[dropcap]O[/dropcap]ne of the easiest cards that you can lose that is in your wallet or purse is going to be your Social Security card. It is very small, typically on laminated, and you may find yourself misplacing this when you are organizing all of the other cards that you own. When this occurs, you may feel slightly apprehensive. You may not know what to do or who to speak with in order to get a new one. Unless you are changing information on your Social Security card, such as your name, or even the number itself, obtaining one is going to be surprisingly easy to do. This is who you can contact if you have recently lost your Social Security card so that you can get a new one within a few weeks.
Call The Local Social Security Administration Field Office
The first step is to contact the local SSA field office. There will likely be one that is very close to your immediate area. You can go there directly, speak to a representative, and they can provide you with the forms that you will fill out to request a new one. The other possibility is that you can go online, in some cases, and apply for a replacement. It just depends on certain factors that can potentially inhibit your ability to make this type of a request.
Requirements For Applying For A New Social Security Card
There are certain requirements that you must have in order to apply for a new one. First of all, you must be 18 years of age, or older, in order to apply. You must have a US mailing address. This is where they are going to send your new card to you. It should be the same address where you are currently residing or where you receive your mail. To make this request online, you cannot be requesting any type of change. For example, if you have recently been married, and you would like to change your name on the card, this will require a completely different form. Likewise, if you are going to change your address, you must fill out a separate form along with your request for a new Social Security card. In many cases, people understand what their number is. They probably use this all the time, and number that they memorized long ago. However, if you need to provide a copy of your Social Security card when applying for a job, getting a loan, or anything else that requires it, do definitely need to apply for one and receive it as soon as possible.
How To Start This Process Online
to do this online, you will first need to create an account on the Social Security Administration website. You will learn about the documents that you will need once you are logged in. You will then fill out and print all of the information. Once you have done this, you can mail this in physically to the Social Security Administration. If you would prefer, you can take it to a local field office and they will mail it for you. All of the documents that you are going to submit must be the originals, or in some cases, certified copies that will designate them as the same as originals. Photocopied documents, or even notarize copies, are not going to be accepted. The only difference, in regard to copies of documentation, has to do with getting a copy of your divorce, marriage, or your birth certificate. As long as they are certified, these will be applicable.
What If You Are Doing This For Someone Else?
If you will be doing this for someone else, perhaps an elderly family member, you must show direct evidence of your relationship to them. This could also be information that shows that you are legally responsible for these individuals. Finally, you do need to show proof of your identity. Some people believe that the person that is requesting a new Social Security card must do this on their own. That is not the case at all. You simply have to show that the person representing you is legally able to do so, and they will process the paperwork just like normal.
How Long Does It Take To Go Through This Entire Process?
Some people become apprehensive when filling out paperwork. They often worry that they will be there for many hours. They may also be concerned about the way that the documentation is worded. The Social Security Administration documentation to request a new SSN card is not that difficult at all. What makes this even easier is that you can go to a local field office and they can walk you through the entire process one on one. Any questions that you have, they will be able to make sure that your documents are done properly, ensuring that the process will go as fast as possible. You can expect to spend about one hour gathering the documentation that you will need, and another hour to fill everything out. The final amount of waiting time involves waiting for the papers to be processed. In total, this could be two or three weeks for you to get a new one.
If you have recently lost a Social Security card, you now know exactly what to do. The easiest thing to do is to go to the local SSA field office and asked for help. They will have all of the documents that you will need to fill out and submit. They can even do the submission process for you. The other benefit of going into a local offices that you will have access to the people that will have any answers that you need. If you do decide to fill out this information online, make sure that you are able to print all of the documents out, and that they are filled out properly to the best of your ability. Accuracy is so important when submitting these. If you do make a mistake, you could end up waiting additional weeks to complete this process. Once it’s done, you will see how easy it is to contact your local SSA office to help you get your new Social Security card.
