How do i update my social security card

If you change your name because of marriage, divorce or another reason, notify the Social Security Administration (SSA) as soon as possible so officials can update your file and send you a new Social Security card.

You'll need to fill out Form SS-5, the standard application for a Social Security card that you can download from the Social Security website. Mail the form or deliver it in person to your local Social Security office, along with original copies of documents proving your legal name change and your identity. 

Local offices fully reopened April 7 after being closed to walk-in traffic for more than two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Social Security recommends calling in advance and scheduling an appointment to avoid long waits. Evidence of the name change could be:

• A marriage certificate. 

• A divorce decree.

• A certificate of U.S. naturalization. 

• A court order granting the name change.

For proof of identity, provide an unexpired, government-issued photo ID such as: 

• A U.S. passport.

• A driver's license. 

• A state-issued ID card.

If you don't have one of these, Social Security also might accept a school, employer or military ID card or a health insurance card. 

You also may need to provide proof of U.S. citizenship if that status is not already reflected in Social Security records. Acceptable documents include:

• A U.S. birth certificate. 

• An unexpired U.S. passport.

• A certification of naturalization. 

• A certificate of citizenship.

• A U.S. consular report of birth abroad. 

Noncitizens must provide immigration documents proving their identity and authorization to work in the United States, along with their foreign passport and a legal record of a name change. The SSA pamphlet "Social Security Numbers for Noncitizens" has details.

Your documents must be originals or certified copies from the agency that issued the original — for example, the county where you received your marriage license. Social Security will not accept photocopies or even notarized copies. The documents will be returned to you. 

You will not be charged to apply for or receive the new card, which should arrive 10 to 14 days after your application is processed. Your Social Security number will not change.

The Social Security website has an interactive page with more detailed information on what you need to get a new card. For name-change requests, click the tab that says “Corrected” under “Type of card." 

Keep in mind

• Failing to notify the Social Security Administration of a name change can have significant consequences. If your legal name does not match the name on your Social Security record, it could prevent the agency from crediting earnings to you or cause delays in processing your tax return. 

• If you aren't changing your name but simply need to replace a lost or stolen Social Security card, you can request a new card online in most states, using your My Social Security account.

  Many people find they need to change or correct their Social Security information when they get married or divorced and change their names. Or they need a replacement Social Security card when they realize they’ve lost their original one or it's been stolen. Here is how to deal with either of those situations.

  Key Takeaways

  • If you want to request a new Social Security card to replace a lost one, you may be eligible to complete the process entirely online.
  • If you want to change your name or other information with Social Security, you'll need to fill out a form and submit supporting documents.
  • In the latter case, you can complete the process by mail or in person at a local Social Security office.

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  How to Request a Social Security Card Replacement

  If all you need is a replacement Social Security card, with no other changes, you can simply request a new card online at the Social Security website. You'll need to be a U.S. citizen age 18 or older with a U.S. mailing address and will have to supply information from a driver’s license or state-issued identification card from a participating state or the District of Columbia.

  Currently, every state but Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, and West Virginia participates in this program. If you're from Alaska, Delaware, and Wisconsin, note that Social Security will only accept a driver's license.

  This service is not yet available to people whose driver’s license or identification card was issued by a U.S. territory, such as Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands.

  Note that a new Social Security card can also be requested by filling out the application and returning it via mail to dropping it off at the local Social Security Administration office. Or applicants can go to the local Social Security Administration office and fill out an application there.

  How to Request a Social Security Card With a Different Name

  The steps to update your card after a name change are similar to those for applying for a card in the first place. You'll need to fill out the Social Security Administration’s Form SS-5: Application for a Social Security Card and gather supporting documents to prove your age, identity, and citizenship status.

  Form SS-5 is a one-page form with 18 items. Most of these items should be easy for you to complete. This form can be printed and filled out by hand or filled out on a PDF form and then printed.

  Steps to Complete Form SS-5

  Here's how to complete the 18 items on the form:

  1. Provide your first name, full middle name, and last name as you want them shown on the card. If you had a different name at birth or previously went by another name, provide those here, as well.
  2. If you previously had a Social Security number, write it here. If not, leave this section blank.
  3. Enter the city and state or foreign country where you were born.
  4. Provide the month, date, and year you were born.
  5. Check the appropriate box to indicate whether you are a U.S. citizen, legal alien allowed to work, legal alien not allowed to work, or “other.” If you fall into one of the latter two categories, you’ll need to submit extra documentation with your Form SS-5 because, as a non-citizen, the government won’t give you a Social Security card unless you can prove that you need one. In that case, you may want to contact the Social Security Administration beforehand to see if you qualify for a number and ask what documentation is required in your situation.
  6. You don’t have to fill out items 6 or 7, which relate to ethnicity and race. But if you want to help with the government’s informational and statistical analysis of SS-5 form users, you can ...
  7. Check the boxes that apply to you.
  8. Do you identify as male or as female? Check the appropriate box. (Those are the only two choices on the current version of the form.)
  9. Provide the names and Social Security numbers (if any) for each of your birth parents, or check the “unknown” boxes if you don’t have this information.
  10. If you’re applying for the card on behalf of a minor, you must supply the parents’ Social Security numbers unless they were never issued one.
  11. Have you ever filed for or received a Social Security card before? Or, if you’re applying on behalf of someone else, has that person ever filed for or received a Social Security card? Check the appropriate box: yes, no, or don’t know. (Otherwise, you can skip to item 14.)
  12. If your answer to item 11 was yes, you’ll need to answer questions 12 and 13, providing the name associated with the previous card and ...
  13. That person's date of birth if different from the one you supplied in item 4.
  14. Provide today’s date.
  15. List a phone number at which someone from the Social Security Administration can call you during the day.
  16. Give the mailing address where you want your new card to arrive.
  17. Sign the form.
  18. This item asks whether you filled out the form for yourself or someone else. If you’re filling out this form for yourself, check “self.” This step exists to help prevent confusion, for example, in a situation where John Smith is filling out the form for his son, also named John Smith. If you’re filling out this form for someone else, check the box that identifies how you’re related to them.

  Documents to Include With Form SS-5

  Once you’ve completed the form, you’ll need to gather the documents you’re required to submit along with it to prove your identity, age, and citizenship status—those of the person you’re applying for a card on behalf of—or both. These documents typically include the following:

  • An original birth certificate or other permissible proof of age, such as a passport, final adoption decree, or religious record of birth. 
  • An unexpired driver’s license, passport, or state ID card to prove your identity, or if you don’t have one of those, a military ID, employee ID, or another identity card.
  • Additional evidence of citizenship, if you are not submitting a birth certificate or ID. If you aren’t a U.S. citizen, you'll need evidence of immigration status.

  The Social Security Administration will only accept originals or copies that are certified by the agency that issued the original. You can’t use photocopies, even notarized ones.

  If you plan to mail your documents to the Social Security Administration, get a certified copy of your driver's license from your state department of motor vehicles instead of sending the original.

  Submitting Your Application, by Mail or in Person

  The final step is to submit the SS-5 form and your original or certified documents to your local Social Security office or card center, either by mail or in person. You can find the address online using the Social Security Administration's Field Office Locator.

  If you apply by mail, the office or center will mail your original documents back to you along with your new Social Security card. (Note that anyone age 12 or older who is requesting an original Social Security number has to appear in person for an interview.)

  One advantage of going in person is that you eliminate the possibility that sensitive or difficult-to-replace personal documents, such as your original birth certificate, driver's license, or passport, will get lost or stolen in the mail. If you have any questions, you can also call that office beforehand and ask which documents you need to bring with you.

  How do I update my social card?

  You'll need to fill out Form SS-5, the standard application for a Social Security card that you can download from the Social Security website. Mail the form or deliver it in person to your local Social Security office, along with original copies of documents proving your legal name change and your identity.

  Where can I update my SSN?

  Contact your local SSA office. You can start your Social Security number (SSN) card application online. Once you've submitted your request, visit your local SSA office for additional guidance for completing your application.

  Why do I need to update my SSN?

  This helps them verify your eligibility to work in the US. If your records are not updated, they may think that you are working illegally. Some disability benefits are also available only to citizens.

  How do I get a new Social Security card in Minnesota?

  The easiest way to request a replacement SSN card is online with a free, personal my Social Security account. You can go to www.ssa.gov/ssnumber and answer a few questions to find out the best way to apply.