Your Social Security number (SSN) is the most important key to tracking your credit, opening a bank account, and even getting a series of benefits and making larger purchases. You can get a card when you are assigned your number. However, what happens if you misplace it?
What other documents have SS numbers on them? We will slowly start to explore all the needed documents you can turn to and why you should keep them safe. We highly recommend reading the entire article, because the information you will find here might prove to be extremely useful in the future!
Documents with Social Security Numbers on them
If, by mistake, you misplaced your SS card and are in dire need of your SS number, you might want to check government-issues documents and those used for financial means.
Now, we will enlist all the documents that have your Social Security numbers on them: tax return forms, U.S. Social Security card, Social Security Administration documentation, W-2 form, DD214 form, NGB 22 form, SSA-1099 form, W-4 Withholding Allowance Certificate, bank statements, bank loans, pay stubs, military records, U.S. Military ID card, Military dependent’s ID card, birth certificate, divorce decree, state-issued identification card, driver’s license, court order granting a name change.
Luckily, as you probably have seen already, there are plenty of options for finding it on your documents.
Contact the guardians
If, by any chance, you lost your Social Security number, it must be extremely frustrating. In this situation, your next best thing is to ask your parents or a legal guardian if they have it. They might potentially have a copy of the card or another important document where you might locate it.
Contact the employer
You can reach out to your current or former employer because they definitely must have a copy of your Social Security number for tax purposes. The SSA asks all employers to check their employees’ Social Security numbers, so they might be able to give them to you.
Request a brand new Social Security card
You can always request a brand new Social Security card if you already tried searching through your documents and checked with your guardians and employer and still didn’t have any luck. Luckily, the process of replacing a lost card is not too difficult, and it’s totally free. All you have to do is request it in two ways: online or in person at the Social Security office.
When you request a new Social Security card online:
- log into your Social Security account or create a new one for free
- click on your profile page
- at the top of the page, select “Replace your Social Security card” option
- answer a couple of questions to establish if you are eligible for an application
- Complete the online form
Request a new Social Security card offline:
- You can easily apply in person at the Social Security office, especially if you’re not a U.S. citizen or don’t have a mailing address. You can visit the closest Social Security office, complete an SS-5 form, and bring proof of U.S. citizenship or immigration status and proof of identity.
As a general rule, it might take around 14 business days for your new card to be fully ready.
Why it’s so important to safeguard documents with a Social Security number
As you probably know, your Social Security number is very sensitive information that you should strive to keep safe and avoid identity theft or fraud. Given your Social Security number is a personal identification with no biometrics, it’s extremely very sensitive to identity theft. If someone keeps your Social Security number, they could even apply for credit cards and loans without paying them back, among many other things.
For instance, if you’ve spent many years building a proper credit score, it could all go down the drain in a matter of days if someone steals your Social Security number. All your benefits, such as medical insurance, can be easily stolen and followed by a painful process, especially if you need to file a specific police report. CPA and award-winning author, Geoffrey M. Schmidt, detailed all the things that someone could do with your SS number.
As he stated, they would also need other information before proceeding to steal your identity. To avoid such an uncomfortable situation, we’d highly recommend you keep the Social Security card separate from other identification. Moreover, I wouldn’t carry it around in my wallet if I were you.
Documents you can submit as proof of your SSN
The best thing about Social Security numbers is that you don’t even need a SS card to use as proof of your number when you apply for a credit, account, or even a driving license. There are so many different documents you might use as proof! Here are some of them:
- Tax return forms
- U.S. Social Security card
- Social Security Administration documentation
- W-2 form
- DD214 form
- NGB 22 form
- SSA-1099 form
- W-4 withholding allowance certificate
- bank statements
- bank loans
- pay stubs
- military records
- The U.S. military ID card
- Military dependent’s ID card
- Birth certificate
- divorce decree
- State-issued identification card
- driver’s license
- court order granting a name change
Unacceptable documents you could submit as proof of SSN
You can’t use tax forms such as the 1040 form, because you are the one who completes it. Hence, it’s not quite accepted as proof of a SS number. You might also not use any name change documents, but a court order document that grants the name change.
Frequently asked questions
What is there to do if someone steals your SSN?
You will have to act quite fast, as you could risk losing money and your entire hard-earned credit score. The very first thing you have to do is make sure the thief can’t use your money. Simply add a security alert to your credit report, also known as a fraud alert.
You could also review all your credit reports and check if there are any signs of identity theft. You might also have to alert the SSA that someone stole your SS number and that you think they might try to use it fraudulently.
Throughout this time, you should definitely pay attention to all your credit reports and check if there’s anything unusual and suspicious coming up that might point to identity theft.
As cybersecurity expert and Berkeley professor Anthony D. Joseph explained, “The alerts will offer important and specific information that you should act upon. It should help protect your credit and identity.”
If, by any chance, your Social Security number was fraudulently stolen or even if your credit report shows someone is already using your number, make sure you file a report with your local police. They will immediately open a case of fraud and identity theft.
Is your SS number on your passport?
No, there’s no chance for your SS number to be on your passport, but you can use it to apply for a passport.
Can I check my Social Security Number online?
Yes, you can easily check your Social Security number on the Social Security Administration verification service for instant results.
Still have a ton of questions about SS? Here’s a great book that might answer some of your questions!
If you found this article insightful, we also recommend checking out: Your Home Can Boost Your Retirement Income: Here’s How
