SSN Verification for Login.gov, ID.me & My Social Security

To sign into your My Social Security account, you verify your identity through one of two credential providers: Login.gov or ID.me. Both require your Social Security number, an unexpired government-issued photo ID, and a U.S. phone number tied to your name in public records. As of June 2025, these are the only two ways in — usernames and passwords created directly through SSA no longer work.¹ You only need one verified account, and it works across every partner agency.

What You Need Before You Start

Your Social Security number has to match SSA’s records exactly. You’ll find it on your Social Security card, a W-2, or a 1099. A single wrong digit stops the process.

Your photo ID must be current. Login.gov accepts a driver’s license from any state or U.S. territory, a state-issued non-driver ID card, or a U.S. passport book.² Expired IDs are rejected automatically. If your license has been physically clipped or hole-punched (which some states do when they cancel one), the scan will reject it.

The phone number is where a lot of people get tripped up. Login.gov checks your number against public and proprietary records, so it needs to actually be linked to you in those databases. Landlines, cell phones, and home phones all work. VoIP numbers like Google Voice, most prepaid phones, and international numbers do not.³ With a landline, you’ll get the verification code as a voice call instead of a text.⁴

Choosing Between Login.gov and ID.me

Either provider gets you into My Social Security. Login.gov is run by the General Services Administration and acts as a single sign-on across dozens of federal agencies. ID.me is a private company that contracts with federal and state agencies. The document requirements overlap heavily. The main practical difference: ID.me adds a live selfie step that compares your face to your ID photo, and offers a video call with a Trusted Referee when the automated match fails. Login.gov has no selfie step but offers in-person verification at participating Post Offices as its backup path.

You can hold accounts with both if you want, and either one will sign you into the SSA portal.

Verifying Your Identity Through Login.gov

Start at login.gov and create an account with your email and a strong password. You’ll immediately set up multi-factor authentication as a second security layer. Options include text messages, phone calls, a physical security key, or backup codes. If you choose backup codes, Login.gov generates ten one-time codes you can download or print in case you lose access to your main method.⁵

Once the account exists, the platform walks you through verification. Upload clear photos of the front and back of your driver’s license or state ID, or the photo page of your passport. Put the document on a dark, flat surface with even lighting. Glare and shadows are the top reason uploads get rejected. The system reads the text on your ID and matches it against what you type, so any mismatch between your typed name and the printed name causes an error.⁶

Next you enter your Social Security number and confirm your address. Login.gov cross-references both against government and commercial records. You verify your phone number with a one-time code sent by text or voice call. When everything checks out, you save a personal key code. Download it, print it, keep it somewhere safe. That key is your recovery tool if you get locked out, and losing it makes recovery a lot harder.

Verifying Your Identity Through ID.me

ID.me’s document-upload phase looks similar to Login.gov’s, then adds a biometric step. After uploading your photo ID, you take a live video selfie with your device camera. The system compares your face in real time to the photograph on your ID. That makes it harder for someone with a stolen document or a printed photo to get through.

When the automated scan can’t confirm a match (often because of poor lighting, an older ID photo, or a noticeable change in appearance), ID.me offers a video call with a trained Trusted Referee. You hold your physical ID to the camera and answer verification questions. If wait times are long, you can schedule an appointment for a specific time, or save your progress and return later.⁷

For the video call, you may need secondary documents beyond your photo ID. Accepted secondary documents include your Social Security card, a health insurance card, a W-2, a birth certificate with an official seal, a bank statement, a pay stub, or a utility bill. Bank statements and utility bills must be less than one year old. If you uploaded a picture of your Social Security card earlier, you still need to show the original physical card during the video call.⁸

Once verified, your ID.me identity verification does not expire, and you can use the same account across any partner agency.⁹

When Verification Fails

Most failures come down to data mismatches, and the fix is usually simpler than people expect. If the name on your ID doesn’t exactly match what you typed, the system flags it. A middle name included in one place but not the other, a missing hyphen, a suffix like “Jr.” left off — any of that will do it. An incorrect Social Security number or an outdated address will also cause a rejection. Login.gov displays specific error messages telling you whether the problem is with your personal information or your address, so read those carefully before starting over.⁶

Blurry or glare-covered ID photos are the other frequent culprit. If the system can’t read the text, it can’t match anything. Retake the photos on a flat, dark surface with overhead lighting and no camera flash. If you’ve recently moved, try entering a previous address, because the records Login.gov checks may not have updated yet.⁶

Phone numbers trip people up too. If your phone is registered under someone else’s name, is a prepaid number, or uses a VoIP service, the verification step will fail because the number doesn’t match your identity in public records.³

In-Person Verification at a Post Office

If online verification through Login.gov keeps failing, complete the initial steps online anyway: upload your ID photos, enter your Social Security number, and verify your phone number. Login.gov then emails you a barcode and a seven-day deadline to visit a participating Post Office.¹⁰

At the counter, tell the retail associate you have a barcode to scan. They scan it and review your physical ID. You’ll receive a confirmation email within 24 hours. One limitation: only a driver’s license or state ID card works for in-person verification at the Post Office. A passport book is accepted online but not in person.¹⁰

In-Person Verification With ID.me

ID.me partners with retail locations for face-to-face verification. After creating your ID.me account online, enter your zip code to find nearby participating locations. You can schedule an appointment or walk in during business hours, and a trained technician walks you through the process with your physical documents.¹¹

Signing Into My Social Security

Once you have a verified account with either provider, go to the SSA website, choose your credential provider, and sign in with your username, password, and multi-factor authentication code. SSA does not store your login credentials. It confirms your identity through whichever provider you chose.¹

If You Lose Your Phone or Change Your Number

Losing the phone tied to your multi-factor authentication is one of the most common ways people get locked out, and the fix doesn’t involve SSA at all. Contact whichever credential provider you used, Login.gov or ID.me, not the Social Security Administration. If you saved your backup codes or personal key during setup, use those to regain access and add a new phone number. Without them, recovery is slower and typically requires re-verifying your identity from scratch. A phone number isn’t your only multi-factor option either. Both platforms accept alternatives like a physical security key or a landline.¹²

Verification for Non-Citizens and Permanent Residents

If you’re a permanent resident, newly naturalized citizen, or other non-citizen authorized to work in the United States, you can still verify, but the automated self-service flow may not accept your documents. ID.me’s automated scan requires a U.S. driver’s license, state ID, passport, or passport card. Without one of those, complete verification through a Trusted Referee video call instead.¹³

During the video call, you can present a broader range of primary identification documents:

Permanent Resident Card (green card)
USCIS Employment Authorization card
Foreign passport or nonimmigrant visa
Certificate of naturalization
National ID card

You’ll also need secondary documents to support your identity, such as a Social Security card, birth certificate, or financial statement, plus a document showing your current address.¹³

If you don’t have a Social Security number, you may be able to use an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. When prompted for your SSN during the ID.me process, look for the option to continue with your ITIN instead.¹³

1
Social Security Administration. Learn About Changes to Your Personal My Social Security Account
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Login.gov. Accepted ID Types
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Login.gov. Verify My Phone Number
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Login.gov. Text/SMS or Phone Call
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Login.gov. Backup Codes
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Login.gov. Verify My Information
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ID.me Help Center. Schedule an ID.me Video Call Appointment Online
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ID.me Help Center. Primary and Secondary Identification Documents
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ID.me Help Center. When ID.me Verifications Expire and How to Reverify
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Login.gov. Verify in Person
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ID.me Help Center. Verify Your Identity in Person With ID.me at a Retail Location Near You
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Social Security Administration. How Do I Access My Personal My Social Security Account if I Change or Lose My Cell Phone
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ID.me Help Center. Verifying Your Identity as a New United States Citizen or Permanent Resident