Do I need certified marriage/divorce records for my OWN Social Security retirement application?

yes u need them! i had same problem last year and SS rejected my app for missing marriage info!! even tho i was applying on my own record! something about making sure ur not double dipping or whatever. u can order copies from the county clerks where u got married/divorced.

SSA requires marriage and divorce information for several reasons, even when you're only claiming on your own record: 1. They need to establish your correct legal name 2. They need to know if you have any current spouse who might be eligible for benefits on your record 3. They need to know if any ex-spouses might qualify for benefits on your record (which doesn't reduce your benefits) 4. They need to verify you're not already receiving benefits on someone else's record You don't always need certified copies for the initial application. In many cases, providing the dates and locations to the best of your knowledge is sufficient. If there are discrepancies, SSA may request documentation later.

I went through this nightmare last year! The online system is TERRIBLE about explaining what's actually required vs. what's just "requested" information. I couldn't remember my exact divorce date from 30 years ago and had NO IDEA how to get those records. Spent WEEKS trying to track down certified copies and getting nowhere with county offices!! Finally got so fed up I called SSA directly and the agent told me I could just put approximate dates for my application and they'd let me know if they needed documentation later. WHAT A WASTE OF TIME AND STRESS!!

The SSA does require marriage and divorce information on your application, but here's what you need to know: 1. For your own retirement benefits, you can often use your best estimate if you can't remember exact dates 2. You'll need to provide names, approximate dates, and locations of marriages/divorces 3. Certified documents are typically NOT required for the initial application 4. If SSA determines they need verification later, they'll request documents 5. If documents are requested later, you can either upload them to your my Social Security account or take them to a local office Note that if your marriage lasted 10+ years, your ex may be eligible for benefits on your record (doesn't affect your amount), which is one reason SSA tracks this information.

I couldn't get through to Social Security for weeks about this exact same issue! Kept calling and getting disconnected or waiting on hold forever. Finally I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through to an agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. The agent confirmed I only needed to provide my best estimate of dates for my initial application - such a relief! Saved me so much stress trying to track down 40-year-old records.

OMG I remember going thru this! The whole time I'm like "I'M APPLYING FOR MY OWN BENEFITS WHY DO YOU NEED MY RELATIONSHIP HISTORY??" lol. I think its cause they need to make sure nobody else can claim on ur record? I just put estimates for my dates and it worked fine. Never had to send anything in.

To clarify some of the conflicting information in this thread: 1. SSA's requirements can vary based on your specific situation and who processes your application 2. The safest approach is to provide as much accurate information as possible in your initial application 3. If you can only provide approximate dates, include a note explaining why (e.g., "Records unavailable, divorce occurred approximately June 1985") 4. For marriages that ended 20+ years ago, SSA is sometimes more flexible about documentation 5. Be prepared that an SSA representative might contact you for additional information For your online application, you can proceed with your best estimates, but be responsive if they request additional information.

Just wanted to add my experience - I'm a former SSA employee and can confirm that for retirement benefits on your own record, you typically don't need certified copies upfront. The system asks for marriage/divorce info because it affects potential auxiliary benefits (spouse/ex-spouse benefits) and helps verify your identity. Most applications are processed with approximate dates if that's all you can provide. The key is being honest about what you remember vs. what you don't. If SSA needs documentation later, they'll send you a specific request letter with instructions on what to submit and how. Don't let the paperwork stress delay your application - you can always provide additional documentation later if requested!

As someone who just went through this process last month, I can confirm what others have said - you don't need certified copies for your initial application! I was in the exact same boat with multiple divorces from decades ago and couldn't remember precise dates. I submitted my application with approximate dates (like "Summer 1987" or "Late 1992") and included brief notes like "exact date unknown - divorce occurred approximately 30 years ago." My application was approved without any requests for additional documentation. The key is to be honest about what you remember vs. what you don't. SSA understands that people don't always have perfect recall of events from decades ago. They're more concerned with getting a general timeline than exact dates for your own retirement benefits. Don't let this paperwork anxiety delay your application - you're turning 66 next month and want to get the process started! You can always provide additional documentation later if they specifically request it.

I went through this exact same situation when I applied for my retirement benefits at 66! I had two marriages from the 1980s and honestly couldn't remember the exact divorce dates either. What worked for me was putting my best guess estimates (like "approximately March 1988") and adding a note that said "exact date unavailable - occurred over 30 years ago." SSA processed my application just fine without requesting any additional documentation. The thing that helped me relax about it was realizing that SSA deals with this all the time - people don't keep perfect records of life events from decades ago, and they understand that. They're more interested in getting a general picture of your marital history than pinpoint accuracy for your own retirement benefits. My advice: don't let the fear of imperfect information delay your application. Submit it with your best estimates and explanatory notes. You're so close to your 66th birthday - get that application in! If they need anything else, they'll ask for it later, but chances are good they won't.

I just want to echo what several others have said here - you absolutely do NOT need certified copies for your initial retirement application! I went through this same exact panic about 6 months ago when I was applying for my benefits. I had 3 marriages/divorces spanning from the 1970s to early 2000s and could barely remember which decade some of them happened in, let alone exact dates. I was losing sleep over trying to track down all these old records. Finally I just submitted my application with my best guesses - things like "divorced approximately 1987" or "marriage ended around spring 1995" - and included notes explaining that the exact dates were unavailable due to the age of the records. My application was approved within 6 weeks with zero requests for additional documentation. The SSA representative I spoke with later told me this is completely normal - they understand that people don't keep perfect records from decades ago. Don't let this paperwork anxiety delay your benefits! You're turning 66 next month so time is of the essence. Submit with your best estimates and deal with any follow-up requests IF they come (which they probably won't for your own retirement benefits). The worst thing you can do is miss your filing deadline over some 40-year-old paperwork you probably don't even need.

I'm dealing with this same issue right now! I have two divorces from the 1990s and honestly can't remember if one happened in '94 or '95. Reading through everyone's experiences here is SO helpful - I had no idea that approximate dates with explanatory notes would be acceptable. I've been stressing for weeks thinking I needed to hunt down certified copies from two different counties before I could even submit my application. The SSA website really doesn't make it clear what's actually required vs. what's just requested information. Based on what everyone is saying, I'm going to go ahead and submit with my best estimates like "divorced approximately late 1994 - exact date unavailable due to age of records" and see what happens. It sounds like most people get approved without having to provide the actual documents later. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread has been more helpful than hours of trying to navigate the SSA website!

I'm going through this exact same process right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I've been stuck for weeks trying to remember exact dates from a divorce that happened in the late 1980s. Reading everyone's experiences here has given me the confidence to just submit my application with approximate dates and explanatory notes rather than continuing to delay while trying to track down 35-year-old records. One question for those who successfully submitted with estimates - did you put anything specific in the "notes" section of the online application, or did you just include the explanation right in the date field itself (like "approximately summer 1988 - exact records unavailable")? I'm planning to submit this week since I turn 66 in a few weeks, but want to make sure I'm formatting the explanations in the most helpful way for the SSA reviewers.

I'm in almost the exact same situation! I have three marriages/divorces from the 1980s and 1990s and was completely panicking about not remembering exact dates. This thread has been a lifesaver - I had no idea that approximate dates with explanations would be acceptable for the initial application. I've been putting off my application for over a month thinking I needed to somehow track down certified copies from three different states before I could even submit. The SSA website really makes it seem like everything is mandatory when apparently a lot of it isn't for your own retirement benefits. After reading everyone's experiences here, I'm definitely going to submit this week with my best estimates and clear explanatory notes. It's such a relief to know that so many people have successfully gone through this process without having all the perfect documentation upfront. Thank you to everyone who shared - this has been more helpful than anything I found on the official SSA website!

I just went through this exact same situation a few months ago when I applied at 66! I had two marriages from the 1980s and honestly couldn't remember if my second divorce was in 1987 or 1988. I was SO stressed about it. After reading advice similar to what's in this thread, I decided to just submit my application with approximate dates like "divorced approximately late 1987 - exact date unknown after 35+ years" in the date fields and brief explanations in the notes sections. My application was approved without any requests for additional documentation! The SSA representative I eventually spoke with confirmed that for your own retirement benefits, they're much more flexible about exact dates from decades ago. They understand that people don't keep perfect records from that long ago. My advice: don't let this delay your application when you're so close to 66! Submit with your best estimates and clear notes about why the dates are approximate. The worst case scenario is they ask for more info later, but based on everyone's experiences here, that rarely happens for your own retirement benefits. Get that application submitted!

I'm currently going through this same process and this thread has been incredibly reassuring! I've been stuck for weeks trying to remember exact dates from a divorce that happened over 30 years ago. Based on everyone's experiences here, it's clear that SSA understands people don't keep perfect records from decades past. I'm planning to submit my application with approximate dates like "divorced approximately winter 1991 - exact records unavailable after 30+ years" and include brief explanations in the notes sections. It's frustrating that the SSA website makes everything sound mandatory and intimidating when the reality seems much more reasonable for retirement applications based on your own work record. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - knowing that so many people successfully submitted with estimates gives me the confidence to stop overthinking this and just get my application in!

I just wanted to add my perspective as someone who went through this process about 8 months ago. I had the exact same panic about marriage/divorce dates from the 1980s and 1990s - I literally could not remember if my second marriage ended in 1994 or 1995! After calling SSA multiple times and getting conflicting information, I finally spoke with a supervisor who explained it very clearly: for YOUR OWN retirement benefits (not spousal benefits), they primarily need the marriage/divorce info to verify your legal name changes and to know if anyone else might be eligible for benefits on your record later. They don't expect perfect recall of events from 25-40 years ago. I ended up submitting with entries like "Marriage ended approximately 1995 - unable to recall exact month after 30 years" and my application was processed without any follow-up requests. The key is being honest about what you remember vs. what you're estimating. Don't let this paperwork anxiety delay your application when you're so close to 66! The SSA deals with incomplete historical information all the time. Submit with your best estimates and explanatory notes - you can always provide documentation later if they specifically request it (which they probably won't for your own retirement benefits).

I'm going through this exact same situation right now and this thread has been such a relief to find! I've been putting off my Social Security application for months because I was convinced I needed to track down certified copies of marriage and divorce certificates from the 1980s and 1990s. Like so many others here, I have multiple marriages/divorces from decades ago and honestly can't remember exact dates. I was losing sleep thinking I'd have to contact county clerks in different states and pay for certified copies before I could even submit my application. Reading everyone's experiences here has completely changed my perspective. It's clear that SSA understands people don't keep perfect records from 30-40 years ago and that approximate dates with honest explanations are perfectly acceptable for retirement applications based on your own work record. I'm planning to submit my application this week using language like "divorced approximately summer 1987 - exact date unavailable after 35+ years" and include brief notes explaining why I can't provide precise information. Based on all the success stories shared here, it sounds like this approach works well and rarely results in requests for additional documentation. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread has been more helpful than hours of trying to navigate the confusing SSA website! Don't let paperwork anxiety delay your benefits when you're eligible.