SSA Form SSA-3, the Marriage Certification, is a two-page form that documents your marriage history so the Social Security Administration can confirm you have a qualifying relationship to the worker whose earnings record supports your claim. You’ll file it alongside your main benefits application: Form SSA-2 for spousal benefits or Form SSA-10 for survivor benefits.1Social Security Administration. RS 00202.050 Spouse’s Benefits – Evidence and Forms Requirements Below is how to complete each section, what to bring with it, and how to get it into SSA’s hands.
What SSA-3 Is For
The form asks two things. First, whether your current marriage was performed by a member of the clergy, an authorized public official, or someone else. Second, the full details of every previous marriage: the former spouse’s name, when and where each marriage began and ended, and how it ended (death, divorce, or annulment).2Social Security Administration. SSA Form SSA-3 – Marriage Certification Both the worker (SSA calls this person the “number holder”) and the spouse sign it under penalty of perjury.
SSA uses the answers to verify that no other claim is pending against the same record without a legal basis and, for divorced-spouse applicants, that the ten-year marriage requirement is met. It also updates SSA’s internal marital history record, which may have been captured years earlier when the worker first filed for retirement or disability.1Social Security Administration. RS 00202.050 Spouse’s Benefits – Evidence and Forms Requirements
SSA-3 is not the benefits application itself. If you haven’t filed SSA-2 or SSA-10 yet, you’ll need to do that too.
How to Complete Each Section
The form is short, has no fee, and is available at ssa.gov/forms/ssa-3.pdf or at any Social Security office.2Social Security Administration. SSA Form SSA-3 – Marriage Certification Work through it in order:
- Worker information. Print the full legal name and Social Security number of the worker whose record supports your claim. On the form, this is the “wage earner or self-employed person.”
- Spouse’s name. Enter your first name, your maiden name if applicable, and your current last name.
- Current marriage. Check whether the ceremony was performed by a member of the clergy or by an authorized public official. If someone else officiated (a ship captain or a tribal authority, for example), check “Other” and explain in the space provided.
- Previous marriages. If you answer “Yes” to having had prior marriages, fill in each one: former spouse’s name, the dates and places the marriage began and ended, how it ended, who performed the ceremony, the former spouse’s date of birth, and their Social Security number if you have it. There is room for two prior marriages on the form. Use the Remarks section for any additional ones.
- Signatures. Both the worker and the spouse must sign and date the form. If either signs with a mark (X) instead of a written signature, two witnesses must also sign and give their addresses.
- Contact information. Add your phone number and mailing address below your signature.
All dates use MM/DD/YYYY format. If you’re unsure of an exact date, get it from the actual document (a divorce decree, a death certificate) rather than estimating. An incorrect date can trigger a mismatch against SSA’s records and slow the claim down.
Documents to Bring With It
SSA-3 certifies your marital history, but the agency will want proof to back up what you’ve written. Gather these before you submit:
- Birth certificate. Original or a copy certified by the issuing agency. SSA does not accept plain photocopies or notarized copies.3Social Security Administration. What Documents Do You Need to Apply for Retirement Benefits?
- Marriage certificate. A certified copy of the certificate for your marriage to the worker.
- Divorce decree. Required for divorced-spouse claims. The final decree establishes the exact end date, which SSA needs to confirm the marriage lasted at least ten years.
- Death certificate. Required for survivor claims to prove the worker has died.
- Proof of citizenship or legal residency. If you were not born in the United States, bring a current (not expired) passport, naturalization certificate, or immigration document.3Social Security Administration. What Documents Do You Need to Apply for Retirement Benefits?
- DD-214. If you or the worker served in the military before 1968, discharge papers let SSA apply service-related wage credits. Veterans and next of kin can request free copies from the National Archives.4Social Security Administration. RS 01701.025 – Evidence in Claimant’s Possession5National Archives. Request Military Service Records
- W-2 or self-employment returns. SSA may ask for the most recent year’s earnings information.6Social Security Administration. Form SSA-10 – Information You Need to Apply for Widow’s Insurance Benefits
If a document is in a language other than English, submit the original or a certified copy. SSA arranges translation internally through Form SSA-533, so you don’t need to hire a translator.7Social Security Administration. Transmittal of Foreign-Language Documents for Translation
Missing an original? Contact the vital records office in the state or country that issued it. Certified replacement copies with an official seal are accepted; plain photocopies are not.
How to Submit the Form
SSA-3 is a paper form that travels with your main application. There are three ways to get everything filed.
In Person
Bring your completed SSA-3, your main application, all supporting documents, and your bank routing and account numbers to your local Social Security field office. An appointment isn’t required, but scheduling one by phone shortens the wait.8Social Security Administration. Form SSA-2 – Information You Need to Apply for Spouse’s or Divorced Spouse’s Benefits Staff can review your paperwork on the spot and hand your original documents back the same day.
By Phone
Call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time. A representative can start the application or schedule an appointment.9Social Security Administration. Contact Social Security By Phone
Online
You can start a spousal benefits application at ssa.gov/retirement if you’re within three months of age 62 or older.8Social Security Administration. Form SSA-2 – Information You Need to Apply for Spouse’s or Divorced Spouse’s Benefits You’ll sign in through a “my Social Security” account using Login.gov or ID.me.10Social Security Administration. How to Apply Online for Retirement, Spouses, or Medicare Benefits After you submit the online portion, SSA will contact you to arrange delivery of the SSA-3 and supporting documents to your field office.
Protective Filing Date
The date SSA first receives your intent to file can be treated as your official application date, even if the paperwork isn’t finished. That “protective filing date” locks in an earlier benefit start date, and you then have six months to complete and submit the application before it expires.11Social Security Administration. GN 00204.012 – How to Close a Protective Filing A phone call or an office visit expressing intent starts the clock. If your SSA-3 or supporting documents are still coming together, call SSA anyway to establish the date.
After You File
SSA reviews the application, cross-checks earnings records against your legal documents, and may reach out to clarify discrepancies in dates, names, or prior marriages. According to SSA’s published performance data, most retirement-related claims are processed in about 14 days when benefits are due immediately or before the requested start date.12Social Security Administration. Social Security Performance Cases involving foreign documents, multiple prior marriages, or contested earnings records can take longer.
Track status through your “my Social Security” account at ssa.gov, or by calling 1-800-772-1213 and saying “application status” at the prompt.13Social Security Administration. Check Application or Appeal Status When processing finishes, SSA mails a decision letter. An award notice confirms your monthly amount, the payment start date, and your direct deposit details.14Social Security Administration. NL 00601.010 – Award Notices
If SSA Denies the Claim
Most denials tied to spousal or survivor claims come from documentation problems, not from underlying ineligibility: a missing divorce decree, an unverified marriage date, an incomplete SSA-3. Before appealing, call your local field office and ask what was flagged. Supplying the missing item often resolves the issue faster than a formal appeal.
If you do appeal, you have 60 days from the date you receive the denial letter to request review in writing. SSA presumes the letter arrived five days after its printed date, so the practical deadline is 65 days from that date.15Social Security Administration. Understanding Supplemental Security Income Appeals Process The first level is reconsideration, where a different SSA employee reviews the claim from scratch and considers any new evidence you provide. Further levels exist beyond that if reconsideration also denies the claim.