How to Change Your Name on Your Social Security Card

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How to Change Your Name on Your Social Security Card

It is very simple to change the name on your Social Security card as long as you provide the right evidence.

You will need proof of identity, citizenship, a complete Social Security form, and proof of your name change.

How to Report Social Security of Your Name Change

The first step is to inform the Social Security office of your new name if you have changed your legal name.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) requires three types of documents, to get a Social Security name change on your card, regardless of how or why you changed your name.

These documents must indicate and prove your :

New lega name
Identity
Proof of U.S. citizenship or U.S. immigration documents.

The SSA requires original documents, so you can’t change the name on your Social Security card online.

You can either take your documents directly to the nearest SSA office in your country or you can mail in the originals or certified copies from the issuing agency.

is the quickest and best way To get a Social Security name change the best and quickest way is going to an SSA office and it provides you with peace of mind that you will get your original documents back.

The SSA also returns mailed original documents.

Proof of Your New Legal Name

To show proof of your name change, you must submit documents to the SSA.

If you have had more than one name, provide documents that show the order in which your name has changed.

For ínstance, if you were married, then divorced, and then remarried, changing your name each time, you will bring your marriage license and divorce decree.

Since you got your last Social Security card if you have only had one name change , you may show only the last document in which you received your new name, the last document may be a marriage license or a court order, depending on how your name changed.

The SSA has the right to ask for documents showing your previous names, therefore, it is best to show them when in doubt.

The documents required for proof of name change include any one of the following:

Court order in a name change proceeding.
Marriage license
Divorce decree or judgment
Certificate of naturalization with a new name
Order or judgment of adoption

A birth certificate can show proof of your name when you were born. You can use other documents to validate your prior names whether they’re originals or certified copies.

You can also use expired documents.

Proof of Identity

There are various ways to prove your identity. The best ways are :

U.S. driver’s license
State ID card
Unexpired U.S. passport or other passport if you are a non-citizen.

If these are not available with you, you can show the following if they contain your photo :

School or student ID card
Employer ID card
U.S. military ID card
Health insurance ID card.

Proof for United States Citizenship or Other Status.

Proof of U.S. citizenship or other legal status needs providing any one of the following :

U.S. birth certificate
U.S. passport
Certificate of naturalization
Certificate of citizenship
Report from the U.S. Council of a birth abroad
Form I-551(Lawful Permanent Resident Card, Machine Readable Immigrant Visa) along with your unexpired foreign passport.
I-766 ( Employment Authorization Document, EAD, Work permit)
I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record).

Other Documents Required for a Social Security Name Change

Once you have your documents, you will need to fill out Social Security Form SS-5. In the first block fill the full name which you want to use.

This name is to be shown on the card. Then fill the name you were born with, which is followed by the other names you have used.

You don’t need to fill in your parent’s Social Security numbers because this is not an original application for a Social Security number. Listing your parents’ name is sufficient.

Complete Nos. 1 through 18 on the form. At the time of visiting to your local SSA office, bring the form with your documents or mail the form with your documents.

You must provide the SSA the completed SSA Form SS-5 along with several documents.

The process is very simple and takes only a few weeks to get a new card.

Once you have changed your Social Security card to your new name, you can make changes to other documents, such as your driver’s license, much more easily.