MetaChat - How does an american citizen get a replacement social security card

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26 November 2007

How does an american citizen get a replacement social security card when that person has no identification documents? This problem is aggravated by the need for a social security card to get identification. →[More:]

Well over a dozen people have asked me this over the last few years (says a lot about who I know), and I have yet to find the answer. Plus, no one who has asked me seems to have ever pursued this beyond an initial call to social security.

Most often, those who do not have a card (they have and know their number) are trying to get a driver's license or a state ID, whether for the first time or after a lapse during which the old license was lost.

A birth certificate is not enough, and even that is not the easiest to get, though possible. I have even tried working the fingerprints angle, but many of these undocumented people have never even been fingerprinted.

"If you do not have these specific documents or cannot get a replacement for them within 10 days, we will ask to see other documents, including:

Employee ID card;
School ID card;
Health insurance card
U.S. military ID card
Adoption decree"

The people I describe (for whatever reasons) do not have an employer's ID nor a school ID. Health insurances? Umm, no. Veterans? No-o.

Adoption decree? pppptttthhhh....

Obviously, this is just laziness on the part of those asking to butt their heads against the bureaucracy, but now I am curious as to what kind of hoops really are involved nowadays.

Also, "undocumented citizens" is descriptive, but is there a better phrase? Such people not only do not have anything in their possession to prove their citizenship, they cannot even prove their real names.

post by: mischief at: 17:14 | 9 comments

hmm, good question. I lost my SS card ages and ages ago, maybe in my late teens, and never bothered to replace it owing to the vast amount of pain and hassle involved. I have never needed to show it however, as I've always had a valid driver's licence (despite not owning a car for vast tracts of my adult life) and a current passport. The passport, for whatever reason, seems to trump everything. I plan to keep it current until I die at this rate.

When I needed to obtain a birth certificate (my mother conveniently managed to lose mine) I just called the county clerk's office where I was born and got one sent to me. It was shockingly easy, I just had to verify my parents' names over the phone and fax them a copy of (you guessed it) my passport.

posted by lonefrontranger 26 November | 17:38

Yeah, a passport does trump everything, but the people I know probably have never seen a passport or even knew anyone who had a passport.

posted by mischief 26 November | 17:41

Great question! A few years ago, I lost my wallet with, you guessed it, my passport, drivers license, AND social security card in it! I was carrying these because I was taking an overseas trip, so I needed the passport ASAP.

(as an aside, DON'T carry your social security card around with you. It's unneccesary - just memorize the number - and it's a hassle if you lose it)

A birth certificate is of the primary and utmost importance. This proves that MuddGirl O'Hara is a US Citizen. Of course, the next step was proving that I was MuddGirl O'Hara. This is called "Present Proof of Identity."

From the passport site:

1. Some signature documents, not acceptable alone as ID
(ex: a combination of documents, such as your Social Security card, credit card, bank card, library card, etc.) AND

2. A person who can vouch for you. He/she must:
* Have known you for at least 2 years,
* Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident,
* Have valid ID, and
* Fill out a Form DS-71 in the presence of a passport agent.

In other words, I needed a birth certificate, a bunch of documents that only I would have (I grabbed library cards, a spare credit card, pay stubs in my name with my SS number, energy and water bills in my name) and a person who can vouch for you.

Once you have a passport, you can apply for a replacement Social Security card or a replacement Drivers License. Luckily, I found my wallet mere days before my trip, so I didn't have to go through this hassle.

Wait a minute, I just realized that the info in this response can be used by devious mischief-makers to obtain false documents from a birth certificate. Please don't do this.

posted by muddgirl 26 November | 17:58

Hmm, yes, this passport route could work for some of the people I know. I never thought that getting a passport would be easier than getting a replacement social security card.

However for others I know, the signature documents are still a problem. These people have nothing bearing their names.

One person, I am convinced, does not even know her real name any more. She thinks she is from Kentucky, but everything before she came to Nevada is a blur.

posted by mischief 26 November | 20:23

If I lost all my documents, I would do the following:
1. Begin with getting a replacement birth certificate. That's easy to do, even by mail. It may cost a little money, but all you usually have to know is info about your parents.
2. Then I'd set to getting the ID or license. In Illinois, you can get a replacement ID card or driver's license by showing a major credit card or canceled check (to prove your signature) and your birth certificate.
3. So now you have what you need to get a replacement SS card. You will need to show a US driver's license or state ID card.
4. Once you have your SS card, you can use everything previously obtained to apply for a passport.

Notes: The SSA says you should never carry your SS card with you. Only take it out when you need it. Also, In IL you have to show your SS card to get a license or ID if you're getting one for the first time. The passport trumps everything else because you need all your documents to get it and it has your photo on it.

posted by youngergirl44 26 November | 22:51

"showing a major credit card or canceled check"

Nope, they don't have credit cards or even checking accounts. These people do not exist in data-space.

posted by mischief 26 November | 22:55

you need all your documents to get it

depends, I got my passport without my SS card, because I'd long since lost it by the time I got around to getting one. I just used my birth certificate (which my mom hadn't lost at that point) and my driver's licence.

mischief, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but it sounds like you're attempting to help the helpless.

tho I do agree with youngergirl, the birth certificate is the easiest document to get.

posted by lonefrontranger 26 November | 22:57

Yeah, I know, lfr. I think if they would just go to the social security office, they would get help even if it took a lot of patience and perseverance. I am trying to find out just how much of those qualities they would need.

Some of these are people who have lived their entire adult lives avoiding anything that smacked of government. Now that they are hitting middle age, they are finding that street life is exhausting, physically and mentally, and they want to merge into society.

Nevada seems to be one of the worst states for social services on the state level. Plus, Las Vegans are jaded toward people coming here and losing everything they have. "Dude, you're dressed better than I am, and you're asking me for spare change?"

Thanks, everyone, for trying.

posted by mischief 27 November | 02:35

This is what it comes down to.

If these people have social security numbers, meaning that at some point their parents or they applied for a card, then they're just looking for a replacement card. They shouldn't need proof of citizenship, but they will need some form of identification that's documented enough to find their name in the database. It might be easier to do this in their home state or something; I don't know.

You know, if these people are "sob stories" (homeless turning their lives around, etc.), you might try getting in contact with the Nevada state representatives. They might be able to grease the right wheels to figure out the minimum necessary documentation.

posted by muddgirl 27 November | 21:25

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