How do I create a my Social Security account?
Twenty years inside Social Security taught me this: a my Social Security account is the single most useful tool the SSA gives you, and it costs nothing. Earnings record, benefit estimate, replacement SSA-1099, direct deposit, address changes — most of what people drive to a field office for is already in the account, waiting. The people who set theirs up before they need it are the ones who never get caught flat-footed.
Dr. Ed Weir, PhD · 20 years inside Social Security · "Former" Sergeant, USMC
Updated May 2026
How do I create a my Social Security account?
To create a my Social Security account, go to ssa.gov/myaccount and choose either Login.gov or ID.me as your sign-in. Both are free and accepted by SSA — pick whichever fits, and if you already have one from VA.gov or the IRS, reuse it. You'll need to be at least 18, have a Social Security number, and verify your identity with a photo ID. Setup takes about ten to fifteen minutes.
When you set up the account and Medicare is on the horizon
Free help from licensed Medicare advisors
Once your my Social Security account is live, the next thing on most people's minds is Medicare. My friends at Chapter Medicare can help. Licensed advisors who don't sell one company's plans, so they can actually compare what's out there. Free service. Tell them Dr. Ed sent you.
Here's what to do, in 4 steps.
Four steps. Take them in order. The fourth one is what most people skip — and it's the one that matters most.
1. Go to ssa.gov/myaccount
Open ssa.gov/myaccount in your browser. Click "Create an Account." SSA will hand you off to a credential service provider — either Login.gov or ID.me — to handle the actual sign-in. There's no shortcut around this step; SSA-only usernames were retired June 7, 2025.
my Social Security at SSA.gov ›2. Pick Login.gov or ID.me
Both are free, both are accepted by SSA, and you only need one. If you already have an ID.me from VA.gov or the IRS, reuse it — don't make a second account. If you have a foreign mailing address, SSA routes you to ID.me. If neither applies, Login.gov is the simpler option for most people.
Login.gov get started guide ›3. Verify your identity
Have a driver's license or passport in hand. The verification flow asks for the document, your address, and — in most cases — a selfie or short video. If verification fails, don't keep retrying. You can lock yourself out and end up with a phone call you didn't want to make. Step 4 of this list explains the path forward.
ID.me Help Center ›4. Log in and check your earnings record first
The minute you're inside, click your earnings record. Twenty years inside taught me that errors close to when they happened are easy to fix — errors twenty years old are nearly impossible. Missing or wrong years can cost you thousands at retirement. Do this on day one.
my Social Security sign-in ›What you need to know in 60 seconds
Which of these sounds more like you?
Eight situations I see when people set up the account. Pick the one that matches.
I want to set up my account todayten or fifteen minutes from the kitchen table
Most people don't realize you can do this from your kitchen table in fifteen minutes. Here's the path:
1. Go to ssa.gov/myaccount and click Create an Account. 2. Pick Login.gov or ID.me — either is fine. If you already have one of these from VA.gov or the IRS, reuse it. 3. Verify your identity with a driver's license or passport. Most people are asked for a selfie or short video as well. 4. Once the credential is created, you're handed back to SSA and signed in.
First thing to do once you're inside: pull your earnings record. That's where errors hide.
I've watched people put this off for years thinking it would be complicated. Then they sit down with a coffee, and it's done before the coffee's gone. The hardest part is finding your driver's license.
I already have an ID.me from VA or IRSor another federal service
Reuse it. SSA's own guidance is explicit: you do NOT need to create a new ID.me account specifically for Social Security. If you already verified through ID.me at VA.gov, the IRS, or another federal service, sign in at ssa.gov/myaccount with that same credential and you're in.
Same goes for Login.gov — if you have one for any other federal agency, reuse it.
Don't make a second account. Two accounts under the same identity is a fraud flag and SSA will lock both while it sorts out which one is real.
Most surprising thing about this is how many people don't know. They created an ID.me for the IRS in March, and in October they're sitting there making a new one for SSA. SSA flags the duplicate, both get locked, and now they're calling 800.
I couldn't pass identity verification onlineor it kicked me out partway through
Online identity verification fails for a real percentage of people — thin credit history, address mismatch, frozen credit file, recent move, name change, foreign-issued ID, or just a bad scan of the driver's license. None of that means you did anything wrong.
The path forward: stop retrying online. Each failed attempt makes the next one harder. Two paths from here:
1. Visit a Social Security office in person and verify there. Bring your driver's license or passport, your Social Security card if you have it, and proof of address. 2. Call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 and say "Help Desk" — priority service runs Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time.
If you've already failed verification two or three times, stop. Each retry tightens the lock. People come into the field office wondering why their account is frozen — it's because they kept hammering at the wrong answer. One try, fail, switch lanes.
I had an old SSA username and passwordand now I can't sign in
I'm a flashlight, not a courtroom — here's what changed. Effective June 7, 2025, SSA retired the old Social Security username and password sign-in entirely. The only way back into your account is through Login.gov or ID.me.
This is not a password reset. SSA can't reset that old credential because it doesn't exist anymore. What you do instead: go to ssa.gov/myaccount, click Sign In, and create a Login.gov or ID.me account if you don't already have one. Once you sign in with the new credential, your existing my Social Security account is still there — same earnings record, same history.
Account recovery for the old SSA-username world is gone. SSA reps cannot reset the old credential. The recovery path runs through Login.gov or ID.me, not through Social Security.
I already get benefits — do I still need an accountyes, and you'll use it more than you think
Yes — even more useful once you're a beneficiary. The account is where you:
- Download your SSA-1099 every January for taxes (no waiting on the mail). - Change your direct deposit when you switch banks. - Update your address. - Print a benefit verification letter (landlords, mortgage lenders, and Medicaid offices ask for these). - See your annual cost-of-living adjustment letter up to three weeks before it arrives by mail. - Request a replacement Medicare card.
If you're already getting benefits and don't have an account yet, set one up this week. The first SSA-1099 you download instead of waiting for makes it worth it.
I've watched retirees show up at field offices in February asking where their SSA-1099 is, ten minutes before their tax appointment. With an account, that form is sitting in a PDF inside the portal, ready to print. The account pays for itself the first time tax season comes around.
I'm worried about identity theft and SSAset up your account before someone else does
Setting up your own my Social Security account is one of the strongest identity-protection moves you can make. Here's why: a fraudster who has your name, date of birth, and Social Security number can try to claim the account first. If you've never set one up, there's no friction — they only have to pass identity verification once.
If YOU already claimed it, they can't. The credential is locked to your email, your phone, and your verified identity documents. A second attempt to open an account on the same SSN raises a duplicate-identity flag.
This is the single best argument I know of for setting up the account before you need it. Don't wait until you're applying for benefits. Claim the account now.
I've seen people discover they had an account they didn't create — a fraudster claimed it years before. Untangling that is a process. Untangling it from the inside, when YOU are the legitimate account holder, is straightforward. Untangling it as the rightful owner who never set one up is not.
I'm helping a parent set up their accountthe rules that catch families
If you're an adult child sitting next to a parent at the kitchen table, here's what matters in order:
1. The credential is theirs. The Login.gov or ID.me account has to be created in the parent's name, with their email, and verified against their identity documents. You can sit beside them and read the screens — the actions on screen need to be theirs.
2. Don't use your own ID.me to log them in. SSA's own guidance is explicit: the account is for the named individual's exclusive use, no one else, even with permission. Using your own credential to access a parent's information is a fraud flag and SSA will lock both accounts.
3. If a parent genuinely cannot manage their own affairs — cognitive decline, severe disability — that's a representative payee question. POMS GN 00502 covers it. Different process, different paperwork, and the payee gets a separate account, not access to the beneficiary's personal account.
You are not failing them by making them be the one who clicks. You're protecting their account.
I can't get online or don't want an accountthe account is convenience, not a requirement
You don't need a my Social Security account to use SSA. The account is a convenience, not a requirement. Everything inside it can also be done by phone or in person:
- Earnings record statement: SSA mails one every five years to people 25+ without an account. You can also request a paper Social Security Statement by calling 1-800-772-1213. - Benefit application: can be done by phone or at a field office. - Replacement SSA-1099: call 1-800-772-1213 and request a copy by mail. - Address change, direct deposit, benefit verification: phone or in person.
If you want help that isn't online — call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time. The first hour after 8 a.m. is when wait times are shortest.
What to do once the account is live
The account is the front door. Once you're inside, here are the things most people use it for first. Each one links to a deeper guide.
Check your Social Security earnings record
Once your account is set up, your earnings record is the first thing to check. Errors close to when they happened are easy to fix; errors decades old are not. You may find missing years, wrong wage amounts, or self-employment income that didn't post.
How to apply for Social Security
With an account, you can apply online for retirement, spousal, or Medicare benefits. The same forms exist on paper if you'd rather not, but online is faster and you can save and come back. May qualify if you're 62 or older for retirement.
Fix errors on your earnings record
If your earnings record shows missing or wrong years, you can correct them through SSA — with W-2s, tax returns, or pay stubs as evidence. The closer to when it happened, the easier the fix. May qualify if you have employer or self-employment records SSA didn't capture.
How much will I get from Social Security
The account's benefit estimator gives you projected monthly amounts at age 62, full retirement age, and 70, based on your actual earnings record. The numbers shift as you keep working, so check yearly.
Replace your Social Security card
Many states now allow online card replacement through your my Social Security account, with no in-person visit. Availability depends on your state's DMV partnership with SSA. May qualify if your state participates and you're not changing your name.
Direct deposit setup or change
Once you're getting benefits, the account is the easiest way to add or change direct deposit — no paper forms, no field-office visit. May qualify whenever your bank or routing number changes.
Everything people ask me about my Social Security
What is a my Social Security account?
A my Social Security account is the Social Security Administration's free online portal for individuals. It's where you view your earnings record, estimate your future benefits, request a replacement Social Security card or SSA-1099, change direct deposit, update your address, and — once you're getting benefits — manage them. It's free, and the account works whether you currently receive benefits or not.
How do I create one?
Go to ssa.gov/myaccount and click Create an Account. SSA hands you off to one of two credential service providers — Login.gov or ID.me. Either is fine; pick whichever you prefer. You'll need to be at least 18, have a Social Security number, a valid email address, and a photo ID (driver's license or passport). Plan on ten to fifteen minutes start to finish.
What's the difference between Login.gov and ID.me?
Both are SSA's accepted sign-in providers. Login.gov is operated by the U.S. General Services Administration and is built specifically for accessing federal agency services — simple and government-only. ID.me is a private single sign-on provider that meets federal identity-proofing standards; it works with both government and private services, and is what SSA routes you to if you have a foreign mailing address. You only need one. SSA's own guidance: if you already have either credential from another federal service, reuse it.
What if I can't pass identity verification online?
I'm a flashlight, not a courtroom. Verification rules are tightened by ID.me and Login.gov, not SSA — the recovery path runs through them, not through Social Security directly. Practical step: stop retrying online. Each failed attempt makes the next one harder. Go to a Social Security office in person with your driver's license or passport, or call 1-800-772-1213 and say "Help Desk" for priority service Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time.
Do I need an account if I'm not getting benefits yet?
Yes — and ideally years before you file. The account lets you view your earnings record (where errors hide), get personalized benefit estimates, see what you'd receive at 62 versus full retirement age versus 70, and check on any application status if you've already applied. Setting it up well before you need it also blocks a fraudster from claiming the account first.
Do I need an account if I'm already getting benefits?
Even more useful. You can download your SSA-1099 every January (the tax form), change direct deposit when you switch banks, update your address, print benefit verification letters that landlords and lenders ask for, request a replacement Medicare card, and see your annual cost-of-living adjustment up to three weeks before it arrives by mail.
Can I help a parent or spouse with their account?
You can sit with them. The credential and the identity verification have to be theirs — the Login.gov or ID.me account in their name, with their email, verified against their identity documents. Don't get caught by this: a parent's account credential needs to be theirs, in their name, with their identity verification. Doing it under your own ID.me to 'help' them is a fraud flag and SSA will lock both accounts. If a parent truly cannot manage their own affairs, that's a representative payee question — a separate process.
What about my old SSA username and password?
Effective June 7, 2025, SSA retired the old Social Security username and password sign-in. Login.gov and ID.me are now the only sign-in options. SSA can't reset that old credential because it's been removed entirely. To get back into your account, create a Login.gov or ID.me credential at ssa.gov/myaccount. Your existing my Social Security account, earnings record, and history are still there — you just sign in with the new credential.
Can I download my SSA-1099 from the account?
Yes — in fact this is the feature beneficiaries use most. Once you're inside, look for "Replacement Documents" or "1099/1042S." The form is available every January, usually before the paper copy arrives by mail. Download it as a PDF and save or print as needed for your tax preparer.
Is the account safe — what about identity theft?
Twenty years at Social Security taught me — the people who set up the account before a fraudster does are the ones who don't end up on the phone with us trying to undo a scam. The credential layer (Login.gov or ID.me) uses multi-factor authentication, identity-document verification, and ongoing monitoring. The single biggest identity-protection move you can make is claiming the account yourself, before someone else tries to.
Helping a parent set up their account?
If you're an adult child sitting next to a parent at the kitchen table, here's the rule that catches families: the credential and the identity verification have to be theirs, in their name, on their device if possible. You can sit with them, read screens, hand over the driver's license — but the account is the parent's. Setting it up under your own ID.me to 'help' is a fraud flag and SSA will lock the account. If a parent truly cannot manage their own affairs, that's a representative payee question — different process, different paperwork.
→ Get the bystander checklistNeed a setup checklist?
I keep a one-page checklist of what to have on hand before you start the verification — driver's license or passport number, address history, a phone you can receive a text on. Drop your email and I'll send it. Nothing else unless you ask.
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