How long does it take to get my child's Social Security number?

It is a good idea to apply for your child’s Social Security number and birth certificate at birth. If you apply at the hospital, the state agency that issues birth certificates will share your child’s information with us. Then, we will mail the Social Security card to you. If you wait to apply, there may be delays while we verify your child’s birth certificate.

Each state or jurisdiction has different processing times, between 1 and 6 weeks. See the chart below to find out how long your state takes to process the card application. The average processing time is 2 weeks.

If you waited the appropriate length of time and still have not received your child's Social Security card, contact your local Social Security office. You also can call us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. If you live outside the United States, refer to Service Around the World.

For more information, read Social Security Numbers For Children.

The chart below shows the time it takes for each state to send the application and paperwork to Social Security.  Allow an additional two weeks for us to send the card in the mail.

Social Security Card Application at Birth: Average Processing Times by State (ST) in Weeks (WK)

Quarter Ending March 2023