified four common signs of Social Security scams: the caller pretends to represent a trusted agency, claims there’s an urgent problem or prize, pressures you to act immediately, and demands payment through gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency. The agency will never threaten arrest over the phone, claim to suspend your SSN, ask you to move money to a “protected” account, or demand secrecy.¹⁵ When the SSA actually needs to reach you, it typically sends a letter by mail.

1
Social Security Administration. POMS RM 10205.505 – Enumeration at Birth Process
2
Social Security Administration. 20 CFR 422.104 – Who Can Be Assigned a Social Security Number
3
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 405 – Evidence, Procedure, and Certification for Benefits
4
Social Security Administration. Sign Up for Medicare
5
Social Security Administration. POMS RM 10211.610 – Valid Reasons to Assign an SSN for Nonwork Purposes
6
Social Security Administration. International Students and Social Security Numbers
7
Social Security Administration. Application for a Social Security Card (Form SS-5)
8
Social Security Administration. Request Social Security Number for the First Time
9
Social Security Administration. 20 CFR 422.107 – Evidence Requirements
10
Social Security Administration. Learn What Documents You Will Need To Get a Social Security Card
11
Social Security Administration. SSA Handbook 1725 – Evidence of U.S. Citizenship
12
Social Security Administration. How Long Will It Take To Get a Social Security Card?
13
Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 857, Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
14
Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form W-7
15
Social Security Administration. Protect Yourself from Scams