Yes, most hospitals in the United States will apply for your baby’s Social Security number as part of the birth registration paperwork, at no cost. The program is called Enumeration at Birth, and it also runs at birthing centers and through licensed midwives. It’s optional, but it’s the easiest route by a wide margin because it spares you a trip to a Social Security office and the document-gathering that goes with it.1Social Security Administration. Social Security Numbers for Children
How the Hospital Handles It
When you fill out the paperwork for your baby’s birth certificate, staff will ask whether you also want to apply for a Social Security number.1Social Security Administration. Social Security Numbers for Children Say yes and the facility collects the information and sends the birth record to your state’s vital statistics office. That office forwards the data electronically to the Social Security Administration, which assigns the number, creates the record, and mails the card to you.2Social Security Administration. What Is Enumeration at Birth and How Does It Work
The hospital doesn’t issue the number itself. It handles the first step and hands the rest off to the state and the SSA. There’s no fee for the card whether you apply this way or later on your own.3Social Security Administration. Application for a Social Security Card
What You’ll Provide
The form is short. You supply your baby’s full name, date and place of birth, and both parents’ Social Security numbers.1Social Security Administration. Social Security Numbers for Children If you don’t have one parent’s SSN, you can still submit; a missing number won’t block the application.4Social Security Administration. How To Get Your New Baby’s Social Security Number You’ll usually sign a consent form authorizing the hospital to share the birth data with the SSA.
When the Card Will Arrive
Timing depends on your state. Each state’s vital statistics office takes between one and six weeks to forward the birth record to the SSA, averaging around two weeks nationally. After the SSA processes the application, allow roughly two more weeks for the card to reach you by mail.5Social Security Administration. How Long Does It Take To Get My Child’s Social Security Number Most parents see the card within three to eight weeks of leaving the hospital.
If the card hasn’t arrived after the time frame listed for your state on the SSA’s processing chart, plus two weeks for mailing, contact your local Social Security office.5Social Security Administration. How Long Does It Take To Get My Child’s Social Security Number The number itself exists in the SSA’s system well before the physical card lands in your mailbox, and for most purposes the number matters more than the card.
If You Skipped the Hospital Step
Home births, missed opportunities, and facilities that don’t participate all lead to the same place: applying directly through the SSA. You can start online at ssa.gov and finish at a local office or card center.1Social Security Administration. Social Security Numbers for Children If you’d rather use paper, complete Form SS-5 and bring it to an office with original supporting documents.3Social Security Administration. Application for a Social Security Card
One difference matters: when you apply directly, the SSA independently verifies your child’s birth record by contacting the issuing agency, which adds time.6Social Security Administration. Learn What Documents You Will Need To Get a Social Security Card Enumeration at Birth handles that verification automatically, which is why the hospital route is simpler.
Documents You’ll Need
Bring originals or certified copies. The SSA won’t accept photocopies or notarized copies.
- Proof of U.S. citizenship: a U.S. birth certificate or U.S. passport.
- Proof of age: a birth certificate recorded before age five, or the child’s passport.
- Proof of the child’s identity: something showing the child continues to exist beyond the date of birth. A U.S. passport is preferred; alternatives include a doctor or hospital record, an adoption decree, a religious record, or a school or daycare record.
- Proof of your identity: a U.S. driver’s license, state-issued ID, or U.S. passport.3Social Security Administration. Application for a Social Security Card
The child-identity requirement catches parents off guard. A birth certificate proves the baby was born; it doesn’t prove the baby is the person in front of the SSA representative. A hospital record with the baby’s name and identifying details, or a pediatrician’s record, usually satisfies it.6Social Security Administration. Learn What Documents You Will Need To Get a Social Security Card
Why the Timing Matters at Tax Time
The most immediate reason to move quickly is your tax return. You cannot claim the child tax credit without a valid SSN for your qualifying child, and that number must be issued before the due date of your return, including extensions.7Internal Revenue Service. Child Tax Credit
If your baby is born late in the year and the SSN hasn’t arrived when you’d normally file, you have two options. File without claiming the child and later submit an amended return on Form 1040-X once the SSN comes in; you generally have three years to do that. Or file Form 4868 for an automatic six-month extension so the SSN can arrive before you file at all. An extension gives you more time to file, not more time to pay, so estimate any tax owed and pay it by the original deadline.8Internal Revenue Service. Dependents