To replace your benefits identification card, use the process set by the program that issued it: the Social Security Administration for Social Security cards, Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE for Medicare cards, your state Medicaid agency for Medicaid cards, and your state EBT customer service line for SNAP cards. Replacements are free across all four programs. Timing runs from a few minutes, if you can print a Medicare card online, to about 30 days for a mailed replacement.
Replacing a Social Security Card
The Social Security Administration does not charge for replacement cards.1Social Security Administration. How Do I Apply for a Replacement Social Security Number Card Online Most U.S.-born adults with a U.S. mailing address can apply through the SSA website. If the online tool cannot handle your situation, it will say so and prompt you to book an in-person appointment.2Social Security Administration. Replace Social Security Card
Whether you apply online or at a field office, you’ll need to prove your identity and citizenship. An unexpired U.S. driver’s license, state ID, or U.S. passport works for identity. A U.S. birth certificate or passport works for citizenship. Documents must be originals or copies certified by the issuing agency. Photocopies and notarized copies are not accepted.3Social Security Administration. Form SS-5 – Application for a Social Security Card SSA returns your originals after processing.
Once approved, the card arrives by mail in 5 to 10 business days.2Social Security Administration. Replace Social Security Card SSA does not offer expedited service or in-person pickup.
Yearly and Lifetime Limits
Federal law caps replacement cards at three per year and ten per lifetime.4Social Security Administration. POMS RM 10205.400 – Limits on Replacement SSN Cards Name changes and corrections to immigration-status legends do not count against the cap. If you’ve hit the limit, SSA can grant hardship exceptions, for example when a government agency requires you to show the physical card to receive services.5Social Security Administration. 20 CFR 422.103 – Social Security Numbers
Replacing a Medicare Card
The fastest route is your online Medicare account at Medicare.gov, where you can print an official copy of your card right away.6Medicare.gov. Your Medicare Card The same account will also order you a physical replacement, and you can order one through your my Social Security account as well.7U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. How Do I Get a New Medicare Card
To request by phone, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227); TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048. A mailed card arrives in about 30 days at the address Social Security has on file.7U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. How Do I Get a New Medicare Card
Medicare Advantage and Railroad Retirement Enrollees
If you’re in a Medicare Advantage Plan or a Medicare drug plan, your plan issues its own card, and that’s the one you use at appointments. Contact the plan directly for a replacement, and hold onto the original red, white, and blue card in case you return to Original Medicare.6Medicare.gov. Your Medicare Card
If you receive Railroad Retirement Board benefits, request your replacement through the RRB at 1-877-772-5772 (TTY 1-312-751-4701).6Medicare.gov. Your Medicare Card
Replacing a Medicaid Card
Medicaid is administered by each state, so there’s no single federal number or website for card replacement. Contact your state’s Medicaid agency directly.8Medicaid.gov. Where Can People Get Help With Medicaid and CHIP Most states accept requests by phone, through an online benefits portal, or at a local office, and some let you print a temporary card while the permanent one is in the mail.
If you’ve lost your Medicaid identification number too, your state agency can pull your record using your Social Security number and date of birth.9Medicaid.gov. How Do I Replace My Medicaid Card Replacement cards are generally free, and delivery typically takes one to four weeks depending on the state.
Replacing a SNAP EBT Card
If your Electronic Benefits Transfer card is lost, stolen, or damaged, call the customer service number on the back of the card or on your state’s EBT program website right away.10Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. What Should I Do if My EBT Card or PIN Is Lost or Stolen or I See Unauthorized Charges Reporting quickly deactivates the old card and stops anyone else from spending your balance. Some states also accept replacement requests through an online benefits portal.
EBT cards do not carry the fraud protections that apply to bank debit and credit cards. Federal law does not guarantee reimbursement for unauthorized charges on EBT cards.10Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. What Should I Do if My EBT Card or PIN Is Lost or Stolen or I See Unauthorized Charges The federal program that reimbursed SNAP benefits stolen through card skimming and cloning expired on December 20, 2024, and benefits stolen after that date are no longer eligible for federally funded replacement.11U.S. Department of Agriculture. Sunset of Replacement of Stolen Benefits Plans Some states may still replace stolen benefits using their own funds, but this varies widely.
Proving Your Benefits While You Wait
You don’t have to go without services while a replacement is in the mail.
For Medicare, printing your card from your online account is the quickest fix; the printout is an official copy.6Medicare.gov. Your Medicare Card You can also request a benefit verification letter from SSA that confirms your Medicare enrollment. The letter downloads instantly as a PDF from your my Social Security account, or you can request one by calling 1-800-772-1213 (available 24/7).12Social Security Administration. Get Benefit Verification Letter
For Medicaid, many providers can verify your eligibility electronically using your name and date of birth. Call the office before an appointment to confirm they can look up your coverage without the card.
For SNAP, your new EBT card carries forward any remaining balance from the old one, but you can’t make purchases until it arrives. Reporting the loss the same day shortens the gap.
Protecting Your Identity After a Card Is Lost or Stolen
A missing card can create identity theft exposure, especially if it displays your Social Security number or Medicare Beneficiary Identifier. The SSA recommends against carrying your Social Security card day to day for this reason.13Social Security Administration. Fraud Prevention and Reporting
If your Social Security card was stolen and you think the number may be misused, visit IdentityTheft.gov to check your credit, place a free credit freeze, and set up monitoring. If the number has already been used to open accounts, file an identity theft report at that same site to build a recovery plan. You can also add an eServices block to your SSA account, which prevents anyone, including you, from viewing or changing your information online until you visit a local office to lift it. A separate Direct Deposit Fraud Prevention block stops unauthorized changes to your payment routing.13Social Security Administration. Fraud Prevention and Reporting
If a Medicare card is missing, watch your Medicare statements once the replacement arrives and compare the services listed against your own records. Report any services you didn’t receive to 1-800-MEDICARE, or file a fraud report with the HHS Office of Inspector General at oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud.14Medicare.gov. Reporting Medicare Fraud and Abuse
Update Your Address Before You Order
Every replacement card ships to the address the agency has on file. If you’ve moved, update your address first. For Social Security and Medicare, use your my Social Security account online; if you receive Supplemental Security Income, contact your local Social Security office instead.15Social Security Administration. How Do I Change My Address on My Social Security Card For Medicaid and EBT, call or log into your state agency’s portal. Skipping this step is one of the most common reasons replacement cards never arrive.