Form SS-5 - Application for a Social Security Card

What Form SS-5 is

Form SS-5, Application for a Social Security Card, is the form the Social Security Administration (SSA) uses to issue an original Social Security number card, replace a lost or stolen card, or correct information on an existing Social Security record, such as a legal name change.

Who typically needs it

People applying for a first Social Security number use this form, most often a parent applying on behalf of a newborn or a new lawful immigrant. It is also used by anyone who needs a replacement card after losing theirs, and by people updating their record after a legal name change, a corrected date of birth, or a change in citizenship or immigration status.

What you need before you start

• For an original card: two original or certified documents proving age, identity, and U.S. citizenship or current lawful immigration status
• For a replacement card: one original or certified document proving your identity, plus citizenship or immigration status evidence if you were born outside the United States
• For a record correction: documents proving your identity and supporting the specific change, such as a court order for a name change
• Your current mailing address and daytime phone number
• If applying for a child under 18, the parents' Social Security numbers, unless a parent was never assigned one

How to fill out Form SS-5 online with PDF Editify

Open the Form SS-5 template page and click "Fill Template Now." The form opens in the editor with every field ready to type into.

Items 1 to 3. Name, prior number and place of birth

Enter the full legal name to appear on the card, any different name at birth, other names used, any Social Security number already assigned to this person, and the city and state or country of birth.

Items 4 to 8. Date of birth, citizenship, ethnicity, race and sex

Enter the full four-digit year of birth, then check the box matching current citizenship or immigration status. The ethnicity and race questions are voluntary and used only for statistics; they do not affect the application.

Items 9 and 10. Parents' information

Provide the mother's name at birth and the father's name. For an original card for a child under 18, also provide each parent's Social Security number, or check "Unknown" if a parent was never assigned one.

Items 11 to 13. Prior card history

State whether a Social Security card was ever filed for or received before for this person. If yes, give the name shown on the most recent card and any different date of birth used on an earlier application.

Items 14 to 16. Date, phone and mailing address

Enter today's date, a daytime phone number, and the address where the card should be mailed in 7 to 14 days.

Items 17 and 18. Signature and relationship

Sign in item 17 and state in item 18 whether you are signing for yourself or as a parent, legal guardian, or other authorized person.

Signing, and where and how to submit

Draw, type or upload your signature on item 17 in the editor; see how signing works on PDF Editify. Download the completed form, print it, and bring or mail it with your original or certified evidence documents to a Social Security office or Card Center; SSA returns any documents you mail. Find your local office at secure.ssa.gov. Anyone age 12 or older applying for an original number must apply in person, not by mail.

Deadlines and fees

There is no fee to apply for an original Social Security card, a replacement, or a record correction. There is no fixed filing deadline, since the form is submitted whenever a card is first needed, lost, or a record needs correcting. Public Law 108-458 limits replacement cards to 3 per calendar year and 10 in a lifetime, with exceptions for name or work-authorization changes. Checked October 2026 against the SSA website and the Form SS-5 (12-2024) revision.

Common mistakes

• Sending notarized copies or uncertified photocopies instead of original or custodian-certified documents, which SSA cannot accept
• Writing a two-digit year instead of the full four-digit year of birth in item 4
• Leaving a parent's Social Security number blank in item 9.B or 10.B for a child's original card instead of checking "Unknown" when it does not apply
• Adding extra notes on the signature line in item 17, which can invalidate the application
• Applying by mail for an original number at age 12 or older instead of in person, as SSA requires