what information do i need to get a social security card

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Have you lot misplaced your kid's Social Security carte du jour? Or even more unsettling, has information technology been stolen? Y'all might recall your child'south bill of fare can't be misused if he or she is underage. Unfortunately, that'southward not the case.

Jump ahead to these sections:

• Why Should I Supersede My Child's Card?
• Pace 1: Firsthand Actions You Demand to Take
• Step 2: Get together Documents
• Footstep 3: Complete Awarding
• Step 4: Submit
• What if My Child Doesn't Have a Bill of fare?
• How Can I Prevent Fraud?

In 2017, more than 1 million children were victims of identity theft. Well-nigh at risk are children under historic period 7. Thieves tin create new identities using a mix of your child's identification and imitation information to open new lines of credit on homes, motorcar loans, and fifty-fifty personal loans. Social Security theft impacts your child'southward future in other ways, too. It can disqualify your kid from fiscal and college scholarships or even deny him or her employment later on in life.

Nosotros'll testify you how to supervene upon your kid's Social Security carte and learn some action steps you can take to prevent fraud.

Mail-loss tip:If dealing with social security details is a part of handling the unfinished business for an developed kid who has passed, at that place are many other emotional and technical aspects of this process that can exist overwhelming without a way to organize. We have a postal service-loss checklist that will assistance you ensure that your loved one'due south family unit, manor, and other affairs are taken care of.

Why Should I Supersede My Child'due south Card?

Technically, you don't need your child's Social Security bill of fare, but you lot practice need the number for virtually things. It's non oft anyone or any entity asks for proof of the concrete card.

You will as well need the number if you plan to open a bank account for your child, get him or her medical coverage, or add your child to your federal and state tax returns. Nonetheless, there is a lifetime and yearly limit to replacing cards. You lot can replace your own and your child's card three times a year or ten times per lifetime.

Memorize your child's number to be rubber then that even if the card is lost, you'll exist able to complete most documents. Call up, a Social Security card is a government document that should remain in your hands. Before you supplant your child's card, hither are the firsthand steps you need to have at present to protect your kid'due south identity.

Step 1: Take Immediate Activity

First, take a deep breath. There'southward a chance that a Good Samaritan establish your child's menu and mailed information technology back to the Social Security office. Even so, in case that didn't happen, here's what you lot need to do:

• File a police report with your local law enforcement agency. Make sure to proceed a copy of the report for your records. Police documentation will assistance you build a case if you demand to file reports with banks or creditors later on.
• Freeze your child's credit. You may be hypervigilant most watching your credit report, but if you've lost your child'south Social Security card, your child's credit is compromised as well. Thirty-two states allow you to freeze your child'southward credit written report on their behalf. Complete a freeze request course for each major credit bureau (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax). Freezing your child's credit will forestall thieves from opening credit lines under your kid'south proper name.
• Confident the carte was stolen? File an identity theft report. This free government service volition create a personalized recovery plan for your family.

Finally, y'all will need to replace your child'due south Social Security card. We've put together the data you lot need to know in the rest steps below.

Step 2: Gather Documents

You lot'll need to have ii types of documentation to your local Social Security role in gild to become a new card for your kid. Keep in listen the Social Security office merely accepts unexpired original documents or certified copies — no notarized copies or photocopies.

Get-go, you will need to prove your child's identity, citizenship, and historic period. The merely document you tin can use to prove all iii at the same fourth dimension is a U.S. passport. You tin also use the following:

• Schoolhouse ID card
• Country issued-ID card
• Religious record
• Certified copy of a medical record (clinic, md, or infirmary)
• Health insurance/Medicaid bill of fare

You lot will besides demand to prove your child's age. Some of the documents the SSA function accepts are:

• U.Southward. hospital record of your kid's birth
• Religious record before age five
• U.S. passport

Lastly, to prove citizenship, you may use your child'south U.S passport or nascency certificate. You lot tin can likewise utilize:

• Document of Naturalization
• Consular Written report of Birth Abroad
• Certificate of Citizenship

It'southward easiest to utilise a document that proves more than one requirement. You can use a religious record to prove both your kid's age and identity, or you can use a birth certificate to prove both age and citizenship. Make sure to verify documents with the Social Security Administration before moving to pace three beneath.

Finally, you will need to verify your identity and relationship with your child. The certificate needs to show your proper noun and photograph, such equally a commuter's license, state ID menu, or U.South. passport. To verify your relationship, the birth document above will be enough, but y'all can use an adoption decree or courtroom order of patronage, too (depending on your relationship with the child).

Step three: Complete Application

Next, you lot will need to complete an awarding for a new Social Security card. You can fill out the grade and sign information technology on behalf of your underage child equally long as he or she is under 18 years old.

In one case you put this course together with your gathered documents, you lot tin can movement to step iv.

Stride 4: Submit

You volition need to take your application for a replacement carte du jour (along with your and your child's documents) to your local Social Security office or mail it. It'southward important to note that y'all cannot consummate your child's awarding online, though you can request an adult card online.

If y'all visit a few minutes before your local Social Security role opens, you lot could exist in and out in as little as 15 minutes. Wait times will be longer later in the day.

Mailing an application is riskier. Y'all may want to visit in person to avoid essential documents (like your kid's passport and nativity certificate) getting lost in the mail. If you do choose to mail your kid's application, these documents volition exist mailed back to you.

Ultimately, you tin await your child'south carte du jour in your mailbox within seven to 15 days.

What If My Child Doesn't Have a Carte?

Y'all can follow these steps to file for a new card if your child doesn't already have a card.

Proceed in listen that children over 12 years of historic period need to announced to the Social Security office in person for an interview.

How Can I Prevent Fraud?

Hither are some tips you tin can apply to secure your kid's identity now and into the hereafter. Here are some tips:

• Never carry your kid's carte in your wallet . Go on anybody'due south Social Security card forth with other necessary documents at home or in a safety eolith box at a bank. Information technology's a good idea to employ a water and fireproof lockbox to make certain these documents stay prophylactic in an emergency if you go on information technology at home.
• Keep your child's Social Security number on a dissever slice of newspaper. Write down the number and put it in your lockbox just so yous have the number handy.
• Don't requite out your child'southward (or your own) Social Security number unless you lot absolutely have to. It might surprise you to know that most medical offices, hospitals, and schools don't demand your child'southward Social Security number. Retrieve, in one case y'all requite out your number, it'south more challenging to protect it.
• Shred of import documents. It's non uncommon for thieves to look through landfills or your dumpster for personal information.
• Periodically check your child's credit report (or make sure he or she doesn't have 1). Your child shouldn't have a credit report until he takes out his first school loan, apartment, or line of credit. It'south a good idea, especially every bit your kid grows, to check his credit report. Experian offers a complimentary one-time scan of your child's Social Security number.
• Fix for the future. All of these steps above are an important way to ready for the dubiety of tomorrow. Whether you honor someone's life with a virtual GatheringUs celebration or you lot create a clear guardianship and estate plan, it's important to look ahead.

Programme for Your Child's Hereafter

Keeping your child'due south Social Security number secure is an important step toward keeping his or her benefits safe — like Social Security benefits for his or her future family. Children abound upwardly fast, and it's important to think about his or her later on-in-life experiences, also.

Information technology's never also early to programme well for yourself too. Block tin can assist yous store your will, name an manor casher, and secure your legal documents safely online. Cake'southward free online profile ensures that all of your end-of-life resources are in one identify so you won't have to worry about replacing a lost document ever again.

If you're looking for more ways to protect or store important documents, check out our guides on how to shop important documents and how long you should keep documents.

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Sources

1. "How practice I supervene upon a Social Security carte du jour for a child?" Social Security Administration. www.FAQ.SSA.gov.
2. "Kid Identity Fraud Hit More I Million U.S. Victims in 2017" Javelin Strategy & Research group. www.javelinstrategy.com/node/59561
3. "U.Due south. Citizen/Child — Replacement Social Security Card" Social Security Assistants. www.ssa.gov

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