# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Fionn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fionn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fionn)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/21 "2004-03-08T23:03:21Z")
Mine was in my wallet, but thanks to this thread it’s now in an envelope in one of my dresser drawers. ---
**Author:** ![hlanelee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3bc359/32.png) [@hlanelee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hlanelee)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/22 "2004-03-08T23:19:16Z")
I’m surprised that they don’t tattoo your Social Security Serial Number to the back of our necks when we reach a certain age. Which reminds me, the dog I got at the animal shelter has a microchip with my address embedded in the back of his neck. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/23 "2004-03-08T23:29:10Z")
Can’t you just get another one if you lose it? Canada has an essentially identical system, but we call them Social Insurance numbers - and you can get another card if you lose yours. To be honest, my card’s been lost for fifteen years. ---
**Author:** ![misstee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@misstee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misstee)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/24 "2004-03-09T00:01:45Z")
You can get a new one if you lose yours or if it is stolen. The thing that most people worry about is if it falls into the wrong hands, you can become a victim of identity theft. Some one can use your social security number to apply for a credit card, then another, and another. All of a sudden you are several thousand in debt, trying hard to prove it wasn’t you who ruined your credit rating, but someone else acting as you. ---
**Author:** ![SuperNelson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@SuperNelson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuperNelson)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/25 "2004-03-09T00:03:13Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Can’t you just get another one if you lose it? Please tell me you’re talking about the SS card, not **hlanelee** ’s dog. ---
**Author:** ![Time\_Like\_Tears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df705f/32.png) [@Time\_Like\_Tears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Time_Like_Tears)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/26 "2004-03-09T04:18:47Z")
One’s in my wallet, the other is in my personal files with my birth certificate and marriage license and such. No idea where the original is…when I got my first job at age 16, I asked my mom for it, and she had no idea where it was. I didn’t have any idea what my SSN even was at that point, so she just told it to me. Turns out she told me the wrong number. I think she mixed up mine and my sister’s (they have the same first 5 digits), and so I ended up paying someone else’s tax for a year or so. After I married, I had to get a copy anyway for my name change, so I figured while I was at it I would get an extra. Ah, the beauties of bureaurocratic paperwork… This solves the ‘What if I lose it?’ problem, and I am not too worried about the ‘What if someone steals my wallet and steals my identity?’ problem. Considering that _I_ can’t even open a checking account or get a credit card with my SSN, neither can anyone else. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/27 "2004-03-09T05:02:55Z")
Its in my refrigerator, of course. In case of fire, that’s the one place that would probably be undamaged. Its there with a short medical history, and who to notify. ---
**Author:** ![violetcynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/3e96dc/32.png) [@violetcynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/violetcynic)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/28 "2004-03-09T05:31:46Z")
I keep mine in my wallet, though I don’t always keep my wallet with me – since it doesn’t fit in a pocket and I rarely carry a purse anymore, I usually just take what I need out of my wallet and stuff it into my pockets. So I don’t really carry my SS card with me too often, unless I put my wallet into my school bag. :\> I was worried about identity theft, too, but I have two other forms of ID that have my SSN on them… so what’s one more? ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/29 "2004-03-09T05:45:26Z")
I somehow managed to lose one three years ago. Ever since then, I 've carried my card in my wallet at all times. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/30 "2004-03-09T05:50:58Z")
In my wallet. I don’t worry about losing it, since it’s pretty easy to get a new one (albeit, not exactly fast). ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/31 "2004-03-09T06:05:55Z")
In my wallet, right behind my driver’s license. I’m not particularly worried about identity theft. It’s a concern, yes, but so is avoiding getting hit by lightning during thunderstorms. ---
**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 9, 2004, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/32 "2004-03-09T13:04:39Z")
For those of you who carry your SS card with you, why? On what occasions have you needed to actually show it? I’m 54 years old and until last week, I have never once needed to present the physical card. ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/33 "2004-03-09T13:12:57Z")
When I was just a tyke, my parents got my SSN, and presumably a social security card to go along with it. However, they just told me my SSN and it seems they have misplaced it. I’ve never needed the actual card for anything. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/34 "2004-03-09T13:13:31Z")
I needed to show my card yesterday when I went for a blood test. God only knows why. I didn’t have the option of going elsewhere, which I would normally do when pressed for that information. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/35 "2004-03-09T13:15:00Z")
I had to show mine when we changed insurance companies at work. When I was a child, my mother had gotten me one that was metal. I lost it at some point, so I had to go and get a duplicate. About six months ago. I keep it in my wallet. ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/36 "2004-03-09T21:16:50Z")
At my current job, and my previous job, my employers _would not_ put me on the payroll until they saw a Social Security Card. I couldn’t just tell them the number, and I couldn’t use another document bearing number, they wanted to see the card itself and would accept no substitutes. Now that I think about it, is that even _legal?_ Sometimes I wish I were more argumentative and litigious. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/37 "2004-03-09T21:51:56Z")
Haven`t seen mine in 10+years. Or needed it for that matter. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/38 "2004-03-09T22:34:52Z")
Every job I’ve ever had required a copy of my social security card and my driver’s license. I thought this was universal. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/39 "2004-03-09T23:04:36Z")
The I-9 form required for employment allows the prospective employee (not employer) to choose what forms of i.d. to present. There are documents listed under list A,B, and C. If you show something from List A, you must also show something from List B (e.g. a combination of your state issued driver’s license (list A) with your SS card (list B)). However, List C documents can stand alone and no other form of i.d. is required. The only document in List C that I can recall is a passport. Re: SS card. I had my SSN removed from my state driver’s license last time I renewed it. I went to get tags for my new car the other day and the lady asked me for my SS card. Incredulous, I asked why and she said it was because I had had it removed. Duh. I had it removed because if someone stole my purse they’d have my SSN. So why would I walk around with my SS card? Thank goodness she let me slide by just giving the number to her because I had already waited 45 minutes in line and was not very happy about having to go home and retrieve my SS card. Which, of course, if filed in the “Birth Certificates, SS card” hanging file. If I ever get robbed, the thief is going to bless my organizational skills. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145/40 "2004-03-10T03:40:44Z")
Yes. I have a box of Things That Can’t Be Lost. My SS card is there and my passport, and other things. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-where-your-social-security-card-is/233145.md?page=3)