I haven’t had a social security card in decades, and gave up on getting Real ID with my last driver’s license as a result. (I have a passport, so this is a nuisance, but not really limiting.) But they’ve changed the rules about mailing new cards, and I just got one in the mail. I need to sign it.
My name is different on every piece of ID I own.
My passport says Puzzle Jane Doe Gal
My Driver’s license says Puzzle D Gal
My bank was confused when I opened the account, and know me as Puzzle Doe_Gal (a two word last name with a blank in it.)
My soon-to-go-away employment ID says Puzzle Gal
My professional organization, and most other organizations, knows me as Puzzle Doe Gal (where the last name is correctly “Gal”.)
And my birth certificate says Jane Puzzle Doe.
I do have legal papers somewhere from having changed my legal name from Jane Puzzle Doe to Puzzle Jane Doe Gal.
So, the new social security card arrived, and rather to my surprise, it says Puzzle D Gal.
I’m tempted to sign it with my full legal name, Puzzle Jane Doe Gal, and create a legal document that ties together some of my names. But I’m worried that might make my mess even worse.
Any thoughts? Better yet, anyone know anything about this stuff?
Do you have to sign it? I got a new one because I thought I would need it to get a Real ID license (though it turned out not to be necessary) so the new Social Security card is still in the envelope in which it came and not been needed since then.
FWIW, my original one has First Name, Middle Initial, Last Name; and that’s how I signed it.
I looked at it to confirm my guess that a card issued in the 1960’s didn’t need to be signed and discovered that yes indeed, it had a line for signature and I had signed it. The signature is quite legible. When I sign my name now, it’s not legible at all.
Instructions provided on the front of the SSN card stub advise adults to sign their card in ink immediately. Children are told not to sign until age 18 or their first job, whichever is earlier.
Although the card serves as SSA’s official verification of the SSN assigned to the individual named on the card, it is not an identity document. Failure to sign the card does not invalidate it. Therefore, a card sent to an infant or young child may be left unsigned and kept in a safe place with other important documents until needed by the number holder for employment purposes.
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RM 10205.120 How the Number Holder’s Name is Shown on SSN Card
The number holder’s (NH) first and last name on his or her SSN card must agree with the first and last name shown on the document submitted as evidence of identity or legal name. A middle name or suffix is not considered part of the legal name. It does not matter if the middle name or suffix is included, omitted, or incorrectly shown on an SSN card.
For SSN purposes, a NH’s legal name consists of the first (or given name) and last (or family name or surname) that is used to sign legal documents, deeds, or contracts.
The SSN card has two lines for the NH’s name with 26 spaces on the first line for the NH’s first and middle names and 26 spaces on the second line for the last name and suffix, if any. Neither the first or last names shown on the SSN card should be reduced in length, unless it exceeds the 26-character limit. Therefore, omit middle names, middle initials, and suffixes if they prevent you from showing as many characters as possible for the first and last names.
I am glad that when I was a kid, at some point my parents told me to decide how I want to sign my name, and if I just did it consistently, it would eventually become my legal name. So I’ve been Firstname MiddleInitial Dinsdale for all intents and purposes, no matter what my birth certificate and social security card said. In fact, back then you applied for the SS card when you got your first job, so I probably signed it with my name of choice.
Curious - I haven’t seen my SS card for decades, but was able to get a Real ID without it. As I recall, they only needed any 3 off a list of acceptable IDs.
When I moved to a different state and applied for a driver’s license, they listed the various ID needed. I didn’t have an SS card, but as a long-time SSA employee, I had paystubs with my SSN on them, as well as a relatively high security photo ID from SSA. But no! None of that was acceptable as substitute for the little old paper card.
Note that the Real ID deadline was extended and extended again. The current deadline is May 7, 2025 after which you will need a Real ID license or other ID to fly in the US or enter certain federal buildings.
When i renewed my driver’s license my state still required proof of SSN. And none of the statements i had (from my employer, banks, etc.) included the full SSN. My husband’s paystub did, that’s a choice institutions have. At that time, it was no longer a federal requirement, but it was still a state requirement. I suppose that may change.
But last time i logged into the social security website, they said they could mail me a new card. And it arrived today. So I have it, whether or not i need it.
I still have the Social Security card my parents had issued to me when I was in the 4th grade. Since I was just learning how to write in cursive at the time, I signed it in very neat, legible cursive handwriting. My signature looks nothing like that now.
I was taught that you should sign your name the same way it’s written on the document you’re signing, so that’s how I always do it. But based on the information posted earlier in this thread it sounds like the middle name doesn’t matter as long as the first and last name match.
It is a big deal when traveling by air that your info providd to the airline (and hence TSA or customs/immigration) EXACTLY match your passport for international or diver’s license (= US de facto ID card) for domestic travel.
Other than that I’m not aware of any official major concerns for variant spellings and factoids.
I lost mine decades ago as well - my folks registered me as a child and I had it forever. Never needed it for anything. But literally a few weeks ago I was going through a random folder full of old photos my mother left behind after she died last year and lo and behold - an extra unsigned SS card in my name! Why my mother kept it in a random folder (very random) or kept it at all is beyond me.
I’ve never needed mine. No idea when I last saw/touched it - I’d imagine 40 yrs ago.
I just found it amusing that being a SSA employee with a paystub bearing my SSN and a kinda high security SSA photo ID was insufficient compared to a pretty anonymous piece of card stock.
Can’t remember the last time I was asked whether I had registered for Selective Services either. Vaguely recall the rules were changed about that some time back, but it was a thing at one time…
Though admittedly you shouldn’t have to show those for the Real ID.
I’ve been required to show it a number of times over the years. I suppose it depends both on what you’re doing and what the regulations are at the time for whatever/whoever is requiring it.
I’ve held government positions that required a top secret clearance and never had to produce it. I honestly can’t come up with a job that would require it, if that didn’t.
I’ve never been required to show my Social Security card for anything, but it is on the list of acceptable documents for establishing that you’re eligible to work in the US, so I have used it for that purpose before. Although for my last couple of jobs I just used my passport, since it fulfills both the ID requirement and the proof of citizenship requirement.
Even when I was still in the US, I cannot recall ever having to show anyone my SS card. I think I still have it, still stapled to the card they gave it to me with. Incidentally, they gave me the card (when I was around 15, so over 70 years ago) with no id. I had no id when I was 15. And when I got my first learner’s permit at 16, no id was requested then either. Simpler times.
