Account FAQs & Help

Login.gov and ID.me are our two identity verification and sign-in services . You only need an account with one of these providers.

Login.gov provides simple, secure, and private access to participating government agencies. You can use your Login.gov account to access your personal my Social Security account. You can use that same Login.gov account to sign in to other government benefits and services. To create a Login.gov account, you will need an email address, government-issued photo ID, and phone number. For more information, visit the Login.gov Help center.

ID.me is a single, secure sign-on provider that meets the U.S. government's online identity proofing and authentication requirements. You can use your ID.me account to access your personal my Social Security account. You can use that same ID.me account to sign in to other government and private company services. To create an ID.me account, you will need an email address, government-issued ID, and device with a camera. For more information, visit the ID.me Help Center.

No. If you have a Login.gov or ID.me account, you can use your existing account to access Social Security’s online services.

You can have an account with both Login.gov and ID.me and access your personal my Social Security account with either one. It is not required to have both accounts.

While a mobile phone number is often used for Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), you can use alternate methods that don’t require a mobile phone, such as a security key, landline, or backup codes

For ID.me: If you don’t have a personal phone or are using a shared device, you may be able to verify on a video call. Visit the ID.me Help Center to get started with MFA.

For Login.gov: Login.gov offers several authentication methods. If you cannot use any other MFA option that ID.me or Login.gov supports, or if you prefer the phone, you can receive your MFA code via a phone call to your landline.

Login.gov offers authentication methods other than the phone. Visit the Login.gov Help center for more information about authentication methods. Both you and your spouse can add the same mobile phone number to your separate Login.gov accounts. To create an ID.me account, if you don’t have a personal phone or are using a shared device, you may verify your information on a video call. If you would like to use your mobile phone as one of your Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) methods, you can choose to receive your MFA code via text or phone call.

Each customer is required to create their own unique account using a unique email address. You should not share your account or an email address with anyone, including a spouse or other family members.

Customers with a foreign mailing address should create an account with ID.me following the instructions on our Service Around the World webpage. Many online services are now accessible overseas with an ID.me account.

No. Effective June 7, 2025, Login.gov and ID.me are now the only sign in options to access Social Security online services. We have removed the option to sign in using a Social Security username and password.

You will be required to create an account with ID.me or Login.gov to access our online services. If you already have a Login.gov or ID.me account, you can use your existing account to access our online services.

We are committed to protecting your information and benefits and take this responsibility seriously. That’s why we ask you to verify your identity to create a personal my Social Security account. We work with external partners to securely verify your identity. We do this to protect your data while making our online services easy for you to use.

Ready to sign up? You can now create your new my Social Security account through our credential service provider (CSP), Login.gov, or you can access your information using your ID.me account if you have one.

Login.gov is your one government account for simple, secure, and private access to participating U.S. government agencies. ID.me is a single sign-on provider that meets the U.S. government’s online identity proofing and authentication requirements.

If you are not certain that an e-mail you received came from Social Security or one of our marketing firms, DO NOT respond to the email or click on any links contained in the email message.

Report the incident by forwarding the suspicious email to the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) at phishing-report@us-cert.gov.

• Verify the sender. Exercise caution when receiving email from a sender you don’t know or haven’t heard from in a long time. Hover over the ‘From’ email address to ensure it matches the displayed email or name of the sender.
• Look for poor choices in wording, phrasing, or spelling.
• If an email includes a business name, telephone number, or website link, verify the legitimacy of these items by searching for the official number or website in a search engine.
• Do not respond to emails requesting personal information. Reputable businesses and public agencies will not ask you for personal information in an email.

SSA supported Web browsers: Chrome, Edge, and Safari.

Please refer to the resources below for instructions on updating your browser.

• Google Chrome
• Microsoft Edge
• Apple Safari

Please refer to the resources below for instructions on clearing your cache and cookies.

• Google Chrome
• Microsoft Edge
• Apple Safari