Social Security Number and Card

Social Security Implements Self-Attestation of Sex Marker in Social Security Number Records

October 20, 2022 • By

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Last Updated: October 20, 2022

Social Security Administration LogoKilolo Kijakazi, Acting Commissioner of Social Security, announced that we now offer people the choice to self-select their sex on their Social Security number (SSN) record. We implemented this policy change and the new option is now available.

“The Social Security Administration’s Equity Action Plan includes a commitment to decrease administrative burdens and ensure people who identify as gender diverse or transgender have options in the Social Security Number card application process,” said Acting Commissioner Kijakazi. “This new policy allows people to self-select their sex in our records without needing to provide documentation of their sex designation.”

People who update their sex marker in our records will need to apply for a replacement SSN card. They will still need to show a current document to prove their identity, but they will no longer need to provide medical or legal documentation of their sex designation now that the policy change is in place.

We will accept the applicant’s self-identified sex designation of either male or female, even if it is different from the sex designation shown on identity documents, such as a passport or state-issued driver’s license or identity card. SSN cards do not include sex markers. Currently, our record systems are unable to include a non-binary or unspecified sex designation. We are exploring possible future policy and systems updates to support an “X” sex designation for the SSN card application process.

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About the Author

Abigail Zapote, Senior Advisor, Office of the Commissioner

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Comments

  1. Chuck B.

    I’m looking at my SS card and I see no mention of sex at all. What the F is happening that sex needs to be on the card ? Unless new cards have a place for sex identification have those people who have commented ever look at the card ? Go woke go insane or is it go insane to go woke ! Folks, our government is broke !

    • John S.

      Yup! More woke bullshit that we can’t afford!

      • Preston

        Honestly curious…what cost do you think you personally will incur for someone to type a F or a M or an X on a piece of paper? It costs the person applying money and time to get a court order and to go to doctor appointments and get letters written and to pay any administrative fees. That’s what covers the change on the paperwork, not your taxes. You are not paying anything. You clearly think it’s silly and unnecessary, but someone else might be doing it so they can more easily get a change to a driver’s license or state ID that will help them be considered for a job. (Trust me, you get more offers if the names and genders match. I’ve been on both sides of that.) More people employed helps the economy, and that helps your pocketbook, it doesn’t hurt it.

  2. Tom S.

    Too much power is allowed to these bureaucratic agencies. These sorts of changes should be made only by elected members of Congress. The SCOTUS I thought made this clear in a recent decision. ONLY the Congress can enact laws. These career bureaucrats MUST be reeled in. Of course, should that happen it would cause an elected official to have to make a decision that may affect his/her/IT next campaign.

    • Blanky B.

      This is not a law, this is an agency policy that can be activated by the agency, with no need of elected members of Congress approval.

      • Tom S.

        Did you make this up or do you know for sure this policy only? If, you’re righy then all laws could be mere policy. This is too big of a deal to allow an agency such latitude.
        Policy? Law? If you have to abide by it the end result is the same.

  3. Michael B.

    Appreciate that Social Security is forward thinking. Like it or not change is inevitable. Why not embrace it? Good job SSA.

    • Jim

      This is NOT forward thinking at all and there is zero need for this change and what the cost to tax payers will be. Social Security has nothing to do with your sex. It is simply a number that is used to track earnings and what taxes have been paid over a persons working career that is used to compute what you will get paid when you retire. That computation does not factor in your sex just what you have paid into Social Security. This is simply another worthless woke law/policy put in place by the current hard left government currently in power. Time for Americans to get out and vote to take our country back and get rid of all these worthless and dangerous politicians currently in power.

      • C

        I agree. As always someone will find a way to make the transgender identification a way to do evil. I would hate to have a person born as one sex to change to another and do harm to young children. I think this woke situation is horrid. The general public is actually paying for inmates to have the gender change. Please get the current officials out of office!!

        • Preston

          I’m transgender, but I didn’t switch from one sex to another. I was always the gender I am. Now I just look how you expect that gender to look. I wish I could say I never harmed young children, but there was that time I let my goddaughter eat artichokes and she got hives. Also, I encouraged her love of emo music a little too much and she got bangs. For that, I am heartily sorry.

    • Preston

      Can’t agree more. Lord it’s funny to watch all these regressionists think that they can stop time. That being anything but progressive has a future (it’s in the name!). They think someday, some way, it’ll pay off being on the wrong side of history. Aren’t they tired of losing? And such petty battles, too! I have to pay for doctor visits, court visits, pay filing fees for paperwork and pay for a court order, take time off work to go to all those things, and /that/ is what pays for someone to type M for male on my paperwork. That cost is not coming out of someone’s taxes or personal social security. That’s just what talking heads tell these folks to make them kick down at the “weirdo” instead of looking up at who’s really doing them harm.

  4. Former S.

    I highly commend the SSA for taking this step.

  5. NotOK

    This country… One day we will have to answer for our doings…

  6. LeRoy E.

    I agree that it is a person’s right to be whoever they want but it is their responsibility to do so not the governments to describe them.

    • Preston

      This comment seems to be in good faith so I’ll answer it in good faith from my experience. This is the gateway to other document changes. Before I can get a change to my driver’s license and other documents, I have to wrangle with SSA. And I need the changes on my driver’s license and other documents for jobs I’m applying for. I am taking on the responsibility of the change–I’m the one filling out the paperwork, going to the court appointments, getting the letters from doctors, attending those appointments, and paying the fees. I wish heartily that I did not need the government to describe me, but it seems to be a requirement if I want to travel or be employed in my field.

  7. JohnB

    Changing the law/procedure to benifit the few. Highly intelligent of our Government. Don’t you think? Somewhere I read there is a move to do this to birth certificates, too. Can you imagine the confusion this will bring. The SS #, Drivers License, and Identification Cards are used in everyones life. Now we will have those documents not match or some will, some won’t.

  8. Sandra G.

    I guess there isn’t enough work for the Social Security Office, they have to look hard to find stupid things to do! This is ridiculous!

  9. Debbie H.

    I cannot wait till the sane people are back in charge. There are only 2 sexes. Male and female, anything other than that are freaks.

    • Preston

      And US citizens. “We the people” still applies, unless you’d like to get rid of those pronouns too. I know it’s pesky, but you can’t just eliminate the citizens you think are weird from recognition by government agencies.

  10. Purple???Haze

    Really!
    SSA does not have enough to do.
    I want to identify as PURPLE.

    • Larry, m.

      NO, NO, NO, I want to be purple LOL
      what a useless waste of tax payer dollars to implement this crap

      • Randy A.

        I am 100% in agreement with all the above comments. It is amazing what we’ll do for the few loud mouths out there. Personal QUICK story. I went to the Social Security Office when my wife passed away. I received a letter saying I needed to come in to discuss my wife’s death benefit. All that happened was I was told since my wife was a house wife most of her life that she didn’t qualify for the $265 benefit. I was told this as 3 other families who could NOT prove they were citizens of the United States applied for, and were assured of, several hundred dollars a month. I had to ask the question to one of the families who spoke English rather well. I asked where they had been working at to receive these benefits due to unemployment, disability or whatever. He said my family and I have just gotten here. We were told to come to one of these offices to receive money while we make a new life here.
        I’m sorry if this deviates from the above situation but it still points towards the same thing. We have some very stupid rules being made of which one of the biggest is the harder you work, the more money that can go to those who won’t work. Until this country stands up and lets people know that laziness is NOT a disease, we’re going to stay in trouble with the Social Security issue.

        • Randy A.

          My apologies for something I misspoke on above. I didn’t see a couple of the comments applauding Social Security for embracing this change. I couldn’t disagree more. I definitely want that understood. I do believe in real life males and females. To me, anything else is simply made up or simply man made.

        • ANITA K.

          I completely agree with every word you expressed. SSA is one govt agency that is in serious need of an overhaul. Several times a year I receive an email from SSA claiming that funds will run out in 2 yrs. Yet here they are handing out our money WE worked for like candy to non legal trespassers. Its infuriating. Not only does this agency freely use our funds as if its their own personal slush fund for all their nonsense they have allowed the worst 3rd party possible debit card provider to join in the partaking of every hacker stealing from the truly vulnerable elderly, retired, disabled by denying every dispute, instead of protecting the little money they have. Not only does this country now resemble Mexico#2 that our own legal citizens are outnumbered 7 to 1 and English is a foreign language, but now a govt agency that is paid by the People believes they are above the People and have crossed the line into absolute liberal insanity they now are more powerful and can make all decisions and acting on them without a word from the people. Its past time that every agency must have a committee of citizens that monitors every move they make, its the only way for change.

    • SW

      Me too! Purple is my favorite color.

Comments are closed.