Will Social Security accept a notarized copy of divorce decree instead of original document?

Unfortunately, SSA typically requires certified copies of legal documents like divorce decrees, not notarized photocopies. The certification needs to come directly from the court that issued it. A notary can only verify that a copy matches another document, not that the original document itself is authentic. I went through this last year and had to pay the fee for the court-certified copy.

my sister tried using a copy last yr & they REJECTED it!! had to wait 2 more months for proper docs & almost missed her medicare enrollment period!! dont risk it

Just wondering - have you checked if your state has online court records where you might be able to get a certified copy electronically? Some states now offer this service and it's faster than mail requests. Might be worth looking into before paying the $75.

I work as a paralegal, and I can confirm that Social Security is very strict about requiring certified court documents with the original seal. A notarized copy won't work because the notary is only verifying that your copy matches another document, not that the document itself is authentic. If the $75 fee is a hardship, you might ask the court clerk if they have a fee waiver process. Some courts will reduce or waive fees based on financial need. Also, you can still submit your application for ex-spouse benefits now and note that the certified decree is forthcoming. This establishes your filing date while you wait for the document.

When I applied for survivor benefits last year I had a similar problem with my marriage certificate. I tried explaining to SSA that getting a new copy would take 8 weeks from the county office, and the agent just said "that's not our problem" and told me to come back when I had proper documentation. So frustrating!

I had a nightmare trying to reach SSA about this exact issue! Kept calling for 3 weeks and either got disconnected or was on hold for hours. Finally I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through to a real agent in under 15 minutes. They confirmed I needed a court-certified copy but were able to start my application process while I waited for it. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent also gave me a special fax number to send the document once I received it, which saved me another office visit.

cant u just say u never got married?? how would they know?

One more thing to consider - if you're applying for divorced spouse benefits, remember you need to have been married for at least 10 years to qualify. Make sure your divorce decree clearly shows the marriage and divorce dates. If it's been less than 10 years, you won't be eligible regardless of having the proper documentation.

My friend went through this and she said she mailed her application with a note explaining that the certified divorce decree was on its way from the court. She included her receipt from the court showing she had ordered it. SSA started processing her application and just put a note that the file needed the decree before finalizing. Not sure if all offices do this, but might be worth trying.

Just wanted to add that I went through this exact situation with my divorce decree from 2001. Called the courthouse and they actually offered to email me a PDF copy with their digital seal for $25, which SSA accepted as valid documentation. Not all courts offer this service, but it might be worth asking if yours does - could save you time and money compared to waiting for a physical certified copy to be mailed.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now! I needed my marriage certificate for survivor benefits and was dreading the wait time and fees. After reading through these responses, I called my county clerk's office this morning to ask about digital options. Turns out they do offer email delivery of certified copies with digital seals for $35 - half the cost of mail delivery and I got it within 2 hours! The SSA agent I spoke with confirmed they accept digitally certified documents as long as they have the official court seal embedded in the PDF. Definitely worth calling your courthouse to ask about this option before paying the full $75 and waiting weeks. Some counties have really modernized their services but don't advertise it well on their websites.

I'm in a similar boat and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I've been putting off applying for divorced spouse benefits because I dreaded dealing with getting my divorce papers from 2003. Reading all your experiences, especially about the digital certified copies, gives me hope that this process might not be as painful as I expected. One question - for those who successfully submitted applications while waiting for documents, did SSA give you any kind of confirmation or timeline for when they'd need the certified copy by? I'm worried about starting the process and then having some arbitrary deadline I didn't know about. Also, has anyone tried going to their local SSA office in person instead of calling? I'm wondering if face-to-face might be more productive than being stuck on hold for hours.

I just wanted to thank everyone who shared their experiences here! This thread has been a lifesaver. I was completely stressed about the $75 fee and 4-6 week wait, but after reading about the digital certified copy options, I called my courthouse this morning. They DO offer email delivery with digital seals for $40 and said I'd have it by end of business day! The clerk also mentioned that many people don't know about this service because their website hasn't been updated in years. She said to specifically ask for "digitally certified copies with embedded court seal" when calling other courthouses, as some clerks might not immediately know what you're looking for. I'm also going to take the advice about submitting my SSA application now to establish my filing date while I wait for the document. Feeling so much more optimistic about this whole process now!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I just wanted to add my experience from last month when I needed my marriage certificate for Social Security. After calling around to several county offices, I discovered that some courts will also accept a "certified true copy" from an attorney who has access to the original records through legal databases. My lawyer was able to pull the official record, certify it, and have it accepted by SSA for $50 - much less than what the courthouse wanted. Not all attorneys offer this service, but family law or estate planning attorneys often have access to these legal record databases. Might be worth calling a few local law offices if the courthouse digital options don't pan out. Also, just a heads up - when you do get your certified copy (whether digital or physical), make several photocopies for your records before submitting the original to SSA. You never know when you might need it again for other benefits or legal matters!

Based on everyone's experiences shared here, I'd strongly recommend calling your courthouse first to ask about digital certified copies before paying the full $75. As several people mentioned, many courts now offer email delivery with embedded digital seals for much less money and faster turnaround - sometimes the same day! I also want to emphasize what the paralegal mentioned about submitting your SSA application now to establish your filing date while you wait for the document. This is crucial since you mentioned your FRA is in 3 months. SSA can backdate benefits to your initial filing date once you provide the required documentation. One more tip - when you do call SSA (or use a service like Claimyr to get through faster), ask specifically about their document submission process. Some offices accept faxed certified copies, which could save you time once you get your divorce decree. Good luck with your application!