Mine was in my wallet, but thanks to this thread it’s now in an envelope in one of my dresser drawers.
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.
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.
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.
Please tell me you’re talking about the SS card, not hlanelee’s dog.
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.
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.
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?
I somehow managed to lose one three years ago. Ever since then, I 've carried my card in my wallet at all times.
In my wallet.
I don’t worry about losing it, since it’s pretty easy to get a new one (albeit, not exactly fast).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Haven`t seen mine in 10+years. Or needed it for that matter.
Every job I’ve ever had required a copy of my social security card and my driver’s license.
I thought this was universal.
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.
Yes. I have a box of Things That Can’t Be Lost. My SS card is there and my passport, and other things.