When Does the IRS Send Out IP PINs? Mailing Window & Retrieval

The IRS mails new Identity Protection PINs on CP01A notices each December and January, before filing season opens. That yearly mailing only goes to taxpayers the IRS enrolled after a confirmed case of tax-related identity theft. If you joined the IP PIN program voluntarily, nothing arrives in your mailbox; you have to log into your IRS online account each year and pull the new number yourself.

The December–January Mailing Window

CP01A notices go out by postal mail in December and January.¹ The notice carries your six-digit IP PIN for the coming filing season along with instructions on where it goes on your federal return. A new number is generated every year, so the PIN from last January is dead the moment the new one is issued.²

Watch your mail through the whole window. Once the notice arrives, file it with your tax records so you can find it in April.

The IRS never sends IP PINs by email, text, or social media. Any electronic message claiming to deliver one is a scam, and suspicious IRS-related emails can be forwarded to phishing@irs.gov.³

Who Actually Receives a Mailed Notice

This is where people go wrong. Only taxpayers enrolled by the IRS as confirmed identity theft victims get a CP01A automatically each year. Anyone who opted into the IP PIN program voluntarily through an IRS online account will not receive one in the mail and has to log in and retrieve the number every calendar year.⁴

If you signed up on your own and sit waiting for a notice that will never come, you can end up scrambling in April or filing without the PIN and getting the return rejected. Make online retrieval part of your January routine.

Retrieving Your IP PIN Online

Whether your CP01A is late, lost, or was never coming, the IRS online account is the fastest source for your current IP PIN. The tool is available around the clock and displays the number as soon as you log in.²

If you don’t have an account yet, you’ll need to create one and verify your identity through ID.me, which requires a government-issued photo ID and a video selfie the system matches against the ID. Existing ID.me credentials from another federal service work here too.⁴

Once you’re in, go to the Profile tab and the current IP PIN appears. The same number also applies to any prior-year returns you file during the current calendar year, so the tool covers amended and late returns as well.²

If You Can’t Verify Online

Not everyone clears the online identity check. The IRS offers three fallbacks, and each is slower than the last, so pick based on how much time you have before you plan to file.

Call the IP PIN Help Line

The IP PIN help line is 800-908-4490, open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time (Alaska and Hawaii use Pacific time).⁵ Have your name, date of birth, Social Security number, and the filing status from a prior return ready. If the representative can verify you, the IRS mails the IP PIN to your address on file within 21 days. They will not read the number over the phone.²

International callers can use 267-941-1000 (not toll-free), 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern time.⁵

Submit Form 15227

Form 15227, Application for an Identity Protection Personal Identification Number, is available if online and phone verification aren’t options. You need a valid SSN or ITIN, access to a telephone, and adjusted gross income below $84,000 (or $168,000 married filing jointly) on your most recent filed return.⁴

After the IRS receives the form, they call the phone number you listed to verify your identity, then mail the IP PIN. Delivery usually takes four to six weeks. If that wait pushes you past April 15, you can file Form 4868 for an automatic extension without an IP PIN, since the number is only required on Form 1040 and its variants.²

Visit a Taxpayer Assistance Center

The last option is a local Taxpayer Assistance Center. Schedule an appointment ahead of time; walk-ins are not prioritized, and arriving more than 15 minutes late without checking in can cancel the appointment.⁶ Bring a current government-issued photo ID plus a second form of identification. Requesting an IP PIN for a dependent means bringing two forms of ID for the dependent as well, such as a birth certificate and Social Security card.⁴

If You Moved, the Notice Follows Your Old Address

The CP01A goes to whatever address the IRS has on file, which is normally the address on your most recent return. A missed address update means a missed notice. Update it well before December: you can file Form 8822, put the change on your next return, send a signed written statement, or notify the IRS in person or by phone. Processing takes four to six weeks, so don’t wait until December to send it.⁷

A change of address filed with the U.S. Postal Service may reach the IRS through the National Change of Address database, but the IRS recommends notifying them directly, because not all post offices forward government mail reliably.

Dependents on the Return

If any dependent listed on your return has been assigned an IP PIN, that number has to appear on the return the same way yours does. A missing or wrong dependent IP PIN rejects an e-filed return.²

Dependents under 18 cannot use the IRS online account to enroll or retrieve an IP PIN, and a minor’s IP PIN cannot be pulled through the online tool at all.⁸ Build the extra weeks into your filing plan.

1
Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your CP01A Notice
2
Internal Revenue Service. Frequently Asked Questions About the Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN)
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Internal Revenue Service. Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2026: IRS Reminds Taxpayers to Watch Out for Dangerous Threats
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Internal Revenue Service. Get an Identity Protection PIN
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Internal Revenue Service. Retrieve Your Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN)
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Internal Revenue Service. Contact Your Local IRS Office
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Internal Revenue Service. Address Changes
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Internal Revenue Service. Retrieve Your Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN)Get an Identity Protection PIN