How to Get an IRS IP PIN: Online, Form 15227, or In Person

Any taxpayer with a Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number can get an IRS Identity Protection PIN, a six-digit code that blocks fraudulent returns filed in your name. The fastest way is the IRS “Get an IP PIN” online tool, which shows your code on screen once you verify your identity. If you cannot verify online, you can apply by submitting Form 15227 or by booking an in-person appointment at a Taxpayer Assistance Center.¹

You do not need to be a confirmed identity theft victim to enroll. Anyone with an SSN or ITIN who can verify their identity is eligible, even if you are not required to file a return.²

Get an IP PIN Online

The IRS “Get an IP PIN” tool is the quickest route. It generates your six-digit code on screen immediately after identity verification. The tool runs from mid-January through mid-November each year.¹

Set Up an ID.me Account

Access to the tool runs through ID.me, the third-party identity verification service the IRS uses. If you already have an ID.me account from another federal service, sign in with those credentials.³

New users upload a photo of a government-issued ID (driver’s license, state ID card, or U.S. passport) and take a selfie with a smartphone or webcam.³ The name and address you enter must match your most recently filed tax return exactly. Any mismatch can trigger a temporary lockout or a request for more documents.

Retrieve Your Code

Once verified, follow the prompts to request your PIN. The six-digit number appears on screen right away. Nothing gets mailed to you, so print or securely save the page for filing time.⁴

Apply With Form 15227

If you cannot verify your identity online, Form 15227 is the next option. You can submit it electronically through the IRS website or download the PDF and send it by fax or mail.⁵

This method has an income cap. Your adjusted gross income on your most recently filed return must be below $84,000 if you file individually, or below $168,000 if you file jointly.⁶

After the IRS receives the form, an agent will call the phone number you listed and verify your identity by phone. If verification succeeds, your IP PIN is mailed to your address on file.⁵

Apply in Person at a Taxpayer Assistance Center

If you are over the Form 15227 income cap or cannot verify your identity through the other methods, book an appointment at a local Taxpayer Assistance Center.² Bring two forms of identification:

One government-issued photo ID: driver’s license, state ID, or passport.
One additional identification document: a birth certificate, Social Security card, voter registration card, or a recent utility bill or bank statement showing your current name and address.

An IRS representative verifies your identity in person and starts the process. Your IP PIN is then mailed to the address on file.¹

How Long an IP PIN Lasts

Every IP PIN is valid for a single calendar year. You need a new one each year you file, and how you receive it depends on how you enrolled.¹

Taxpayers enrolled automatically after a confirmed identity theft case receive a CP01A notice in the mail each December or January with the new number.⁷
Taxpayers who opted in online must log back into the “Get an IP PIN” tool each year to retrieve the new code. The IRS will not mail one.

Last year’s PIN will not work on this year’s return, so store each new one securely with your tax records.

Retrieve a Lost or Forgotten IP PIN

If you already have an IP PIN but cannot find it, your options depend on how you enrolled.

If you opted in online, log back into the “Get an IP PIN” tool to view the current number. This is the fastest way and is available from mid-January through mid-November.¹

If you were enrolled automatically as an identity theft victim, your PIN is printed on the CP01A notice the IRS mailed in December or January. The number appears at the top of the first column on page one.²

If you cannot access the tool and have lost the notice, call the IRS at 800-908-4490 (Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time). International callers can reach 267-941-1000 between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern. After a phone representative verifies your identity, the IRS mails the PIN to your address on file within 21 days.⁸

Where the IP PIN Goes on Your Return

When you e-file, your tax software prompts you for the six-digit code during the filing process. On a paper return, write the IP PIN next to the signature line on Form 1040.⁹ The same rule applies to any amended or prior-year return you file during the calendar year: use the PIN assigned for the current year, not the one from the year the return covers.²

1
Internal Revenue Service. Get an Identity Protection PIN
2
Internal Revenue Service. FAQs About the Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN)
3
Internal Revenue Service. New Identity Verification Process to Access Certain IRS Online Tools and Services
4
Internal Revenue Service. An Identity Protection PIN Helps Shield Taxpayers From Tax-Related Identity Theft
5
Internal Revenue Service. Form 15227 – Application for an Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN)
6
Internal Revenue Service. Form 15227 Application for an Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN)
7
Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your CP01A Notice
8
Internal Revenue Service. Retrieve Your Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN)
9
Internal Revenue Service. IRS Online Account and Identity Protection PINs Protect Against Identity Thieves and Scammers