Apply for social security number for newborn

Getting a Social Security number for your newborn has many benefits. It allows you to claim your child on your taxes, enroll your baby in health insurance, and set up a college savings plan and/or bank account for your little one. The easiest way to get an SSN for your baby is to apply using birth registration forms at the hospital. If you don't give birth at a hospital, or if your child is older or adopted, you can fill out Social Security forms online and apply in person at your local Social Security office.

A Social Security number (SSN) is the U.S. federal government's way of identifying you and your child. In the United States, registering your child for a Social Security number is voluntary, but it's necessary to obtain important services. You'll use your child's SSN to claim child-related tax breaks (such as the dependent exemption and the child tax credit), add your child to your health insurance plan, set up a college savings plan or bank account, and perhaps apply for government benefits for them.

The easiest way to apply for a Social Security card and number for a newborn is by completing a birth registration form at the hospital. You'll need to check the "yes" box where the form asks if you want to apply for a Social Security number for your baby.

You'll eventually need to provide both parents' Social Security numbers, but if you don't know both parents' SSNs, you can still fill out the form.

If you didn't deliver in a hospital, you weren't given the birth registration form, or you choose to wait to get an SSN for your child, your other option is to visit your local Social Security Administration Office (you can use the SSA's Office Locator) and request a number in person. This process requires you to do three things:

• Complete Form SS-5 (Application for Social Security Number) and provide both parents' Social Security numbers on the form. To save time, you can download, print, and complete the form before you go.
• Provide at least two documents proving your baby's age, identity, and citizenship status. One document should ideally be your child's birth certificate, and the other can be their hospital birth record or another medical record.
• Provide proof of your own identity and proof of your relationship to the child. Your driver's license and passport are both acceptable.

If you'd prefer not to make the trip, you can send a completed Form SS-5 along with your identification documents to your local SSA office by mail. However, you'll have to send originals or certified copies of all identification documents, which is why most people opt to apply in person.

Once you've submitted your application, you should receive your child's Social Security card in the mail in six to 12 weeks, but keep in mind that each state has slightly different processing times. Note as well that it could take longer than this to receive the card if your child is older than 1, because the SSA will contact your state's department of vital statistics to confirm that the birth certificate you've provided is valid.

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.

(Note: You can look up your baby's SSN on your tax return documents if you've declared your child as a dependent.)

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 (the digits are written clearly on the front of the 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 (and you're sure you submitted the application properly), you have two options:

• Visit your local SSA Office.
• Call the national SSA hotline at 1.800.772.1213. This phone number has automated services 24/7, or you can speak to a live person during business hours Monday through Friday.

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.

If the child you're adopting is a United States citizen, the child's birth mother most likely filled out an application for an SSN for the baby at the hospital. However, you have the option to register them for a new SSN that bears the child's new legal name, no matter how old the child is at the time of the adoption.

You'll have to apply in person at your local Social Security Office. You must fill out the SS-5 application  and provide proof of the child's citizenship and identity – you can present your Adoption Order, a certified copy of the child's birth certificate, or a hospital record – as well as your own identity and your relationship to them. This new number will override the child's old one.

If you're adopting a child from another country, you'll have to wait until the adoption is final and your child has entered the United States to obtain a Social Security number. To apply, fill out the application and bring the required paperwork described above, as well as other adoption paperwork such as immigration documents from the Department of Homeland Security, to your local Social Security Office. Then, follow the rest of the process described above to obtain your child's Social Security number and card.

If you want to file your child as a dependent on your tax return while the adoption is pending – before you receive the child's SSN card in the mail – you can obtain an Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number (ATIN). To apply for one, complete IRS Form W-7A.

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