Effective Dates: 01/18/2024 - Present Previous | Next

TN 17 (01-24)

RM 10212.150 Name Corrections on the SSN Card

A. Name correction vs name change on the SSN

A name correction:

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    requires an action to show a person’s legal name on the SSN card as defined in RM 10212.001.

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    does not require a name change event to have taken place because the Numident does not show a prior legal name,

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    includes a subsequent name correction based on a current marriage, civil union, or domestic partnership.

A name change:

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    requires an action to show a person’s legal name on the SSN card

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    requires a name change event to have taken place because the Numident name is the prior legal name of the number holder. For additional information on name changes, see RM 10212.001.

B. When are name corrections processed

Develop for name corrections when there has been no legal name change event and the Numident record either:

  1. 1. 

    does not show the number holder’s legal name (generally, the latest Numident record will have been established before the implementation of SSA’s legal name policy on 12/17/05); OR

  2. 2. 

    does not show the number holder’s preferred version of their legal name as permitted under RM 10212.001.

The purpose of the name correction is to update the number holder’s SSN card to show their legal name, when requested by the applicant.

NOTE: Replacement card applicants are not required to change or correct their names shown on the SSN card to reflect the legal name per RM 10212.005 if current evidence of identity agrees with name on the latest SSN card. If an applicant does not want to correct the name shown on the SSN card to reflect their legal name but an external entity (e.g., DMV) was electronically unsuccessful at verifying the name and SSN then:

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    process a replacement card application, per RM 10210.015;

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    complete all of the name fields following RM 10205.130; and

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    suppress the card, if the applicant does not need a replacement card.

NOTE: Despite a successful electronic verification of the name and SSN, some State DMVs require the name on the SSN card to reflect the person’s current legal name. Applicants in these States may be required to request a name correction on the SSN card in order to obtain or renew a driver’s license or identity card. In these situations, develop for a name correction per RM 10212.160. For name changes, see RM 10212.010.

C. What evidence is required to process a name correction?

To process a name correction you must establish the applicant’s legal name and obtain evidence of identity.

1. Evidence of legal name

Establish a person’s legal name by following either the:

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    Policy for legal name in RM 10212.001; or

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    Using the NL2 line on a prior Numident record for a US born applicant, when it agrees with the alleged legal name as shown on current evidence of identity and the microprint of the latest SSN application changing the name on the card to a different name does not indicate evidence of a legal name change was submitted. For information on use of the Full Name at Birth line on the SSN application and Numident, see RM 10205.125.

2. Evidence of identity

Always request evidence of identity in the new name (i.e., legal name to be shown on the SSN card). The biographical information on all evidence documents submitted, other than the name, must agree with the information on the documents submitted.

EXCEPTION: Evidence of identity in either the prior name or new name is acceptable if the subsequent name correction is based on a current marriage, civil union, or domestic partnership.

D. References

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    RM 10212.001, Legal Name for an SSN

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    RM 10212.155, Subsequent Name Correction Based on Current Marriage, Civil Union and Domestic Partnership

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    RM 10205.125 Entering NH’s Name in SSNAP

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    RM 10210.405 Evidence of Identity for an SSN Card

To Link to this section - Use this URL:
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0110212150
RM 10212.150 - Name Corrections on the SSN Card - 01/18/2024
Batch run: 01/18/2024
Rev:01/18/2024