What is Social Security Number verification?

Social Security Number verification is the submission of identifying information, such as name, date of birth (DOB), and Social Security Number (SSN), to the Social Security Administration (SSA). SSA runs this data against its master database and informs the inquirer if the data matches.

If your name is different than the one shown on your birth certificate or other document used to establish identity and date of birth, you must provide certified copies of the legal documents that connect the name on the document used to establish identity and date of birth to your current name. The following documents are acceptable.

Court-ordered name change

This includes:

• Orders under a petition for a name change.
• Orders for name change in a divorce decree or decree of annulment.
• Orders for name change in a decree of adoption.

The court order must contain your prior full legal name, your court-ordered full legal name and your date of birth. It must be a certified copy and have the stamp or raised seal of the issuing court.

Marriage certificate

The marriage certificate must be issued by a state office of vital statistics or equivalent agency in the state or country where you were married and must be a certified copy with a stamp or raised seal of the issuing authority. A church, chapel, or similarly issued certificate is not acceptable.

In all cases, the documents must connect the name shown on your birth certificate or other document used to establish identity and date of birth to your current name. You do not have to document a complete listing of all the names you may have previously used, as long as the documents you provide clearly connect the two.

Social Security Administration

If you need to correct or update information at the Social Security Administration, do so several days before you apply for a Driver's License or ID card. For information on how to do this, visit socialsecurity.gov.