How to Replace a Social Security Card (Including With No Photo ID or After Release)

Step-by-Step Process

1. 1

   Use SSA’s official replacement-card screener

   Start at ssa.gov/number-card/replace-card. It determines whether your request can be completed online or requires an office visit.

2. 2

   Gather the required original or agency-certified evidence

   Follow SSA’s document list for your request. If you lack primary ID, ask which secondary document SSA will accept before mailing records or visiting.

3. 3

   Arrange an appointment or facility application

   Use SSA’s appointment instructions. If incarcerated, ask the reentry coordinator whether a valid facility MOU applies and who is authorized to certify the prison record.

4. 4

   Confirm delivery and any work-document needs

   SSA mails the card after processing; confirm its current estimate and a reliable mailing address. If you need Form I-9 verification, review all acceptable documents and receipt conditions with the employer.

What You Need

Prison replacement-card MOUs have defined limits

The governing SSA instructions are RM 10225.135 and RM 10225.145. A valid written agreement covers specified facilities and eligible prisoners whose U.S. citizenship is already recorded and whose SSA record needs no changes. Facility officials certify identity under the agreement; this is not a general walk-in release-paper exception. SSA’s national BOP agreement permits qualifying applications within 1 year of release; other agreements set their own timing.

The Form I-9 receipt rule is conditional

A receipt showing an application to replace a lost, stolen or damaged eligible document can generally be used for 90 days from the first day of work, subject to the receipt rules. It is not a general approval notice, an initial-card application or a name-change receipt. A List C receipt also needs acceptable List B identity evidence; other List A or List B/C combinations may be available. Receipts are not acceptable for employment lasting fewer than 3 business days. Present the replacement or other permitted documents by the deadline.

You may not need the physical card for every task

Ask the organization exactly what it needs. For Form I-9, the employee generally chooses from the acceptable document lists; an employer cannot insist on a Social Security card when another valid combination is presented. Different benefit, banking and tax processes may have their own requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does SSA charge for a replacement card?

No. Apply through SSA’s official replacement-card page.

Can I replace a card without a state photo ID?

Possibly. Ask SSA about acceptable secondary evidence for your circumstances. Not every medical printout, benefit card or release paper meets the rules.

Can a prison official apply for me?

A facility with a valid MOU can submit a qualifying replacement application using the prescribed certification process. Citizenship, record-change and agreement conditions apply.

Does every SSA application receipt let me start work?

No. Form I-9 receipt rules generally require replacement of an eligible lost, stolen or damaged document, and the other applicable identity/document requirements still apply.

How long does delivery take?

Use SSA’s current estimate after your application is completed and verified; delivery is by mail and is not guaranteed for a particular start date.