Most requests for new social security cards are on behalf of newborn babies. But people may need a new card if they change their name or become a citizen, said Abigail Zapote, Senior Advisor to the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration. If your card has been lost, stolen, or damaged, you may want to replace it.
You can easily start the process online, says Zapote, and you may not even need to come into a field office at all. You will need a state-issued ID or driver’s license and a U.S. birth certificate or U.S. passport.
Identity theft is another potential problem. Zapote said this:
“If someone does go through their credit report or find discrepancies where they think that they might be a victim of identity theft, we do ask them to report that stolen social security number to the Federal Trade Commission,” Zapote said.
They can do that at identitytheft.gov. Then they would go through the regular replacement process.
If you feel like someone is asking for your social security number and it’s not warranted, Zapote has a strategy for that too.
“So when you're being asked for your card, you should ask why your number is needed, how it will be used, and what will happen if you refuse,” Zapote said.
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