4 ms·

Fun fact, if you're unlucky enough to replace your Social Security card 10 times, they will no longer issue them to you anymore. It is a lifetime limit, and the

Fun fact, if you're unlucky enough to replace your Social Security card 10 times, they will no longer issue them to you anymore. It is a lifetime limit, and they fan it out to 3 per year. Oddly enough, if you legally change your name, they will send you a new one regardless of the limit.

Tangurena2 3mo ago
Afterwards, you have to make an appointment to see them in person. Until then, you can order them online or via snailmail.
ButlerianJihad 3mo ago
The circumstances in which you actually need to physically present your Social Security card are quite rare indeed. In fact, that is the first thing I was told by the ssa dot gov site, when I applied to receive a new card. It is very unlikely that you will be asked, even by a prospective employer, for your actual card, because let's face it: it doesn't even have a photo, or anything but that unique number on it. Anyone trying to authenticate your number should be satisfied if you can give them the correct number. And just for review: SSNs are not a "national ID" and you're typically not required to divulge it to private parties, and they can make up some other unique ID for you in their database. It's usually just a shortcut for them to do a background or credit check on you. And that's not something for which they would need your physical card. That being said, I've replaced my card about 3 times now, and it was comparatively difficult this time around. The first time, I did it all through the mail (the process of building up from no ID to get birth certificate from out-of-state, to the SSA card, to the in-state driver license.) and the second time it arrived by mail, no hassle. But this time around, even though I applied online, I was directed to make an appointment at the field office and physically walk in there, to prove my humanity. I had never been to an SSA Field Office in my life! The experience was very chill, and there were a dozen windows serving people, while about 4 of us waited in the lobby, and I was in-and-out half an hour early. The civil servant was a lady in good spirits who was a military veteran. Big props to them!
- ghaff 3mo ago
  I no longer have an SS card--which was in a wallet stolen years ago--or, perhaps, a birth certificate which I looked for recently but couldn't find. I do have a passport.
- ilamont 3mo ago
  > The circumstances in which you actually need to physically present your Social Security card are quite rare indeed. In my state, it's one of the allowed document types for proof of social security number, required to get a real ID drivers license. https://www.mass.gov/doc/ma-real-id-documents-checklist/download https://www.mass.gov/doc/ma-real-id-documents-checklist/down...
  - Dylan16807 3mo ago
    To get one, but not to renew it, so that's still pretty rare.
    - ghaff 3mo ago
      In MA, there are a number of documents you can use. I don't have a Social Security card and haven't had in decades and got my REALID.
- irjustin 3mo ago
  > SSNs are not a "national ID" That's not what they are, but that's what they've defacto become. I hate it.
  - reaperducer 3mo ago
    Is that still true? Except for certain industries where the government has a direct interest (banking, healthcare, real estate), I don't think anyone has asked for my SSN in at least a decade. It's not like the old days when you'd fork over your SSN to rent videos at Blockbuster.
    - 3mo ago
tomaskafka 3mo ago
[flagged]

Tangurena2 3mo ago

Afterwards, you have to make an appointment to see them in person. Until then, you can order them online or via snailmail.

ButlerianJihad 3mo ago

The circumstances in which you actually need to physically present your Social Security card are quite rare indeed. In fact, that is the first thing I was told by the ssa dot gov site, when I applied to receive a new card. It is very unlikely that you will be asked, even by a prospective employer, for your actual card, because let's face it: it doesn't even have a photo, or anything but that unique number on it. Anyone trying to authenticate your number should be satisfied if you can give them the correct number. And just for review: SSNs are not a "national ID" and you're typically not required to divulge it to private parties, and they can make up some other unique ID for you in their database. It's usually just a shortcut for them to do a background or credit check on you. And that's not something for which they would need your physical card. That being said, I've replaced my card about 3 times now, and it was comparatively difficult this time around. The first time, I did it all through the mail (the process of building up from no ID to get birth certificate from out-of-state, to the SSA card, to the in-state driver license.) and the second time it arrived by mail, no hassle. But this time around, even though I applied online, I was directed to make an appointment at the field office and physically walk in there, to prove my humanity. I had never been to an SSA Field Office in my life! The experience was very chill, and there were a dozen windows serving people, while about 4 of us waited in the lobby, and I was in-and-out half an hour early. The civil servant was a lady in good spirits who was a military veteran. Big props to them!

ghaff 3mo ago
I no longer have an SS card--which was in a wallet stolen years ago--or, perhaps, a birth certificate which I looked for recently but couldn't find. I do have a passport.
ilamont 3mo ago
> The circumstances in which you actually need to physically present your Social Security card are quite rare indeed. In my state, it's one of the allowed document types for proof of social security number, required to get a real ID drivers license. https://www.mass.gov/doc/ma-real-id-documents-checklist/download https://www.mass.gov/doc/ma-real-id-documents-checklist/down...
- Dylan16807 3mo ago
  To get one, but not to renew it, so that's still pretty rare.
  - ghaff 3mo ago
    In MA, there are a number of documents you can use. I don't have a Social Security card and haven't had in decades and got my REALID.
irjustin 3mo ago
> SSNs are not a "national ID" That's not what they are, but that's what they've defacto become. I hate it.
- reaperducer 3mo ago
  Is that still true? Except for certain industries where the government has a direct interest (banking, healthcare, real estate), I don't think anyone has asked for my SSN in at least a decade. It's not like the old days when you'd fork over your SSN to rent videos at Blockbuster.
  - 3mo ago

tomaskafka 3mo ago

[flagged]