Social Security card

What It Means

A Social Security card is the card the Social Security Administration (SSA) issues to show the Social Security number assigned to a person. For a newbornNewbornA baby in the first 28 days of life, the stage doctors also call the neonatal period. See more, parents can request the number during birth registration at the hospital, and the card comes by mail. Most of the time the number is what you need, and SSA says knowing it is usually enough, so the card can stay at home.

How People Say It

• "Did the baby's Social Security card come in the mail yet?"
• "Just give me your SSN for the tax return, I don't need the card."
• "I haven't changed my name with Social Security since the wedding."

The Breakdown

What the rule says. SSA assigns Social Security numbers and issues the cards, new or replacement, at no charge. The IRS requires each child claimed for the Child Tax CreditChild tax creditA federal tax credit of up to $2,200 per qualifying child under 17 on 2025 returns, partly refundable, with the full amount at incomes up to $200,000 ($400,000 joint). See more to have a Social Security number valid for employment, issued by the due date of your return, extensions included.

Getting one for a newborn

1. At a hospital, a birthing center or with a licensed midwife, ask for a Social Security number when the birth is registered. SSA calls this Enumeration at Birth.
2. The state vital records office sends the birth details to SSA electronically, so you don't have to fill out Form SS-5 or take documents to an office.
3. SSA assigns the number and mails the card. Its FAQ, "How long does it take to get my child's Social Security number?", gives the current wait.

If you didn't request it at birth

• Apply with Form SS-5 and original documents.
• Proof of age: the child's U.S. birth certificateBirth certificateThe official record of a birth, kept by the vital records office of the state or territory where the birth took place. See more. If there isn't one, SSA may accept a religious record made before age 5 or a U.S. hospital birth record.
• Proof of U.S. citizenship: a U.S. birth certificate, a U.S. consular report of birth, a valid U.S. passport, or a Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship.
• Anyone 12 or older applying for a first number must appear in person for an interviewJob interviewA conversation in which an employer asks about your experience and skills to decide whether to offer you a job, and you learn about the role. See more.

Lost card or new name

• Replacements are free. In most states you can request one online through a my Social Security account.
• SSA says the card arrives by mail in 5 to 1010,000 stepsA popular daily step goal that began as the name of a 1960s Japanese pedometer; later studies find health benefits begin well below it. See more business days after it completes the request (checked September 29, 2026).
• Limits: 3 replacement cards a year and 10 in a lifetime. Cards for a legal name change don't count, and SSA can allow exceptions in compelling cases.

Good to Know

Keep the card at home with your other important papers and carry it only when an employer or service provider needs to see it, as SSA advises. After a legal name change from marriage, divorce or a court order, tell Social Security. SSA warns that skipping this can stop your wages from posting to your record correctly, which may lower future benefitsBenefits packageEverything an employer offers on top of wages, such as health insurance, paid leave and a retirement plan, which can be worth thousands of dollars a year. See more and hold up your tax filing. The SSA Office of the Inspector General warned in March 2026 about websites that charge for card services SSA provides for free.

Related Terms and Categories

• Birth certificate

  The official record of a birth, kept by the vital records office of the state or territory where the birth took place.

• Tax dependent

  A qualifying child or qualifying relative you can claim on your federal tax return, which can open credits and a better filing status if every IRS test is met.

• Child tax credit

  A federal tax credit of up to $2,200 per qualifying child under 17 on 2025 returns, partly refundable, with the full amount at incomes up to $200,000 ($400,000 joint).

• Identity theft

  When someone uses your name, account details or other personal information without permission to open accounts, make charges or commit other fraud.

• Newborn

  A baby in the first 28 days of life, the stage doctors also call the neonatal period.

• Life admin

  The everyday paperwork and planning that keeps a life and a household running, such as bills, taxes, forms, renewals and appointments.

Planning and life admin