• Social Security provides a card with a number to use all of your life. The creation of the numbers comes from the area of the country where you apply for the card, with applications on the east coast the lowest numbers and the west coast the highest numbers. This number tracks Social Security payments deducted from your check by an employer as well as your income-tax payments and filing information.
  
  

Who Needs a Social Security Card?

• All American citizens by birth or naturalization need a Social Security card. If you work in the United States with permission from Homeland Security, you need a Social Security card. Even a child needs a Social Security number so parents may list him as a dependent for income taxes.
  
  

How Do I Get a Social Security Card?

• Assemble the documents you need to make application for a Social Security card. Documents must be originals or certified copies -- the Social Security Administration cannot accept photocopies. Citizenship documents include a birth certificate or U.S. passport, Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of Citizenship or a U.S. Consular report of birth. Proof of identity may be with a driver's license or passport, or a state-issued identification card. Once you have the documents, apply for a Social Security card with the online form, print it and appear at the local Social Security office. Anyone over the age of 12 applying for a Social Security must appear in person.
  
  

How Do I Get a Social Security Card for a Child?

• Apply for a card in the child's name. You must provide the Social Security numbers for the mother and father and other personal information about the child. You must have the birth certificate and other information as requested by the Social Security Administration.
  
  

What Do I Do if I lose my Social Security Card?

• You can apply for a replacement card with the Social Security office or with the use of the online form. This application form is SS-5 and it is free to file for a replacement. You can get three replacement cards in a year and 10 in a lifetime, but you must show proof of identity and citizenship. The easiest process is to take the application and documents to the nearest Social Security office.
  
  

Do I Need to Carry my Social Security Card?

• The Social Security Administration recommends that you do not carry your Social Security card. Memorize the number so you always have it available for work-related forms. Do not give out your Social Security number over the telephone or online if there is any other way to convey the information. Since this number is yours for a lifetime and beyond, guard it carefully. You cannot get a replacement number, only a replacement card.