Apply for a Social Security Number for a Baby

Applying for a Social Security (SS) number for your baby is important because you will need your baby’s SS number for a number of reasons. For example, if you want to claim your child as a dependent on your income tax return, buy a savings bond for the child, get medical coverage for her, or apply for other government services, you will normally need to provide her SS number.[1] The simplest method of doing so is to apply for one at the same time that you provide information for your baby’s birth certificate while still at the hospital soon after she is born. If you wait to apply later at a Social Security Administration (SSA) office, you may face delays as the SSA office will need to verify your baby’s birth certificate in that case.[1] Also note that there are special rules for applying for an SS number for foreign-born adopted children.

Steps

Applying at a Hospital in the United States

  1. Write ‘yes’ on the birth certificate application. If your baby is born in a hospital located in the United States, then you will apply for a birth certificate at the hospital soon after your baby is born. When you are providing information for your baby’s birth certificate, you will be asked if you want to apply for an SS number for your baby. Mark ‘yes’ in the appropriate space on the birth certificate application.[1]
  2. Provide both parents’ SS numbers if known. If you say ‘yes’ to applying for an SS number for your baby along with her birth certificate application, you should provide both parents’ SS numbers if known. However, it is still possible to apply for an SS number for your baby without this information.[1]
  3. Wait for the SS card in the mail. Applying for an SS number for your baby at the hospital is voluntary, but if you do apply for an SS number along with your baby’s birth certificate application, then the state agency that issues birth certificates will share the baby’s information with the Social Security Administration (SSA). The SSA will then mail you your baby’s SS card.[1]
    • Applying for an SS card for your baby at the hospital is a much more efficient way of getting an SS number for your baby. If you choose instead to apply at an SSA office later, this could add up to 12 weeks of processing time because the SSA would need to verify your baby’s birth certificate from the office that issued it. This verification process is designed to prevent people from using fraudulent birth records to obtain SS numbers.[1]
    • Know that in some localities, the Post Office will not deliver your baby’s SS card unless her name is on your mailbox.[1]

Applying at an SSA Office for a U.S. Citizen Baby

  1. Fill out the application. If you choose to apply for an SS number for your baby at an SSA office, you will need to fill out an Application for a Social Security Card (Form SS-5), available here. This form is a fillable PDF and can be filled online before printing or printed out and filled in ink. The forms are also available at SSA offices and can be filled out on the day of application. The information required on the form includes:[2]
    • Your baby’s name;
    • Your baby’s place and date of birth;
    • Your baby’s citizenship status;
    • Voluntary information about your baby’s ethnicity and race;
    • Your baby’s sex;
    • Yours and your spouse’s names and SS numbers. If SS number(s) are not known, mark “unknown”.
    • Your mailing address;
    • Your relationship to the baby (e.g. natural, adoptive parent or legal guardian);
    • Your signature and the date the application is submitted.
  2. Gather supporting documents. Along with your application, you will need to present supporting documents that prove your baby’s identity, age, and U.S. citizenship, as well as documents proving your own identity.[1]
    • For proof of U.S. citizenship, the acceptable documents include a U.S. birth certificate, U.S. passport, Certificate of Naturalization, or Certificate of Citizenship.[1] Note that all babies born in the United States (with a few minor exceptions) have a birthright to U.S. citizenship.[3]
    • To prove your baby’s age, you need to provide her birth certificate if she was born in the United States. If a birth certificate is known to exist, you must provide it with your application. However, if a birth certificate does not exist, the SSA may be able to accept a religious record showing the baby’s date of birth, a U.S. hospital record of birth, or a passport.[1]
    • If the child was born outside the United States (but is still a U.S. citizen through parentage[4]), then you need to provide a foreign birth certificate (if you have one or can get a copy within 10 business days). If that is not possible, the SSA may be able to accept a Certificate of Birth Abroad, a Certificate of Report of Birth, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a Certificate of Naturalization, or a passport.[1]
    • The SSA will only accept certain documents to prove your child’s identity. The document must be current (not expired) and show your baby’s name, other identifying information and, preferably, a photograph. A non-photo ID may be acceptable in general if the document has enough information to identify the baby without the photo (e.g. the child’s name and age, date of birth, or parents’ names).[1]
    • To prove your child’s identity, the SSA generally prefers to see your child’s U.S. passport, but if that is not available, you can provide a state-issued ID card, an adoption decree, a doctor or clinic or hospital record, a religious record, or a school or daycare center record.[1]
    • To prove your own identity, you will need to provide a U.S. driver’s license, a state ID card, or a U.S. passport. If you do not have any of these, then you will be asked to provide an Employee ID card, a School ID card, a Health insurance card, a U.S. military ID card, or a life insurance policy. Note that these must be originals or copies certified by the issuing agency; notarized copies or photocopies are not acceptable.[1]
    • Note that you must provide at least TWO documents in total to fulfill requirements of proving age, identity, and citizenship. One document can be used more than once (e.g. your baby’s U.S. passport can be used both to prove citizenship and identity, or a birth certificate can be used to prove both age and citizenship) but you need a minimum of two documents for your baby.
  3. Take the supporting information to your nearest SSA office. Take the supporting information and the application form if you filled or printed one out already. You can use the SSA office locator, available here, to get a list of SSA offices near you.
    • Forms are also available at the SSA office and can be filled out at the time of application.
    • Once your forms are checked and your supporting documents verified, your application will be submitted and you will receive your baby’s SS card with her SS number printed on the front in the mail usually a few weeks after submitting the application.[1]
    • Remember that your baby’s name may be required to appear on your mailbox in some localities for the Post Office to deliver mail in your baby’s name.[1]

Applying for a Social Security Number for Foreign-Born Adopted Children

  1. Fill out the application. If you are adopting a foreign-born baby, your baby automatically acquires U.S. citizenship after recent changes to the law.[5] In the case of foreign-born adopted children, the application form is the same as for other children but the supporting documentation and procedures might differ slightly. Begin by filling out the application form (Form SS-5), available here. This form is a fillable PDF and can be filled online before printing or printed out and filled in ink. The forms are also available at SSA offices and can be filled out on the day of application.
  2. Take your DHS documents to the SSA office. The difference between other applications and applications for foreign-born adopted children is that although foreign-born adopted children now acquire U.S. citizenship automatically, they do not have proof of U.S. citizenship traditionally used for SS card applications. In this case, you can take the immigration documents issued to you by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for your adopted baby. Submit the application with the DHS documents and the SSA will issue your baby an SS number. Note that at this stage, your baby's record with the SSA will not show that she is a U.S. citizen, and you will require a proof of citizenship document to update her record later.[5]
  3. Prove your child's age. Just as in the case of other children, you will need to prove your baby's age to the SSA office. You can use your child's foreign birth certificate to prove her age.[5]
  4. Prove your child's identity. Just as in the case of other children, you will need to prove your baby's identity to the SSA office. Acceptable identity documents, all of which must be originals or certified by the issuing agency, include:[5]
    • The adoption record;
    • A United States DHS immigration document;
    • Doctor, clinic or hospital records;
    • Daycare center or school records;
    • A religious record (e.g. a Baptismal record).
  5. Revisit the SSA office to update your baby's citizenship record. The Child Citizenship Act 2000 grants a foreign-born adopted child automatic citizenship without a citizenship document. However, you can apply for a proof of citizenship document for your foreign-born adopted baby (e.g. a Certificate of Citizenship from DHS or a U.S. passport from the Department of State). Either one of these documents can be used to prove your baby's U.S. citizenship. Take one of these documents with you again to the SSA office to update their records so that the SSA records now show that your child is a U.S. citizen.

Tips

  • If your child is in the process of being adopted by you, the SSA can still assign an SS number for your child, but it might be a good idea to wait until the adoption is complete so that you can then apply using your child’s new name with your name as parent.[1] If you want to claim your child for income tax purposes while her adoption application is pending, contact the Internal Revenue Service for Form W-7A, which is an Application for Taxpayer Identification Number for Pending U.S. Adoptions, available here.
  • An SS card is issued free of charge. If someone illegally attempts to charge you for social security services, call the Office of the Inspector General hotline toll-free at 1-800-269-0271.[1]
  • Your baby’s SS card is an important document that you should keep safe. Do not carry it with you and do not share your baby’s SS number with persons not authorized or required to have this information.[1]
  • Lost SS cards may be replaced but know that you are generally limited to three replacement cards in a year and 10 during a lifetime. Legal name changes and other changes in your citizenship status do not count towards this limit. There are also exceptions to this rule, such as if you can show that not having an SS card would cause you significant hardship.[1]
  • It is against the law to use someone else’s SS number, to provide false information when applying for an SS number or to alter, buy, or sell SS cards. If you suspect someone is misusing your child’s SS number or card fraudulently, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission by visiting this website or calling 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338) or TTY—1-866-653-4261.[1]
  • If you have any questions, contact the SSA toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 or TTY—1-800-325-0778, or by visiting this website.
  • If your child is not a U.S. citizen, note that there are certain conditions that need to be met (such as the right to legally work in the U.S.) before the SSA will issue an SS number to a non-citizen, which means your non-citizen child may not be able to get an SS card. Lawfully admitted non-citizens can get various benefits without an SS number, such as registering for school, getting private health insurance, applying for school lunch programs or subsidized housing. Most organizations will be able to identify your baby in their records if you request means other than an SS number to identify her.[6]
  • If you want to claim your non-citizen baby as a dependent for tax purposes and she does not have an SS number, you will need an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number from the IRS for her.[7] This application form and information are available here.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10023.pdf
  2. ↑ http://www.ssa.gov/forms/ss-5.pdf
  3. ↑ http://www.uscis.gov/policymanual/HTML/PolicyManual-Volume12-PartH-Chapter3.html
  4. ↑ http://www.uscis.gov/us-citizenship/citizenship-through-parents
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 http://www.ssa.gov/people/immigrants/children.html
  6. ↑ http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/EN-05-10096.pdf
  7. ↑ https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/tax-tips/Taxes-101/Claiming-a-Non-Citizen-Spouse-and-Children-On-Your-Taxes-/INF27549.html
Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Apply_for_a_Social_Security_Number_for_a_Baby&oldid=276727"