How much does a social security replacement card cost

Keeping your Social Security number card in a safe place is vital to protecting you against identity theft.

Never keep it in your purse or wallet — this is the most common way people lose a card.

No matter how hard you try to keep track of your important documents, sometimes they get lost or even stolen.

Getting a replacement Social Security card is free, but you must provide the proper documents. Being prepared will save you time at the Social Security office or card center. To replace a card, you need original or certified copies of these required documents:

•Proof of citizenship: If you have not already established United States citizenship with us, we must see proof with a document such as a U.S. birth certificate or U.S. passport.

•Identity: We accept only certain documents as proof of identity. An acceptable document must be current and show your name, identifying information (date of birth or age) and preferably, a recent photograph. This could be a U.S. driver’s license, state-issued non-driver identification card or U.S. passport.

If you do not have one of these documents, or you cannot get a replacement within 10 days, we will ask to see other documents, including:

• Employee identification card.
• School identification card.
• Health insurance card (not Medicare card).
• U.S. military identification card.

You are limited to three replacement cards in a year or 10 in your lifetime. Legal name changes and other exceptions, such as a change in immigration status, do not count toward these limits.

Also, you may not be affected by these limits if you can prove you need the card to prevent a significant hardship.

What’s more important than having your card is knowing your Social Security number. This is how we identify you, tally your wages correctly, and how we eventually issue accurate retirement benefits. You might not even need your card for identification purposes if you know and consistently use your correct number.

For more information about replacing a lost or stolen Social Security number card, go to www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber.

Kimberly Yellow Robe is the Social Security Administration’s public-affairs specialist in Mesa.

You can replace a lost or stolen Social Security card up to three times in a year and up to 10 times during your lifetime. Getting a new card because of a change in your legal name or citizenship status does not count toward the limits. 

You can request a placement card online, by mail or in person at a local Social Security office. 

Replacing your Social Security card online

To request a replacement card online, you must have a My Social Security account and meet these requirements:

• You are a U.S. citizen age 18 or older.
• You are not changing the name on the card.
• You have a U.S. mailing address (military and diplomatic addresses count).
• You live in a state that shares its computer data with Social Security. As of April 2022, 46 states and the District of Columbia do so. (Alaska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and West Virginia are the exceptions.) The list is updated regularly, so check the Social Security website to see if your state's status has changed.

Replacing your card by mail or in person

If you don’t have an online account or don’t meet any one of the other criteria listed above, you’ll have to fill out an application form and either mail it or take it to your local Social Security office.

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 the Social Security Administration (SSA) recommends calling in advance and scheduling an appointment to avoid long waits.

You’ll need to provide what the SSA calls "primary" proof of identity — either a passport, a driver’s license or a state-issued photo ID card. If you don’t have any of those, Social Security will ask to see a current, “secondary” ID that shows your name; identifying information such as age or date of birth; and, preferably, a recent photograph — for example, an employee, student or U.S. military ID or a health insurance card (but not a Medicare card). 

Social Security typically requires the original of your primary ID document, or a copy certified by the agency that issued it. Photocopies, even if notarized, are not accepted.  

However, the SSA advises against mailing “original primary documents that should be kept secure in your possession.” As an alternative, you may send secondary evidence of identity, or contact your local office about dropping off your evidence or making an appointment. Social Security will return any documents you do submit once they process your new card.  

Your new Social Security card should arrive in the mail in 10 to 14 days. There is no charge. 

Keep in mind

To change the name on your Social Security card, you will need to provide proof of your new name — for example, a marriage certificate, adoption papers or a court order granting the change — and proof of identity and citizenship. These must be originals or certified copies. If you don’t have any of those documents, Social Security may accept an unexpired, state-issued identity document in your new name, provided they can match it to your old name in their records. 

How much is a Social Security card in Alabama?

How can I get a copy of my Social Security ASAP?

Can I get a replacement Social Security card at my local office?

How hard is it to get a new Social Security card?