How Can I Get My Son’s Social Security Number?

To get your child’s Social Security number, the fastest route is to check “yes” on the Social Security question when you fill out the birth certificate worksheet at the hospital. The hospital forwards the information through your state’s vital records agency to the Social Security Administration, and the card arrives by mail. If you missed that window, apply in person or by mail at any Social Security office using Form SS-5 with original documents proving your child’s age, identity, and citizenship. There is no fee either way.¹

Ask at the Hospital First

Most parents get their child’s number through a program called Enumeration at Birth. The birth certificate paperwork at the hospital or birthing center includes a question asking whether you want to apply for a Social Security number. Say yes, and the hospital collects the information and sends it to your state’s vital records agency, which forwards it electronically to SSA.² You’ll be asked for both parents’ Social Security numbers, but you can still apply if you don’t know one or both of them.³

Nothing else is needed. No office visit, no separate form, no extra documents. The national average processing time is about two weeks, plus another two weeks or so for the card to arrive in the mail.²

Applying at a Social Security Office

If you didn’t request the number at the hospital, apply at any local Social Security office using Form SS-5, the Application for a Social Security Card. You can download the form from ssa.gov or pick one up at the office.⁴ It asks for your child’s full name, date and place of birth, and both parents’ Social Security numbers. Check the “unknown” box if you don’t have one.

For a child under 12, you can bring the completed form and original documents to the office or mail them in. SSA returns mailed documents after processing. For a child 12 or older who has never had a number, in-person application is required.⁴

You can also start the application online and then visit a local office to present your documents, which shortens the time you spend at the counter.⁵

Documents You Will Need

You need to prove three things about your child: age, identity, and U.S. citizenship or immigration status. One document can cover more than one category, and for most families the child’s birth certificate covers all three.

For the Child

Bring an original or certified copy of the U.S. birth certificate. Photocopies and notarized copies are not accepted.³ If you don’t yet have the birth certificate, SSA may accept a hospital record of birth, a religious record established before the child turned five showing the date of birth, or a valid unexpired U.S. passport.

For a child who is not a U.S. citizen, bring immigration documents showing the child’s authorized status, such as a Lawful Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551).³

For You

The parent or guardian filing the application must show proof of their own identity. SSA accepts a U.S. driver’s license, a state-issued non-driver ID card, or a U.S. passport.³ You also need to establish your relationship to the child. The birth certificate listing you as a parent normally does that on its own. Adoptive parents bring the adoption decree. Foster parents generally need the placement agreement or court documentation along with their own ID and whatever identity documents exist for the child.

Children Age 12 and Older

A first-time application for a child age 12 or older gets more scrutiny, because most U.S. children receive a number as infants. The child has to appear in person at a Social Security office, even though a parent signs the application.³

SSA will also ask for evidence that the child was never assigned a number before. What that looks like depends on the child’s history. For a child who lived outside the U.S. for an extended period, a current or previous passport with school or employment records showing long-term foreign residence can work. For a child who has lived in the U.S., SSA may ask about schools attended or request tax records showing no prior number was assigned.⁶

Children Born Abroad or Adopted Internationally

If your child was born outside the United States to American parents, register the birth first at a U.S. embassy or consulate to obtain a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) and a U.S. passport. The SSN application follows only once you have those original documents in hand.⁷ You then apply at a Social Security office in the U.S. on Form SS-5. The CRBA serves as proof of U.S. citizenship in place of a domestic birth certificate.³

For an internationally adopted child, the path depends on the immigration classification the child had on entry. Children admitted under codes IR2, IR3, or IH-3 are treated as fully and finally adopted, and their immigration documents evidence that. Children admitted under IR-4 or IH-4 may need to finalize the adoption in the U.S. before SSA will process the application.⁸ Since January 2004, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has automatically issued a Certificate of Citizenship to qualifying foreign-born adopted children under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000, which simplifies proof of both citizenship and legal status.

Cost and Timing

The card is free. SSA does not charge for an original or a replacement.¹ If a website or company asks you to pay to obtain your child’s number, it’s a private reseller of a free service. You still have to provide documents to SSA yourself.

How long you wait depends on the route. Hospital applications through Enumeration at Birth run through the state vital records agency first, which takes between one and six weeks depending on the state. The national average is around two weeks, plus roughly two more for mail delivery.⁹ If you apply directly at an SSA office or start online, expect the card within 5 to 10 business days after approval.⁵ Mailed applications typically take two to four weeks because of additional handling.¹⁰

Protecting the Number Once You Have It

Children’s Social Security numbers are targets for identity thieves precisely because nobody checks a child’s credit. A stolen number can be used for years before anyone notices. Warning signs include:

Collection notices arriving in your child’s name for accounts you never opened
Government benefit denials because someone else is already using the number
IRS letters about unpaid income taxes tied to your child’s number
Student loan rejections later in life for credit history the child never created

The FTC recommends placing a free credit freeze on your child’s file with each of the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. For a child under 16, a parent or guardian requests the freeze, and it stays in place until you ask to have it removed.¹¹ The process for minors differs from the adult version and typically requires mailing copies of the child’s birth certificate, Social Security card, and your own ID to each bureau separately. It takes some work, but it’s the strongest step you can take to keep the number safe until your child is old enough to use it.

1
Social Security Administration. What Does It Cost to Get a Social Security Card
2
Social Security Administration. What Is Enumeration at Birth and How Does It Work
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Social Security Administration. Social Security Numbers for Children
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Social Security Administration. Application for Social Security Card Form SS-5
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Social Security Administration. Request a Social Security Number for the First Time
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Social Security Administration. Learn What Documents You Will Need to Get a Social Security Card
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U.S. Embassy and Consulate General in the Netherlands. Birth Abroad – Register Your Child as a U.S. Citizen
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Social Security Administration. Evidence of Legal Adoption
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Social Security Administration. How Long Does It Take to Get My Child’s Social Security Number
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Social Security Administration. How Long Will It Take to Get a Social Security Card
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Consumer Advice. How To Protect Your Child From Identity Theft