Because I’m a government employee, I’ve gotten emails from time to time from friends of mine who are trying to figure out something government-related and assume I have all the answers. And because I work in the office that runs USA.gov, I can usually point my friends in the right direction.

Last week a friend of my emailed me to ask how to get a new Social Security card because he had lost his.

I searched for the answer on USA.gov and passed the information along to him. And I thought I’d share it with you too.

If your Social Security card was lost or stolen, you’ll need to find a few things:

1. Proof of U.S. citizenship

2. Proof of identity

3. A filled out application for a new card.

You can then take (or mail) all of these things to your local Social Security office.

Remember all of your identifying documents must be the originals.

And even if you’re issued a new card, you’ll have to be on the watch for identity theft. So make sure to read up on ways to prevent it.

What do you do to prevent your Social Security card from being lost or stolen?

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