Social Security Administration · Federal form
Fill out Form SS-5
Application for a Social Security Card 12-2024
From SSA: Use this application to apply for an original Social Security card, apply for a replacement Social Security card, or change or correct information on your Social Security number record. Source
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In-person application. If you are age 12 or older and have never received a Social Security number, you must apply in person. Source
Facts from the official source
Quoted or closely restated from the Social Security Administration's own pages and PDFs, checked .
| Fact | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Issued by | Social Security Administration | Social Security Forms (SSA), entry "SS-5 Application for a Social Security Card" |
| Edition | 12-2024 | Form SS-5 (12-2024), official PDF Form SS-5, page 1, top left (repeated on every page). |
| Current revision | SSA's Forms page links this exact PDF (/forms/ss-5.pdf) as the English form under "SS-5 Application for a Social Security Card"; the PDF served at that link prints Form SS-5 (12-2024). | Social Security Forms (SSA), entry "SS-5 Application for a Social Security Card" SSA Forms page, entry "SS-5 Application for a Social Security Card" (English PDF links /forms/ss-5.pdf). |
| Where it is filed | In most cases, take or mail the signed application with your documents to any Social Security office. Documents you mail are returned to you. | Form SS-5 (12-2024), official PDF Form SS-5 (12-2024) UF, page 3, How to Submit This Application. |
| Fee | Applying for a Social Security Card is free. | Form SS-5 (12-2024), official PDF Form SS-5 (12-2024) UF, page 1, under the title. |
| Evidence documents | SSA needs a properly completed application and the required evidence before it can process the application. It accepts only original documents or documents certified by the custodian of the original record; notarized copies or uncertified photocopies are not acceptable. Documents are returned. | Form SS-5 (12-2024), official PDF Form SS-5 (12-2024) UF, page 1, IMPORTANT. |
| Applying for someone else | If you complete the application on behalf of someone else, you must provide evidence of your authority to sign it, plus documents proving your identity and the identity of the person you are filing for. | Form SS-5 (12-2024), official PDF Form SS-5 (12-2024) UF, page 2, Evidence Documents. |
| Ink and paper | Complete and sign the application legibly using only black or blue ink, on 8 1/2 x 11 inch (or A4) paper. | Form SS-5 (12-2024), official PDF Form SS-5 (12-2024) UF, page 3, How to Complete This Application. |
| Who signs | If you are 18 or older and physically and mentally capable of reading and completing the application, you must sign in item 17. If you are under 18, you may sign yourself, or a parent or legal guardian may sign for you. | Form SS-5 (12-2024), official PDF Form SS-5 (12-2024) UF, page 3, item 17. |
| In-person application | If you are age 12 or older and have never received a Social Security number, you must apply in person. | Form SS-5 (12-2024), official PDF Form SS-5 (12-2024) UF, page 1, Original Social Security Card. |
| Replacement card limits | Public Law 108-458 limits replacement Social Security cards to 3 per calendar year and 10 in a lifetime. Cards issued for legal name changes or changes to a work authorization legend do not count toward these limits. | Form SS-5 (12-2024), official PDF Form SS-5 (12-2024) UF, page 1, Limits on Replacement Social Security Cards. |
| Official instructions | The instructions are printed in the form itself: evidence documents on page 2, how to complete and how to submit the application on page 3. | Form SS-5 (12-2024), official PDF Form SS-5 (12-2024) UF, page 3. |
| Prior editions | Discontinue Prior Editions | Form SS-5 (12-2024), official PDF Form SS-5 (12-2024) UF, page 1 and page 5, header. |
What is on the form
- Items 1 to 4
- Name to be shown on card, full name at birth if different, other names used; Social Security number previously assigned; place of birth; date of birth. Form SS-5, page 5
- Items 5 to 8
- Citizenship; ethnicity and race (voluntary); sex. Form SS-5, page 5
- Items 9 and 10
- Parent/mother's name at her birth and Social Security number; parent/father's name and Social Security number (or Unknown). Form SS-5, page 5
- Items 11 to 13
- Whether a card was filed for or received before, name on the most recent card, and any different date of birth used on an earlier application. Form SS-5, page 5
- Items 14 to 18
- Today's date, daytime phone number, mailing address, signature and relationship to the person in item 1. Form SS-5, page 5
- For SSA use only
- Office block below the signature line, marked "Do not write below this line". Form SS-5, page 5
Checked by PDF Tower: the official PDF has 5 pages and 70 fillable fields (46 text, 24 checkbox or radio), 149 KB. SHA-256 281da43ef49cb741…, computed .
Edition and revisions
- Edition on this page: 12-2024.
Sources
- Social Security Forms (SSA), entry "SS-5 Application for a Social Security Card" Retrieved .
- Form SS-5 (12-2024), official PDF Retrieved .
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