What Do I Need for a Replacement Social Security Card?

To replace a Social Security card, most U.S.-born adults need just two things: a completed Form SS-5 and one original document that proves identity, usually a U.S. driver’s license, a state-issued non-driver ID, or a U.S. passport. The replacement is free, and if you meet the eligibility rules you can do it online in a few minutes. What you need for a replacement Social Security card gets more involved only in specific situations: you were born outside the United States, you’re replacing a child’s card, or you’re also changing your name.

Documents for a Standard Replacement

Form SS-5 is available on the SSA’s website or at any local Social Security office. It asks for your legal name, date and place of birth, your parents’ names and Social Security numbers if you know them, and your own SSN if you have it memorized.

Beyond the form, you need one document to prove your identity. The SSA’s primary options are:¹

U.S. driver’s license
State-issued non-driver ID card
U.S. passport

If none of those is available and you can’t get one within ten days, the SSA will consider secondary documents. They must be current, show your name and identifying information such as date of birth, and preferably carry a recent photo. Examples include an employee ID, school ID, health insurance card (not a Medicare card), or U.S. military ID.¹

Everything you submit has to be an original or a copy certified by the issuing agency. Photocopies and notarized copies are not accepted, however official they look.²

One thing you don’t need for a routine replacement is proof of age. A birth certificate is required when applying for an original SSN or correcting a date of birth, not for replacing a card.²

If You Were Born Outside the United States

U.S.-born citizens only have to prove identity. If you were born abroad, you also need to prove U.S. citizenship or your current immigration status, even if the SSA already has that information on file.²

For citizenship, a U.S. passport or certificate of naturalization works. Non-citizens authorized to work in the U.S. must provide a current, unexpired Department of Homeland Security document showing status: a Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551), an Arrival/Departure Record (Form I-94) with an unexpired foreign passport, or an Employment Authorization Document (Form I-766).¹

Replacing a Child’s Card

Getting a replacement card for a child takes more paperwork than replacing your own. A parent or guardian must prove four things: their own identity, the child’s identity, the child’s citizenship (if it isn’t already established with the SSA), and their relationship to or custody of the child.¹

The point that catches parents off guard: a birth certificate does not count as proof of a child’s identity. The SSA treats it as proof of age and citizenship. For identity, the preferred document is the child’s U.S. passport. If that isn’t available, alternatives include a state-issued non-driver ID, adoption decree, doctor or hospital record, daycare record, religious record, or school ID card.¹

To show your relationship or custody, the SSA accepts court custody documentation, school records identifying you as responsible for the child, a letter from a state social service agency placing the child in your household, or a rental agreement listing the child. Being listed as the parent in SSA’s own records also satisfies the requirement.¹

If You’re Also Changing Your Name

A name change is a separate process from a straight replacement because you’re correcting SSA records at the same time. On top of the standard identity proof, you need a document showing the legal name change.³ Acceptable documents include:¹

A certified marriage certificate showing the new name
A divorce decree specifying a restored or new legal name
A court-approved name change order
A certificate of naturalization showing the new name

There’s a timing wrinkle. If the name change happened more than two years ago (four years for someone under 18), the SSA will ask for an identity document in your prior name as it appears in their records. An expired ID in the old name is acceptable. If you don’t have one, the SSA may still work with an unexpired ID in the new name as long as they can match you to their records.¹

Name-change applications can’t be done online. Form SS-5 has to go in by mail or in person.³

How to Submit Your Application

There is no fee to replace a Social Security card, whichever method you use.⁴

Online

The fastest route, for those eligible, is the SSA’s online portal through a “my Social Security” account. You can use it if all of the following apply:⁵

You’re a U.S. citizen age 18 or older.
You have a driver’s license or state ID from a participating state or the District of Columbia.
You have a U.S. mailing address (APO, FPO, and DPO addresses count).
You are not changing your name, date of birth, place of birth, or gender.

The participating-state requirement is the one people trip over. Not every state DMV connects to the SSA’s verification system. You can check whether your state participates at ssa.gov/ssnumber before starting.

By Mail

If online isn’t an option, mail Form SS-5 and your original supporting documents to your local Social Security office. Photocopies won’t be accepted. The SSA returns the originals by mail after verifying them. A trackable shipping method is worth the extra cost when you’re sending a passport or license. Mailed applications currently take two to four weeks to process and return documents, before the card itself is produced.⁶

In Person

Going to a local Social Security office is the best route if you’d rather not mail originals or your situation is more complex. Staff can verify and hand back your documents the same visit. Some offices require appointments, so call ahead or use the SSA’s office locator first.

Limits on How Many Replacements You Can Get

Federal law caps replacement cards at three per year and ten over a lifetime.⁷ Several situations don’t count against those numbers. Cards issued for a legal name change don’t count, and neither do cards issued to add, change, or remove a restrictive legend such as “Valid for Work Only with DHS Authorization.”⁸ The SSA can also grant case-by-case exceptions in compelling circumstances, such as when the card is needed to prevent significant hardship.

After You Apply

Once the SSA has what it needs, the replacement card typically arrives by mail within seven to ten business days.⁶ Mailed applications add the two-to-four-week document-processing window on top. If the card doesn’t arrive in the expected window, contact the SSA by phone or through your online account.

If a new job needs the card before it arrives, a receipt showing you’ve applied can bridge the gap. Employers completing Form I-9 can accept a receipt for a lost, stolen, or damaged document as temporary proof. The receipt is valid for 90 days from your first day of work, and by day 90 you have to present either the actual replacement card or another acceptable I-9 document.⁹ Receipts cannot be used for jobs lasting fewer than three days.

If the Card Was Stolen

A lost card is an inconvenience. A stolen card is a possible identity-theft problem, and the number itself is more valuable to a thief than the piece of paper. Before or alongside applying for a replacement, the SSA recommends:¹⁰

Report the theft at IdentityTheft.gov or call the FTC at 1-877-438-4338 for a personalized recovery plan.
Contact the SSA if you suspect someone is using your number for work, so your earnings record can be reviewed and corrected.
Alert the IRS at 1-800-908-4490 if a fraudulent tax return has been filed under your number.
Check your credit reports at annualcreditreport.com and consider a fraud alert or credit freeze with the three major bureaus.

Getting an entirely new Social Security number is rare. The SSA considers it only after other remedies have been exhausted and you can show that misuse is still causing harm. A card that’s simply lost, with no sign of fraud, doesn’t qualify; you replace it through the standard process above.¹⁰

1
Social Security Administration. Learn What Documents You Will Need To Get a Social Security Card
2
Social Security Administration. Form SS-5 – Application for a Social Security Card
3
Social Security Administration. How Do I Change or Correct My Name on My Social Security Number Card
4
USAGov. How to Get, Replace, or Correct a Social Security Card
5
Social Security Administration. Request Your Replacement Social Security Card Online
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Social Security Administration. How Long Will It Take To Get a Social Security Card
7
GovInfo. Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 – Section 7213
8
Social Security Administration. Program Operations Manual System – Limits on Replacement SSN Cards
9
USCIS. Receipts
10
Social Security Administration. Identity Theft and Your Social Security Number