CLIPBOARD : HOW TO OBTAIN A SOCIAL SECURITY CARD FOR YOUR CHILD

The primary reason for obtaining a Social Security card for your child is that the Internal Revenue Service requires it. A Social Security number must be listed on Form 1040 or 1040A for all dependents who will be at least 2 years of age by the end of the tax year and who are U.S. citizens or residents, or residents of Canada or Mexico. Failure to include the dependent’s Social Security number, or the listing of an incorrect number, could net a penalty.

Other reasons include opening a bank account or trust fund, and buying college bonds for your child. Also, some schools are beginning to require that students have a Social Security card.

HOW TO APPLY

* Obtain a form from the Social Security Administration. (Local addresses and an 800 number are listed below.)

* Fill out one form per child in blue or black ink.

* You will need to present your child’s original or certified birth certificate plus one more document showing the child’s identity--such as a doctor or hospital bill, school or immunization record, or similar document.

* Take or mail the form and the original or certified copies of your documents to the nearest Social Security office. (If you are mailing documents, the SSA will return them promptly.)

* If you will be signing the form, you will need some kind of identification. (Types of identification are listed in the next section.)

* If everything is in order, a card should be issued within two weeks if the application was made in an office, or three weeks from the time the SSA receives the application if it was mailed.

FOR CITIZENS BORN OUTSIDE THE U.S. OR NON-U.S. CITIZENS:

Dependents living in Mexico or Canada may apply for a Social Security number at the SSA office in a nearby U.S. city. In Mexico, applications may be obtained at the U.S. embassy in Mexico City, or at a Foreign Service post in Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Hermosillo, Matamoros, Mazatlan, Monterrey, Merida or Tijuana. In Canada, dependents may apply for a card at the American embassy in Ottawa.

* A face-to-face interview is required of anyone coming into the country who needs a Social Security card. At that time a birth certificate or passport along with the documentation given to the Immigration and Naturalization Service must be presented.

* For U.S. citizens born outside the country, present your Consular Report of Birth, if available, and one other form of documentation (listed below). If these are unavailable, the SSA will accept your foreign birth certificate and either a U.S. Citizen Identification card, U.S. passport, Certificate of Citizenship or a Certificate of Naturalization. Since the SSA needs to see originals of these documents, they should not be mailed.

DOCUMENTATION

The SSA will only accept original documents or certified copies of the following of the natural or adoptive parent or legal guardian of the child:

* Driver’s license

* U.S. government or state employee identification card

* Marriage or divorce record

* Health insurance card

* Doctor, hospital or clinic records

* Military records

* Court order for name change

* Adoption records

* Church membership or confirmation record (if not used as proof of age)

* Insurance policy

* Credit card

* Any other document that establishes your identity

(Note: The Administration will not accept the Social Security number or birth certificate of a parent or guardian as a form of identification.)

WHERE TO APPLY

You can request an application over the phone by dialing (800) 234-5772 and answering a series of pertinent questions on the automated line. Or you can apply in person at the following Orange County locations:

* Anaheim: 1070 N. State College Blvd.

* Brea: 3230 E. Imperial Highway, Suite 150

* Garden Grove: 12912 Brookhurst St.

* Huntington Beach: 16742 Gothard St.

* Laguna Niguel: 24000 Avila Road

* Newport Beach: 3663 Spruce St.

* Santa Ana: 34 Civic Center Plaza