What is a My Social Security account and how do I sign up?

My Social Security is an online service provided by the Social Security Administration (SSA) that allows you to review your earnings history, check current or future benefits, and access many other Social Security services. You will need a valid email address, a U.S. mailing address and your Social Security number to create an account.

To open a My Social Security account:

1. Go to the My Social Security sign-up page and click on “Create New Account.”
2. Click the “Create a new account” link and then the button reading “Sign in with LOGIN.GOV.” Login.gov is a secure government portal that lets you use one set of credentials to access multiple participating federal agencies.
3. On the next screen, click on “Create an account” near the bottom of the page. On the next few screens, enter your email and a language preference, confirm your email, and create a strong password with at least 12 characters.
4. Choose how you want the SSA to verify it’s you when you use the account. This could be the familiar two-factor authentication, where you receive a security code by text or phone call, but there are other options. If you select two-factor authentication, you’ll be prompted to enter your phone number to get and submit a code.
5. After you read and accept the account terms of service, enter personal information the SSA can use to identify you, including your name (as it appears on your Social Security card), address, date of birth and Social Security number.

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At this point, you can add an extra layer of security if you wish by providing additional information the SSA can use to verify your identity. (This procedure used to be mandatory but became optional when Social Security began using Login.gov for account access.) If you decide to do so, you have three options:

• Take photos of your driver’s license or some other state-issued ID with your smartphone. The site will guide you through the process.
• Input financial information such as the amount of your Social Security benefit, part of a credit card number, or data from a tax document such as a W-2 or 1040 Schedule SE.
• Answer questions about your credit history. If you choose this method, you’ll need to temporarily lift any freeze or alert you have on your credit report.

Whether or not you opt for extra security, you’ll be prompted one more time to get an activation code by text message or phone call and enter it for final verification. You’re now ready to use your account!