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Frequently Asked Questions

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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' 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 September 2024

ST WK ST WK ST WK ST WK ST WK
AK6 HI3 MI1 NV2 SD2
AL1 IA1 MN1 NYC2 TN1
AR2 ID2 MO1 NY2 TX1
AZ2 IL2 MS2 OH2 UT1
CA2 IN1 MT1 OK1 VA4
CO2 KS1 NC1 OR2 VT1
CT1 KY2 ND2 PA2 WA3
DC3 LA3 NE2 PR4 WI3
DE2 MA2 NH2 RI5 WV3
FL2 MD1 NJ2 SC1 WY1
GA1 ME1 NM3 MP2
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