A lot of people in the US have a Social Security card. A lot of people worry that they will lose it, have it stolen, or damage it. Perhaps you could get a new one, but it would be safer to keep the old one.
The government says that your Social Security card actually only acts as formal proof of the SSN the SSA gives you. Keep in mind that each one has a name on it, and the owner must show another form of ID.
Can you laminate your Social Security card?
People in the US are told by the Social Security Administration not to seal their SSA card. It’s against SSA’s rules to seal your card, even if you want to protect it from damage from water, bugs, or use.
In fact, there are important reasons why you shouldn’t seal your Social Security card. Remember that lamination makes it impossible to see a lot of security measures.
There are options to lamination that the Agency suggests. You will protect your card this way, but many of its security features will still be able to be found. Take a look at these two cases.
Ways to protect your Social Security card from damage
Use a plastic cover instead of sealing your SSA card since you can’t do that. Of course, get a plastic cover that fits your SSA card and makes sure it won’t hurt the safety features.
Like, pick one that’s big enough and doesn’t have anything that could hurt your card. For safekeeping your Social Security card, the SSA also suggests using other safe items that are easy to remove.
You can ask for a new Social Security card if you were careless and damaged the one you have. You don’t always need a real card, though, if you know your SSN by heart or have a copy to check. To get a new card, go to https://www.ssa.gov/number-card/replace-card on the SSA website.