# Do you know where your Social Security Card is? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 8, 2004, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145 "2004-03-08T17:22:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![El\_Zagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@El\_Zagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Zagna)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/1 "2004-03-08T17:22:35Z")
Recently I tried to open a checking account and the teller said that she needed to see my Social Security Card. Just giving her my SSN wasn’t good enough, she needed to see the card itself or at least a federal document with the SSN on it. She claimed this was a requirement of the Patriot Act. I haven’t carried my Social Security Card with me since I memorized it in high school. How many of you Dopers regularly carry your SS card on your person? How many of you don’t even have one or don’t know where it is? ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/2 "2004-03-08T17:30:09Z")
I carry it with me at all times… reason being, I don’t have a birth certificate (not born in the States or even in a hospital) so it often suffices for a second ID, and I’m a citizen so I don’t have anything like a green card. However, my card says in big letters “DO NOT LAMINATE” which you can barely read under the lamination, and it also says 'THIS CARD MUST BE SIGNED". I assume it once might have been, but the signature is also worn off. ---
**Author:** ![elfbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b782af/32.png) [@elfbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfbabe)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/3 "2004-03-08T17:41:14Z")
Actually, the Patriot act does NOT require you to show them your social security card. They have to verify your identity, but many banks don’t require the card, just a driver’s license or passport, or one of those and a valid credit card. (I googled for account requirements.) This is just this bank’s policy, and if you try another bank, they’ll probably let you open an account. Still good to know where your card is, though. Mine’s on the desk, near my precious, precious passport. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/4 "2004-03-08T18:16:54Z")
Locked in the safe, so I don’t lose it. ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/5 "2004-03-08T18:37:34Z")
No. If I knew that, I’d probably know who stole my wallet. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/6 "2004-03-08T18:58:39Z")
Mine is probably in a postal truck somewhere or, perhaps, out in my mailbox right now. I had to get a new one because I lost mine. My new card will be placed in a safe with my son’s card and both our birth certificates. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/7 "2004-03-08T19:01:59Z")
I have a card pile. Old school IDs from 13 years ago, boy scout advancement cards and so forth. It’s in there. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/8 "2004-03-08T19:07:01Z")
I think it’s in my box of personal papers, but I’m not 100% on it. Should be there, though. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/9 "2004-03-08T19:20:00Z")
I lost mine some years ago, but I do have an official copy of my birth certificate. Just as good for situations that require something like this. ---
**Author:** ![Ms.Fisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Ms.Fisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms.Fisk)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/10 "2004-03-08T19:30:17Z")
Yes. It’s in my card-holder at home, in the third plastic drawer, on the third shelf of the bureau. According to the SSA (i.e. the back of the card), you’re not supposed to carry it on your person. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/11 "2004-03-08T19:37:10Z")
My card and my son’s card is in my wallet that I carry on a daily basis. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/12 "2004-03-08T19:57:46Z")
It’s on my bedside table, where it sometimes does duty as an emergency bookmark. ---
**Author:** ![InTransit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47774/32.png) [@InTransit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InTransit)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/13 "2004-03-08T21:03:47Z")
Mine could be in an old wallet hidden in the recesses of a file cabinet at home, or most likely shredded. I was told to NEVER carry it with you as you could be mugged and once thieves get your SSN, you are in a world of potential ID fraud problems. (Which has happened twice to my old housekeeper now. I keep telling her not to carry it, but…) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/14 "2004-03-08T21:09:00Z")
Mine’s in the same holder as my original birth certificate. Now if I only knew where _that_ is! ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/15 "2004-03-08T21:12:33Z")
At home, locked up with my other important papers. I used to carry it with me, but stopped due to the rising problem of identity theft. ---
**Author:** ![Tark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@Tark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tark)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/16 "2004-03-08T21:25:13Z")
Yup. It’s in the filing cabinet in the same folder will all my important papers, such as birth certificate, marriage license, etc. As for giving it out to anyone, I don’t. If I’m someplace getting something (loan, opening a bank account, etc) and they insist on my giving them my social security number, I just go someplace else and get what I need. You cannot be forced to give out your ssn. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/17 "2004-03-08T21:43:01Z")
I carry it with me, but I guess I should re-think that. It’s my original from when I got my driver’s license back in 1972. ---
**Author:** ![Spurious\_George](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Spurious\_George](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spurious_George)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/18 "2004-03-08T21:51:14Z")
It \*might \* be in a box of letters and semi-important stuff to save, but as I haven’t seen it in nigh-on 5 years, I’m thinking it got lost in a move or a paper-tossing frenzy. I do have a registered copy of my birth certificate, so I can’t really imagine what I would ever need the little blue card for again. ---
**Author:** ![misstee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@misstee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misstee)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/19 "2004-03-08T21:55:58Z")
My card is in a lock box with my birth certificate, with each of the misskids cards and birth certificates. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/20 "2004-03-08T22:55:53Z")
Hm… I recently needed it for a job interview… in my wallet… now in my safe. Thanks for reminding me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145.md?page=2)