To apply for a replacement Social Security card for your child, you must:

• Complete an Application For A Social Security Card (Form SS-5); and
• Show documents proving your child’s:

• U.S. citizenship (if you have not already established your child’s citizenship); and
• Identity.

• Show a document proving your identity.
• Take (or mail) your completed application and documents to your local Social Security office.

If your child is not a U.S. citizen, you also may need to provide further documentation. For more information, see Documents You Need for a Social Security Card.

You can replace your child’s Social Security card for free if it is lost or stolen. However, your child is limited to three replacement cards in a year and 10 during a lifetime. Legal name changes and changes in immigration status that require card updates may not count toward these limits. Also, your child may not be affected by these limits if you can prove your child needs the card to prevent a significant hardship.

Social Security will mail your child’s replacement card as soon as they have all of your information and have verified your documents. Your child’s replacement card will have the same name and number as the previous card.

Always keep your child’s card in a safe place.  Do not carry it unless you need it for a specific purpose.  Keep the card with other valuable personal documents, such as insurance papers and birth certificates.