You didn’t notice the note “Do not carry it with you” printed right on it?
I still don’t notice it. The front has SOCIAL SECURITY at the top, my number, my printed name and my 36 year old signature.
On the back:
Contact any social security office immediately if you:
[ul]
[li]lose your card–to get a duplicate card[/li][li]change your name–to get a card in your new name[/li][li]are unable to work because of a severe disability expected to last a year or more[/li][li]are 62 or over–to ask about retirment checks.[/li][li]are within 2 or 3 months of age 65 even if you don’t plan to retire–to sign up for Medicare.[/li][/ul]
**U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
**Social Security Administration
Form OA-702 Rev. (1-72)
Not one peep about carrying it.
When I got my SS card circa 1970, it said “Carry this card with you”. It had a stub that said, “File this stub in a safe place as a record of your number”. I lost the card decades ago, but I still have the stub. I used the stub last year when I renewed my driver license last year in Florida. I had to bring the card and a copy of my birth certificate, since my passport was expired.
http://www.dmvflorida.org/drivers-license-identification.shtml
It looks to me like a current Florida Driver License should be a pretty good proof of ID. It has a multiple anti-counterfeiting techniques and you can validate the number online for free. The only thing I can think of offhand that would be better would be a new bio-metric passport or a concealed weapons permit.
My old SS card doesn’t look at all impressive from an anti-counterfeiting point of view.
I have never had to show my SS card. As in never for any reason. I lost it some 40+ years ago and never replaced it, but as I recall, it said right on the front: Not to be used for identification. Something like that. Any time proof of citizenship has been required, my passport fills the bill. If my DL and passport isn’t enough to satisfy somebody, I don’t want to deal with them, especially some wanker from Craigslist.