You can apply for, replace, or modify your Social Security card. You also can find out how to get a different Social Security number.
Social Security cards are free. There is no cost to apply.
If you are requesting a new card, you must apply by mail or in person at a Social Security office. If you need a replacement card and are a U.S. citizen age 18 or older with valid state-issued identification, you can also apply online using your "my Social Security account."
Find a Social Security Office.
Get a new Social Security number.
Required Documents for Applying for a Social Security Card
Your application for a Social Security number and card must include two personal identification documents:
- Your birth certificate or your passport
Plus one of these unexpired photo IDs:
- U.S. driver license
- Non-driver State ID (or non-driver photo ID card)
- Passport
- Employee ID card
- School ID card
- Health insurance card
- U.S. military ID card
Your application in person or by mail must include original documents (not photocopies). Your original IDs will be returned to you.
Apply for a Social Security card.
Required Documents for Replacing a Social Security Card
Your application for a replacement Social Security card must include one of these original, unexpired photo IDs:
- U.S. driver license
- Non-driver State ID (or non-driver photo ID card)
- Passport
- Employee ID card
- School ID card
- Health insurance card
- U.S. military ID card
Your application in person or by mail must include the original ID (not a photocopy). Your original ID will be returned to you.
Replace a Social Security card.
Change your name on your Social Security card.
Additional Assistance
You can get more information and assistance through the Social Security Administration.
Online
Get Social Security information and assistance.
By Phone
- Agency: United States Social Security Administration
- Phone Number: (800) 772-1213
- Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 7 AM - 7 PM
- Staff is available through the automated phone system during business hours. Automated assistance is also available in Spanish. Most languages are available through a staff person.
VALERIE MACON | AFP | Getty Images
Social Security beneficiaries soon will have one more way to seek assistance from the government agency as local offices are slated to reopen this week.
Starting Thursday, April 7, the Social Security Administration will restore in-person services, including for people who do not have appointments, acting Social Security Commissioner Kilolo Kijakazi announced Monday.
The reopening marks a major milestone for the government agency, which mostly shuttered in-person services after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic two years ago.
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During that time, the Social Security Administration pivoted mostly to online and phone services. However, many beneficiaries have complained about long waits on the agency's 800 number. Moreover, government inspections have highlighted the fact that the agency lacks formal procedures for processing mail, which has caused delays for some applications and services.
Even as offices reopen, people should still reach out online or by phone first, according to Kijakazi.
"To avoid waiting in line, I strongly encourage people, who can, to use our online services at www.socialsecurity.gov, call us and schedule appointments in advance rather than walking in without an appointment," Kijakazi said. "Phone appointments can save you a trip to a busy office."
If you show up at a Social Security office without an appointment, you may experience delays or longer wait times.
The offices tend to be busiest first thing in the morning, early in the week and early in the month, according to Kijakazi. "People may want to plan to visit at other times," she said.
If you visit a Social Security office, you will be expected to comply with masking and physical distancing requirements. The agency also asks that visitors monitor their health for Covid-19 symptoms.
Go online first
The Social Security Administration emphasizes that people who are seeking help or more information should first try the agency's website before calling or making an in-person office visit.
Services are available online at www.socialsecurity.gov. By also creating a My Social Security account, people can access personalized services that enable them to request a replacement Social Security card or SSA-1099 tax form, start or change direct deposits or print or download a benefit verification letter.
When to call
If you choose instead to use the agency's 800 number, you may still experience delays, due to a transition to a more modern phone system that is underway.
However, there are times when you may have more luck getting through, such as before 10 a.m., after 4 p.m. or later in the week. Wait times also tend to be shorter later in the month.