How to Fill Out and Submit Form SSA-L996: SS-5 vs Numident, Fees

Form SSA-L996 is the Social Security Administration’s request form for getting a photocopy or computer extract of your original Social Security number application. You fill out the one-page form, mail it with payment to SSA’s FOIA office in Baltimore, and receive the record by return mail. The fee is $27 for a photocopy of the paper SS-5 application or $26 for the Numident extract, with an optional $10 certification surcharge.1Social Security Administration. Submit a Privacy Act Request for Your or Another Persons Records

Which Record to Request: SS-5 or Numident

Before you fill out the form, decide which version of your application you want. SSA keeps both on file for the same person.2Social Security Administration. Make a FOIA Request

  • The SS-5 photocopy is a reproduction of the actual paper form that was filled out when you first applied. It shows the handwritten or typed answers and the applicant’s signature, and it typically includes both parents’ names, birthplace, and other biographical details.
  • The Numident is a computer extract of that same SS-5. It has the same core data in a standardized digital format. For people born in 1910 or earlier, Numident records are sometimes abbreviated and may omit parents’ names or birthplace.2Social Security Administration. Make a FOIA Request

You are making the request under the Privacy Act, which lets you access records the federal government keeps on you.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 USC 552a – Records Maintained on Individuals

How to Fill Out the Form

Every field on Form SSA-L996 exists to help SSA match your request to the right file. If your identifying details do not line up with what is on the original application, the request stalls. Complete each of the following:4Social Security Administration. Form SSA-L996 – Record Request for Extract or Photocopy

  • Your nine-digit Social Security number.
  • The full name you currently use.
  • The name shown on your most recent Social Security card, if different from the name above.
  • Your full name at birth.
  • Date of birth in MM/DD/YYYY format.
  • Place of birth: city, county, and state, or the foreign country if you were born abroad.
  • Gender.
  • Your mother’s full maiden name, whether she is living or deceased.
  • Your father’s full name, whether living or deceased.
  • Your signature in ink, and the date. If you sign with a printed signature or a mark such as an X, two adult witnesses must also sign and give their addresses.
  • The street address, city, state, and ZIP code where SSA should mail the record.

Enter your mother’s maiden name and your birthplace as they were recorded on the original application, not just as you know them today. That is what SSA is matching against.

Fees and Payment

SSA will not start processing until it has the exact payment. The fees are:1Social Security Administration. Submit a Privacy Act Request for Your or Another Persons Records

  • $27.00 for an SS-5 photocopy.
  • $26.00 for a Numident extract.
  • $10.00 additional for certification, if you need an official SSA certification stamp for a court or agency.

Pay by check or money order made out to the Social Security Administration, or pay by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, or Diner’s Club) by completing Form SSA-714 and enclosing it with your request. Do not send cash. If you are requesting more than one record, one check or money order for the combined total is fine.

Where to Mail It

Send the completed form and payment to SSA’s FOIA processing office in Baltimore:1Social Security Administration. Submit a Privacy Act Request for Your or Another Persons Records

Social Security Administration (SSA), OEIO, FOIA Workgroup
6100 Wabash Ave
P.O. Box 33022
Baltimore, MD 21290-3022

If you are using an express or courier service that cannot deliver to a P.O. box, use the street address instead: SSA OEIO DEBS FOIA, 6100 Wabash Ave, Baltimore, MD 21215.5Social Security Administration. Form SSA-711 – Request for Deceased Individuals SS-5 or Numident

The signature on the form is your sworn certification that you are the person the record is about, and that you understand it is a criminal offense to request someone else’s record under false pretenses.6Social Security Administration. 20 CFR 401.45 – Verification of Identity No separate ID copy is required for a mailed request.

How Long It Takes

SSA does not publish a specific turnaround for Form SSA-L996. For the closely related deceased-person request on Form SSA-711, the agency advises allowing four to six weeks.5Social Security Administration. Form SSA-711 – Request for Deceased Individuals SS-5 or Numident Build in extra time if you need the record for a deadline, such as an immigration filing or court date.

If SSA Denies Your Request

Most problems are matching failures rather than formal denials: the SSN and name do not line up, a required field is blank, or the payment amount is wrong. Fix the issue and resubmit.

A formal Privacy Act denial is different. If SSA denies access to your record, you get a written notice stating the reason, who made the decision, and how to appeal.7Social Security Administration. GN 03340.075 – Access Request Denials and Privacy Act Appeals You have 30 days from the date you receive the denial to file an appeal with the Executive Director for the Office of Privacy and Disclosure at 6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21235-6401. The reviewing official has 30 business days to complete the review, with extensions possible for good cause.

If the Person Has Died

Form SSA-L996 is only for requesting your own record. To request the SS-5 or Numident of someone who has died, use Form SSA-711 instead. The fees and mailing address are the same.5Social Security Administration. Form SSA-711 – Request for Deceased Individuals SS-5 or Numident SSA cannot process a deceased-person request for someone who died before November 1936, or for someone born before 1865, unless you provide that person’s Social Security number.