How to correct misspelled name on child's Social Security card when original card is lost?

You'll need to handle both issues - the name correction and the lost card. Here's what to bring to the SSA office: - The corrected birth certificate (original, not a copy) - Your ID as the parent - Proof of your relationship as parent (the birth certificate serves this purpose too) - Completed SS-5 form (Application for SS Card) On the SS-5, check the box for "Correcting information on your record" since this is both a name correction and replacement card. Make sure to specify what the correct spelling should be. There's no fee for this service. I recommend making an appointment rather than walking in - the wait times can be brutal.

happened to me when my son was born in 2019!! his middle name was mispelled. honestly the worst part is just GETTING to talk to someone at social security. i waited 3 hours when i went to fix it. bring a snack lol

You DEFINITELY need to bring the original birth certificate, not a copy. They're extremely strict about that. Also bring your own ID (driver's license or passport) and proof of address. Fill out the SS-5 form before you go - you can download it from ssa.gov. I went through this with my twins when the hospital staff wrote their last name as "Mitchel" instead of "Mitchell" - took almost 6 months to get everything straightened out because of COVID closures. The good news is that once you have the appointment, the actual correction process is pretty quick. Just make sure you specify on the form that this is both a NAME CORRECTION and a REPLACEMENT CARD since you can't find the original.

I had to fix my daughter's SS card last year but for a different reason - they put the wrong birth date on it somehow. It's not as complicated as you might think, but MAKE AN APPOINTMENT! That's the most important thing. You need: - The SS-5 form - Your ID - Child's ORIGINAL birth certificate with correct spelling - Proof of your child's identity (medical records, immunization records, or insurance card can work) They'll process everything while you're there and mail the new card. It took about 2 weeks to arrive. And don't worry about the lost card - they understand that happens and will just issue a new one with the correct spelling.

To answer your questions: 1. Yes, download the SS-5 form from ssa.gov and complete it before your appointment. 2. You MUST bring the physical original birth certificate. They will not accept digital copies or even certified copies in some cases. But don't worry - they'll examine it and return it to you during the same appointment. 3. Name corrections don't count toward the replacement card limit since it's correcting an error, not just replacing a card. So this won't affect your remaining replacements. One more tip: bring any other documents showing your child's correct name (medical records, insurance card, etc.) as supporting evidence.

my sister had similar issue but even WORSE - they mispelled BOTH first and last name of my niece!!!!! the social security people were soooooo unhelpful and she had to go back THREE TIMES before she finally got someone who fixed it right. bring EVERY document you can think of just in case. and expect to wait foreverrrrr

To answer about bringing your child - for a minor under 12, you typically don't need to bring them as long as you have all the required documentation proving your relationship and their identity. Just make sure you have that original birth certificate with both your name as parent and their corrected name. For those asking about appointments - YES, they make a huge difference. When I went without an appointment, I waited over 4 hours and was told I needed additional documents. When I went back with an appointment, I was seen within 15 minutes of my scheduled time and everything was processed much more efficiently.

Getting an appointment with SSA is LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE sometimes!! I tried for WEEKS to get through on their phone line for my son's name issue. Always busy or disconnected me after 30+ minutes on hold. The online system kept saying no appointments available. Going in person just to MAKE an appointment meant standing in line for hours! The system is completely broken and they don't care!!!

I had to deal with this exact situation with my twins last year (hospital messed up their middle names). I tried calling SSA for weeks and could never get through to make an appointment. Then I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me actually get connected to a real person at SSA without the endless hold times. They got me through to make an appointment within like 15 minutes when I'd been trying for weeks on my own. You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once I had the appointment, it was pretty straightforward - brought birth certificates, my ID, and the SS-5 forms. New cards came about 2 weeks later with the correct names. Good luck!

One more important thing - when you fill out the SS-5 form, in Section 10 where it asks for the "FIRST NAME TO BE SHOWN ON CARD" and "LAST NAME TO BE SHOWN ON CARD" make absolutely sure you write the CORRECT spelling that you want on the new card. Some people make the mistake of putting the current (incorrect) name in those fields thinking they're identifying the existing card. Also, in the "OTHER" box at the bottom of the form, write "Correcting spelling of last name" so it's crystal clear what you're doing. And check box #2 for "Correcting information shown on your card" rather than box #1 for replacement. These little details can save you from having to go through the whole process again!

i just remembered something else!!!! if ur kid has any other IDs or documents (like maybe passport?) with the WRONG spelling, you have to fix those separately!!!!! social security doesnt notify other agencies about name changes or corrections. my sister had to deal with this nightmare with my nieces passport too

I went through this exact same situation with my son in 2022! The hospital misspelled his first name on his Social Security card (wrote "Johnathan" instead of "Jonathan"). Here's what worked for me: 1. Make an appointment online at ssa.gov/locator - try early morning or late evening when the system is less busy 2. Bring the corrected birth certificate (original), your ID, and the completed SS-5 form 3. In the "remarks" section of the SS-5, write "Correcting hospital error on original application" 4. Don't stress about the lost card - they deal with this all the time The whole appointment took maybe 20 minutes once I got in, and the new card arrived in about 10 days. The clerk was actually really understanding about the hospital error situation. You've got this! Getting the birth certificate corrected was probably the hardest part, and you've already done that. Pro tip: Bring a folder with copies of everything for your own records, even though they only need the originals.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now with my 3-year-old's SS card! The hospital misspelled her middle name and we just got her birth certificate corrected last week. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the SS-5 form or that I needed to bring the original birth certificate. One question for those who've been through this - did anyone have issues because there was a long gap between when the card was originally issued and when you went to correct it? My daughter's card was issued in 2021 and I'm worried they might question why I'm just fixing it now. I kept putting it off thinking it would be complicated, but clearly I should have dealt with it sooner! Also, has anyone had success with the online appointment system recently? I'm seeing mixed reviews about whether it actually works or if calling is better.

I work at a Social Security field office and can confirm most of the advice here is spot-on! Just wanted to add a few insider tips: 1. When you make your appointment, specifically mention it's for a "name correction due to hospital error" - this helps the scheduler allocate the right amount of time and ensures you see someone familiar with these cases. 2. The corrected birth certificate is your golden ticket - once we see that official document with the right spelling, the correction is usually straightforward. We process dozens of these hospital error cases every month. 3. For appointment scheduling, Monday mornings and Friday afternoons tend to have more availability. The system refreshes with new appointments around midnight EST. 4. You don't need to bring your child for this type of correction - your parental relationship is established by the birth certificate. 5. Processing time is typically 7-10 business days, but during busy periods (like back-to-school season) it can take up to 2 weeks. The fact that you got the birth certificate corrected first shows you're on the right track. That was honestly the hardest part! The SS card correction will be much easier in comparison.

As someone who went through this exact situation with my son last year, I can definitely relate to your stress! The hospital misspelled his last name (added an extra "s") and I also lost the original card during a move. Here's what I learned from my experience: - The corrected birth certificate is absolutely crucial - you're already ahead of the game having that done - You'll fill out form SS-5 and check the box for "correcting information" - The SSA agents were actually really understanding about hospital errors - apparently it's more common than you'd think - Don't worry about not having the old card; they deal with lost cards all the time One thing I wish I'd known: bring a small folder with photocopies of everything for your own records. They'll keep the originals temporarily to process but having copies helped me feel more organized. The whole appointment took about 25 minutes and the new card arrived in under two weeks. You've already tackled the hardest part getting that birth certificate corrected - the SS office visit will be much smoother! Good luck with getting everything sorted before preschool starts.

I went through this EXACT situation with my daughter in 2021! Hospital misspelled her middle name and I also couldn't find the original card after moving. Here's what saved me a lot of hassle: Call ahead to your local SSA office and ask what their current wait times look like - some offices are still really backed up while others have gotten better. When I called, they told me Tuesdays and Wednesdays were their lightest days. Also, make sure you have a backup form of ID for your daughter just in case - I brought her immunization record and her pediatrician visit summary that showed her correct name. The agent said it wasn't necessary since the birth certificate was sufficient, but it gave me peace of mind. One thing that really helped: I wrote a brief cover letter explaining the situation (hospital error, lost card, already corrected birth certificate) and attached it to my SS-5 form. The agent appreciated having the context upfront rather than having to piece together what happened. The whole process took about 3 weeks from appointment to receiving the new card, but that was during a busy period. You're smart to get this done before preschool - having all her documents match will save you headaches later!

I went through almost the identical situation with my son two years ago! Hospital misspelled his first name (wrote "Micheal" instead of "Michael") and we also lost the card during a cross-country move. Here's my step-by-step experience: 1. Made appointment online at ssa.gov - had to check daily for about a week before a slot opened up 2. Brought: corrected birth certificate (original), my driver's license, completed SS-5 form, and his pediatric records as backup 3. The agent was super helpful and said hospital spelling errors happen ALL the time 4. Checked "correcting information" on the SS-5 and wrote "hospital misspelling correction" in the remarks 5. Whole appointment was maybe 15 minutes - they photocopied my documents and returned originals immediately New card arrived in exactly 10 business days. The relief I felt when it came with the correct spelling was huge! Don't stress about the timing gap or the lost card - they really do see this constantly. Getting that birth certificate corrected was definitely the hardest part. You're so close to having this resolved! The preschool deadline will give you that extra motivation to finally get it done.

I'm a newcomer here but have been dealing with SSA issues for my family, so I wanted to share what I've learned from this thread and my own research. The advice here is incredibly thorough! Just to add one more tip that might help - if you're having trouble getting through on the phone or online appointment system, some SSA offices allow you to schedule appointments through their local office phone numbers rather than the main 1-800 line. You can find your local office number on the SSA website locator. Sometimes the local lines are less busy than the national system. Also, I noticed someone mentioned Claimyr as a service to help get through to SSA - while I haven't used them personally, I've heard good things from other parents in similar situations. Might be worth considering if you're really struggling with the phone system. Emma, it sounds like you're well-prepared with all the great advice from this community! The corrected birth certificate is really the key document, and the fact that you already have that sorted puts you in a strong position. Hospital errors on SS cards are unfortunately super common, so don't feel bad about the delay in fixing it. Good luck with your appointment!

Welcome to the community! I just went through this exact situation with my twin boys last summer - hospital misspelled both their last names and I couldn't locate the original cards after we moved. Reading through all these responses, the advice is spot-on. I want to emphasize a couple things that really helped me: 1. Don't beat yourself up about the timing - I waited almost 3 years to fix this and the SSA agent didn't even blink. They see delayed corrections all the time, especially post-COVID when everything was harder to access. 2. The online appointment system works better than calling, but you need to be persistent. I checked every morning around 6 AM for about 10 days before slots opened up at my local office. 3. Bring a printed copy of this thread or write down the key points - I got flustered during my appointment and forgot some details about what box to check on the SS-5 form. The whole process was way less stressful than I anticipated. Having that corrected birth certificate makes you golden. My boys' new cards arrived in 8 business days and now all their documents match perfectly for school enrollment. You've got this! The hardest part (getting the birth certificate fixed) is already behind you.

I'm new to this community but dealing with a similar situation! My 2-year-old son's Social Security card has his middle name spelled as "Mathew" instead of "Matthew" (hospital error from 2022), and I've been putting off fixing it because the whole process seemed so overwhelming. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly reassuring - it sounds like once you have the corrected birth certificate (which I'm still working on getting), the SS card correction is actually pretty straightforward. I had no idea about the SS-5 form or that name corrections don't count toward replacement limits. The tip about calling local SSA offices instead of the main number is gold - I'm definitely going to try that. And I love the idea of writing a brief cover letter explaining the hospital error situation to attach to the SS-5 form. Emma, it sounds like you're in great shape with the corrected birth certificate already in hand! This thread has motivated me to finally get moving on our situation too. Thank you everyone for sharing such detailed experiences - it's made this whole process feel much less daunting.