To check how many Social Security credits you have, sign in to a free “my Social Security” account at ssa.gov and open your Social Security Statement, which shows your total credits alongside your year-by-year earnings. If you’d rather not use the online portal, you can request the same statement by mail using Form SSA-7004, call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213, or visit a local field office.
Check Your Credits Online
The “my Social Security” portal at ssa.gov is the fastest route. Once you’re signed in, look for the option to view your Social Security Statement. The statement shows your total credits, your yearly earnings history, and estimates of your future benefits.1Social Security Administration. my Social Security
If you haven’t reached 40 credits, the statement tells you exactly how many you have and whether you’ve earned enough for disability or survivor coverage. You can download it as a PDF for your records.
One timing detail matters. Employers report annual earnings once a year, and those figures typically post to your record by August. Check in March and last year’s earnings probably won’t be there yet.2Social Security Administration. Review Record of Earnings
Set Up Your Login.gov or ID.me Account
As of June 2025, the only way into Social Security’s online services is through Login.gov or ID.me. The older Social Security-specific username and password option is gone.3Social Security Administration. Create an Account – my Social Security
Both services verify your identity. Login.gov asks for a U.S. driver’s license, state ID, or passport book, plus your Social Security number and a U.S. phone number or mailing address. You take photos of your ID as part of the process. If you can’t complete verification online, Login.gov offers in-person verification at participating U.S. Post Office locations.4Login.gov. Verify My Identity
ID.me accepts a driver’s license, state ID, passport, or passport card. If your primary document can’t be verified automatically, you may be asked to complete a video call or provide a second form of identification. You must be at least 18 and have a Social Security number to create either type of account.3Social Security Administration. Create an Account – my Social Security
Request Your Statement by Mail
If you’d rather skip the digital setup, request a paper Social Security Statement using Form SSA-7004, available as a PDF on ssa.gov. The form asks for your name as it appears on your Social Security card, your Social Security number, date of birth, and a mailing address.5Social Security Administration. Form SSA-7004 – Request for Social Security Statement
Mail the completed form to:
Social Security Administration
Wilkes Barre Direct Operations Center
P.O. Box 7004
Wilkes Barre, PA 18767-7004
Expect the statement to arrive in four to six weeks.6Social Security Administration. Request for a Social Security Statement (SSA-7004)
Call or Visit in Person
Call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 to request a statement. Representatives are available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time, with shorter waits in the morning and later in the month. Automated services run around the clock.7Social Security Administration. Contact Social Security By Phone
You can also visit a local field office. Use the office locator at ssa.gov/locator to find the nearest one by ZIP code, and make an appointment first to avoid long waits.8Social Security Administration. Field Office Locator Bring a government-issued photo ID and your Social Security card, or know your number. A representative can pull up your earnings record and tell you your credit total on the spot.
What the Statement Shows
Near the top of the statement is a plain-English summary telling you whether you’ve earned enough credits for retirement benefits. If you haven’t reached 40 yet, it states exactly how many you have. That’s the number most people are looking for.
Further in, you’ll find a year-by-year breakdown of your taxed earnings as reported by your employers or, if you’re self-employed, by you. Those annual totals drive your credit count, so it’s worth reading this section closely. Errors here reduce both your credit total and your eventual benefit amount.
How Credits Work
Credits are the building blocks of eligibility for retirement, disability, and survivor benefits. The dollar threshold adjusts each year with average wages. In 2026, you earn one credit for every $1,890 in covered earnings, with a maximum of four credits per year, so $7,560 in the year gets you the full four regardless of when you earned it.9Social Security Administration. Quarter of Coverage
Self-employed workers earn credits the same way: one per $1,890 in net self-employment earnings, up to four per year. Self-employment income below $400 for the year doesn’t count toward credits at all.10Social Security Administration. How You Earn Credits
Retirement is the simple case: you need 40 credits, or roughly ten years of covered work, with no exceptions.11Social Security Administration. Social Security Credits and Benefit Eligibility Disability and survivor benefits use different rules that depend on your age and how recently you worked, so the credit total on your statement isn’t the whole eligibility picture for those programs.
Fix Errors in Your Earnings Record
An employer might report earnings under a slightly wrong Social Security number, or a year of work might simply not appear. Catching these mistakes is the whole point of checking your record regularly instead of waiting until you file for benefits.
If earnings are missing or wrong, gather whatever proof you can find: W-2s, tax returns, pay stubs, or other records showing what you earned and when. Even informal records help. If you have no documents at all, write down what you remember about the employer’s name, your work dates, and your pay.12Social Security Administration. How to Correct Your Social Security Earnings Record
Contact the SSA by phone, online, or at a local office to start the correction. The agency will investigate and may reach out to your former employer.
Time Limit for Corrections
Earnings can generally be corrected within three years, three months, and 15 days after the year the wages were paid. After that window, corrections become much harder.13Social Security Administration. Time Limit for Correcting Earnings Records
Exceptions exist. The SSA can still fix a record after the deadline if the error is obvious on the face of its own records, such as a clerical or mechanical mistake, or if the original entry resulted from fraud.14Social Security Administration. Code of Federal Regulations 404-0822 Relying on an exception is a gamble. Check your record every year, ideally in August after recent earnings have been posted, and flag problems right away.