You're applying for Social Security disability benefits. Or you're appealing a decision. Or you need to prove your condition has changed. Whatever brings you here, you probably have one worry:
"Who is going to see my medical records? My therapy notes? My psychiatric history? Do they really need all that?"
That worry is completely valid. Your medical information is private. And you should feel in control of it.
The SSA-827 is YOUR permission slip. YOU decide what gets shared, WHO gets it, and for HOW LONG. SSA can't take your records without this form. And you can change your mind anytime — just tell your doctor to stop.
The SSA-827 is a form that says: "I give SSA permission to contact my doctors, therapists, schools, and employers to get my medical records."
That's it. It's not complicated. It doesn't waive your privacy rights. It's just you saying "yes, you can contact them."
Social Security decides disability claims based on MEDICAL EVIDENCE. Can you work or not? That's a medical question. So they need to see:
You could hand-carry every record yourself. Or you can sign this form and let your doctors send them directly. It's faster and easier.
When you sign this form, SSA can request medical records from the providers YOU list. That's it. They can only contact the people you authorize on this form. Your other doctors, therapists, or providers? They can't contact them without another SSA-827.
1. You control WHO: You decide which doctors, hospitals, therapists, and employers SSA can contact. Only those people get contacted.
2. You control WHAT: You can ask for only medical records, or only mental health records, or only recent records. You don't have to authorize your entire file. You decide what's relevant.
3. You control WHEN: This authorization expires (usually after 60 days). If SSA needs records after that, they need a new form. You're in control.
YES. You can change your mind anytime. Even if you signed the form yesterday, you can tell your doctor: "Stop sharing my records with SSA." Once they stop, that's it. SSA can't get any more.
SSA has strict rules about what they do with your records. They use them ONLY for the purpose you wrote on the form (determining disability eligibility). They don't share them with other agencies without another authorization. And if they mess up, you have legal rights to challenge it.
Bottom line: You're not signing away your rights. You're giving SSA permission to do something they need to do. And you can take it back anytime.
Spend a few minutes collecting this information. It'll make filling out the form MUCH faster.
One SSA-827 covers ONE medical provider (or sometimes one hospital system with multiple locations). If you've seen multiple doctors — your primary care doctor, a specialist, a therapist, a hospital — you'll need multiple forms. That's normal. SSA expects this.
About 10–15 minutes per form. If you have 4 doctors, plan for 45 minutes to an hour.
Fill out one form, sign it, and send it in. Don't wait to fill out all of them at once. Getting the first one in the door speeds up your case.
This section is all about YOU. SSA uses this to find your file and make sure they're contacting the right provider about the right person.
Write your name EXACTLY as it appears on your Social Security card. Not a nickname. Not how your friends call you. Your actual legal first, middle, and last name, with any suffix (Jr., Sr., III) if you have one.
Your 9-digit SSN. This is the single most important number on the form. If you mess up even one digit, SSA might not find your file. READ IT TWICE before writing it down. If you're not 100% sure, check your SSN card, a tax return, or your insurance card.
Month / Day / Year. This confirms who you are and helps SSA match you with your records at the medical provider.
Your current mailing address. Where SSA and your medical providers will send mail if they need to contact you. Make sure it's correct and includes your ZIP code.
A phone number where SSA can reach you. Not required, but helpful. If you don't want to give it, that's fine — SSA will use your mailing address instead.
Double-check everything in this section. If your name or SSN is wrong, SSA and your provider might not be able to connect your records to your file.
This section tells SSA WHO to contact to get your records. Be as specific and accurate as possible.
The official name of the doctor, hospital, clinic, therapist, school, or employer whose records you want SSA to request. Use the exact name from their letterhead, website, or business card.
Why it matters: If you write "the hospital" or "my doctor," SSA can't find who you mean. Be specific.
The street address where the provider's records are kept (usually their office address, not a P.O. box). Phone number is helpful but optional. Fax number is optional but really helpful — SSA often faxes the authorization form to providers, and a fax makes things move faster.
How to find this information:
When did you receive treatment from this provider? Give the date range, like "January 2023 to present" or "03/15/2023 to 02/28/2026". This tells SSA what records to request — you're not asking for their entire file, just the records from when you were being treated.
Pro tip: If you're not sure of exact dates, estimate. "Approximate" is fine. Or use a wider range to be safe. The wider the date range, the more evidence SSA will see, which helps your case.
Check the boxes that match the types of records you have from this provider. You can check more than one.
Let's say you're claiming disability because of severe depression + chronic back pain. You'd check BOTH "Medical" (for back pain records) AND "Psychological" (for depression records). You want SSA to see the complete picture.
You can even be specific if you want. For example: "Mental health records only (not primary care)" or "Records from 2024 onward only." Talk to your provider about limiting what's disclosed if you have privacy concerns.
Why are you giving SSA permission to get your records? Write one of these:
If the form has checkboxes instead of asking you to write, just check the box that matches your situation.
The standard is 60 days from the date you sign. After 60 days, the form expires and you'd need to sign a new one if SSA still needs records.
Can you change this? YES. If you want a longer period (to give SSA more time to collect records without asking you again), ask for 90 days or 180 days. Just write that on the form.
Even if you authorize 180 days, you can tell your provider to stop sharing with SSA anytime. Just call your doctor and say: "Stop sending my records to SSA." They have to stop.
Now you're saying "yes, I authorize this" by signing. Here's what you need to know:
Sign with your actual legal signature — the one you use on checks, contracts, and official documents. Not your printed name, but your real signature.
Can someone else sign for you? Only if you can't sign due to a disability (paralysis, severe arthritis, etc.). If someone signs for you, that person must sign on the "Signer's signature" line AND you need a witness (someone over 18 who watches and confirms the signing).
Write today's date (the day you're signing): MM/DD/YYYY
SSA uses this date to count the 60 days (or whatever period you chose). So don't pre-date or post-date the form.
Only if someone OTHER than you signed the form. If YOU signed it yourself, no witness needed.
If you couldn't sign and someone else signed for you, they must have a witness. The witness can be anyone over 18 (friend, family member, social worker, doctor) who actually watched the signing happen.
Once you sign and date, you're done. Now you can send it to SSA (mail it, fax it, or drop it off at your local SSA office) or give it to your medical provider.
SSA will contact your provider. It usually takes 1–2 weeks for your records to arrive. Then SSA uses them to make a decision on your case.
Can't read this all at once? Email yourself a link to come back later.
Talk to Virtual Dr. EdCall SSA directly: 1-800-772-1213 (TTY: 1-800-325-0778)
You have all the information you need. Download the form from ssa.gov and fill it out. You've got this.