How to Get Your Birth Certificate & Social Security Card?

Many people don’t have the essential birth certificate and social security cards that they need to prove their identity because they lost the originals and don’t know how to get copies, but there is an easier way to get these documents.

Okay, so maybe you moved and lost your essential paperwork or maybe you accidentally threw it away, but the fact is that your birth certificate and social security card is essential. While you don’t need to carry these around all the time, you need to have access to them to prove who you are. Unfortunately, many people don’t know how easy it is to obtain these documents when needed and that can lead to many people who don’t have their proof of identity.

Birth Certificates

In the past, it used to be time consuming and difficult to get a copy of your birth certificate if you had lost it. The quickest way was to visit the courthouse in the county you were born, fill out a request, pay the fee and recieve your copy. So often, however, a trip to the courthouse isn’t possible because people have moved away. In this case, it used to be necessary to send a written request for your information, with proof of identity. This took time and could be frustrating if you needed your birth certificate in a hurry.

Now, getting copies of your birth certificate is easier than ever if you can go online. Nearly every county in the country has the ability for you to order your documentation online these days, so the process is much simpler. Occasionally, you will find that you need to fax copies of your driver’s licence or identification in to the records office to prove your identity, but it’s quick and easy to do. Plus, if you need your documents in a hurry, you can have them overnighted to you.

Social Security Cards

Your social security card requires more proof of identity to obtain, but, you can still download all the forms and print them out from your computer, which might make the process easier. The problem with getting your social security card is that often you will have to provide the original proof of identification. Which means that, much like getting a passport, you will be without these essential documents for a time. In most cases, the social security office will require you to send your birth certificate and (if you have it) a picture identification in with your paperwork. The good news is that if you don’t want to leave your documents behind for who knows how long, you can visit a Social Security office anywhere in the country and request your card.

While all these steps might seem frustrating and time consuming, they are essential to obtaining these documents, so if you have lost your birth certificate and social security card, these are steps you need to take to get them back.