How Long Does It Take To Get My Babys Social Security Card That I Applied For In The Hospital
Each state or jurisdiction has different processing times. See the chart below to find out how long your state takes to process the card application. If you waited the indicated length of time and still have not received your childs Social Security card, visit your local Social Security office. You also can call us at 1-800-772-1213 , 8:00 am 7:00 pm, Monday through Friday. If you live outside the United States, refer to Service Around the World.Keep your childs Social Security card in a safe place with other important documents. Do not carry it with you.The chart below shows the time it takes for each state to send the application and paperwork to Social Security. Allow an additional two weeks for Social Security to send the card in the mail.Social Security Card Application at Birth: Average Processing Times by State in Weeks For the period 4/1/2021 through 6/25/2021.
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How To Get Your New Babys Social Security Number
The most convenient way to apply for a Social Security number for your newborn is at that hospital before you leave.
Welcoming a baby to your family is an exciting time.
Doing paperwork, even for something as important as a Social Security number for your newborn, is probably one of the last things you want to do. Weve made it easy. If your child is born in a hospital, the most convenient way to apply for a Social Security number is at that hospital before you leave.
When you give information for your childs birth certificate at the hospital, youll be asked whether you want to apply for a Social Security number for your child. If you answer yes, you will be asked to provide both parents Social Security numbers. Even if you dont know both parents Social Security numbers, you can still apply for a number for your child.
There are many reasons why your child should have a Social Security number. You need a Social Security number to claim your child as a dependent on your income tax return. You may also need a number for your child if you plan to do the following for your child:
Open a bank account.
Were There When They Get Their First Job
Once your child starts working and throughout their career, employers will verify their Social Security number to help reduce fraud and improve the accuracy of their earnings records.
Employers collect FICA, or Federal Insurance Contributions Act withholdings, and report earnings electronically. This is how we verify earnings and is how your child earns Social Security retirement, disability, and survivors coverage.
Once they turn 18, they can open a mySocial Security account and watch their personal earnings and future benefits grow over time.
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Procedure For Replacement Of Social Security Card For A Child
You could by no fault of yours lose or misplace the Social Security Card of your child. There is no reason to fret as the process of reapplying for the same is simple and easy. If you have lost the social security card for your child, then follow the below steps to re-apply for one:
1. Gather the following documents for proof
- The document confirming the identity of the child .
- Proof of US citizenship for the child.
- A document detailing the immigration status of the child if the child is not a citizen of the United States.
2. Gather the documents relating to proof of your identity
- Driving license or passport.
- Custody papers if the child is adopted or proof of relationship with the child.
3. Complete the application form SS-5 for a Social Security card.
4. Send the completed form along with the original or certified documents via mail or in-person to the local Social Security Office.
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How To Get Your Newborns Social Security Number And Card
Welcoming a newborn is often an exciting and happy occasion. There are plenty of things to get ready, and parents might feel that there is not enough time. However, once the child is born, parents do need to take care of a few legal matters as soon as possible . On the one hand, its essential that parents obtain their childs birth certificate. Registering a birth and getting your babys birth certificate is a fairly easy process.
You will need your newborns birth certificate to apply for your childs Social Security number and card. Keep in mind that a persons security number must be protected as it is directly linked to their lifetime earnings, taxes, and more.
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How To Apply For A Newborns Social Security Number
To apply for your childs Social Security number you must complete a birth registration form. When completing this form, you must check a box to request a number for your child. It is also necessary to provide the parents Social Security numbers.
You may be wondering where do you get the birth registration form. Most hospitals will distribute the birth registration form after a child has born and while the mother is still a patient. If the birth did not occur at a hospital or for some reason the birth registration form was not completed, new parents can visit a local Social Security Administration office and request the number in person. If this were the case, you need to do the following:
- Fill out the Form SS-5 and provide the parents Social Security numbers
- Provide at least two documents that prove your childs age, identity, and citizenship status. One of these documents should be your childs birth certificate, and the second document can be a medical record or the hospitals birth record.
- Present proof of your own identity, you may present your drivers license or passport.
After you have submitted the application at the SSA office, your childs Social Security card should be delivered between 6 to 12 weeks. If your child is older than one-year, it can take a lot longer to process your application. This is because the SSA will contact your states department of vital statistics to verify the validity of the birth certificate provided on the application.
Where Can I Get A Social Security Card
If you have never been issued a Social Security card, you may apply for one at no cost at a local Social Security office. You will need to:
- Bring a completed Form SS-5 and,
- Provide at least two documents to confirm your age, identity and citizenship or legal presence.
Acceptable documents include but are not limited to an original birth certificate, valid U.S. drivers license, state-issued identification card or U.S. passport. If a U.S. birth certificate exists you MUST submit it. See Learn What Documents You Need to find acceptable documents. Only originals or copies certified by the agency that issued the document will be accepted. Individuals who are not U.S. citizens must provide a current U.S. immigration document and foreign passport with biographical information or photograph.
Related Documents & Topics
If you have lost your Social Security card and need to get a replacement, you may be able to request a replacement online:
You can use a my Social Security account to request a replacement Social Security card online if you:
- Are a U.S. citizen age 18 years or older with a U.S. mailing address
- Are not requesting a name change or any other change to your card and
- Have a drivers license or a state-issued identification card from Michigan or one of the other states listed.
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Applying For An Ssn When Adopting
Even if you adopt a child, you may still have to go through the social security card application process, but it all depends on the situation. For example, if the child you wish to adopt is a U.S. citizen already, they may have an SSN, so you wont have to go through the trouble. If you are adopting domestically instead, and you find out that your child doesnt have the SSN, you can get an ATIN or Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number. This will allow you to claim the child-related tax breaks during the pending adoption of the child.
The IRS Form W-8A, Application for Taxpayer Identification Number for Pending U.S. Adoptions is necessary. Keep in mind that the ATIN will have a 2-year validity, after which you can extend it if the child adoption was not finalized. The ATIN can stop being used once the adoption is final. Then, you can use the typical process for applying for a Social Security number.
Also, if you wish to adopt a child from a different country, it is better to wait until the finalization of the adoption and the childs entrance into the U.S. to get an SSN. Once again, you will have to follow the same application process in this situation.
How To Get A Newborn Social Security Number
A newborn Social Security Number is one of the most important documents you can obtain for your new baby. With an SSN, you can enroll your infant in government programs and a medical coverage network. You can also open a savings account for him or her. For these reasons, it is important that you understand how to get a Social Security Number for a newborn.
If you give birth in a hospital, you may be prompted to obtain a Social Security card for your baby by hospital staff. Remember that this is the same as applying for an SSN for your child. This is because the SSN will be printed on your childs Social Security card. This is true regardless of whether you apply for a Social Security card for your newborn baby before you leave the hospital or at a later date in a hospital.
How to Get a Social Security Card for a Baby at the Hospital
You can apply for a Social Security Number for a newborn after you give birth at a hospital. Usually, this option is presented to you when you provide workers with information for your childs birth certificate. If you choose this option, you need to provide SSNs for you and the childs other parent. This is one of the most convenient ways to apply for a Social Security card for a newborn baby.
Can I apply for my baby Social Security card online?
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Baby’s Social Security Card
- Getting a Social Security number for your newborn is voluntary and there are advantages. Your baby’s Social Security card will allow you to:
- open a bank account for your child
- get medical coverage for your child
- apply for government services for your child
- buy savings bonds for your child.
Social Insurance Number Newborn Registration
Parents can use the Newborn Registration Service to complete their childs Birth Registration and apply for their childs Social Insurance Number . With this integrated application, parents no longer have to deal with different levels of government and repeat the same information in separate applications.
When applying through the Newborn Registration Service, you should receive your childs SIN in the mail within 10 business days from the date your childs application was processed by the province. If more than 15 business days have passed and you would like to find out the status of your application, contact the SIN program.
You must be the parent of the child and a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to use this service. If you are not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, you may still be eligible but you will need to visit a Service Canada Office to apply for your childs SIN.
This service is available in all Canadian provinces, but is not currently available in the territories. For parents living in the territories, consult Section 3: What you need before you apply for your childs SIN.
Notes:
For additional information on the Newborn Registration Service, visit your provincial website:
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Were There With Support If Youre Raising A Grandchild
More and more grandparents are finding themselves raising their grandchildren. Social Security will pay benefits to grandchildren when the grandparent retires, becomes disabled, or dies, if certain conditions are met. Generally, the biological parents of the child must be deceased or disabled, or the grandparent must legally adopt the grandchild.
To receive this benefit, your grandchild must have begun living with you before age 18 and received at least one half of his or her support from you for the year before the month you became entitled to retirement or disability insurance benefits, or died. Also, the natural parent of the child must not be making regular contributions to his or her support.
If your grandchild was born during the one-year period, you must have lived with and provided at least one-half of the childs support for substantially the entire period from the date of birth to the month you became entitled to benefits.
Your grandchild may qualify for benefits under these circumstances, even if he or she is a step-grandchild. However, if you and your spouse are already receiving benefits, you would need to adopt the child for them to qualify for benefits.
What Is Enumeration At Birth And How Does It Work
The Enumeration at Birth program offers new parents at a hospital, birthing center, or using a licensed midwife the option to request a Social Security number during the birth registration process. The evidence required to process an SSN application for a newborn is the same evidence gathered by birthing facility employees and verified with the respective bureaus of vital statistics during the birth registration process. Through EAB, the bureaus of vital statistics electronically send birth registration information to Social Security, and we assign a number and issue a card.
EAB eliminates the need for the parent to gather the necessary proofs, complete an SS-5 application, and visit or mail original documents to a Social Security field office for processing. The EAB process allows us to assign the child an SSN, issue a card, and automatically update our records with proof of birth.
Currently, the national average processing time for EAB cases is two weeks. Parents may expect to wait up to an additional two weeks for mail time to receive the SSN card.
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How Do I Look Up My Child’s Social Security Number
You won’t be able to find your child’s SSN online due to the sensitivity of this information. You’ll need to contact the Social Security Administration at ssa.gov and eventually visit your local SSA office in person with the proper identification to find out your child’s SSN.
Once your baby’s SSN card arrives in the mail, keep it in a safe space at home with other important government-issued documents such as birth certificates and passports. This way, the card is less likely to be misplaced or stolen, and it’s readily available when you need to reference your child’s Social Security number .
How To Get Your Child’s Social Security Number Right Away
The easiest and fastest way to apply for your child’s Social Security number is through the hospital when your child is born. The hospital, the agency that issues birth certificates in your state, and the Social Security Administration work together in a process called “Enumeration at Birth,” or EAB.
EAB is the easiest way to apply for a Social Security number for a newborn baby because the hospital does all the work. You complete the SSN application and order a Social Security card for your child as part of the hospital birth registration process. You don’t have to submit any supporting documentation.
When your child is born, the hospital usually fills out a birth registration form for you and has you sign it. Both you and your babys other parent should be ready to supply your Social Security numbers as part of the application process.
EAB can only be used when your child is born in a hospital. Its not available for home births or for infant adoptions.
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What If I Haven’t Received My Child’s Social Security Card
Figure out your state’s approximate processing time for SSN applications for newborns, since it varies based on where you live. If you still haven’t received your baby’s card in the mail after the indicated length of time , you have two options:
- Visit your local SSA Office.
Depending on your application status, someone at your local SSA office or an official on the hotline could ask you to refile your application you can do so at ssa.gov. Keep in mind that you can’t apply via phone or mail, so if you’re asked to do this, report this immediately and consider it fraud.
Also, applying for a SSN and a Social Security card is free, so don’t be tricked by scammers who may be trying to charge you a fee for your application.