Good luck!

My mom laminated mine when I was like 6 years old. It still has my 6 year-old, childish signature on it. Every time I use it someone says "you're not supposed to laminate these", and then they accept it anyways. So who's the fool now?

Not to defend the social security number system (because it's terrible for unique identification of individuals and when it was created it wasn't even intended to be used for that purpose) but you're not supposed to carry it around with you all the time. It's supposed to be in a drawer/safe/fireproof bag with the rest of your important documents, and only brought out when you need it.

Somebody laminated my birth certificate. But what are they going to do about it, unborn me? Wait… will they?

Edit: What if somebody laminates my death certificate? 😭

I've heard blur is not destructive. Please use a paintbrush on 100% opacity if you do this

Why do people downvote posts like this? What’s the problem? It’s funny, true, and in the right community.

Fun fact, there is a lifetime limit for the number of replacements you can get for these (I forget but I think it's like 12), if you lose too many no more social security card for you

I'm getting "wallet" vibes which should absolutely not be where one keeps important documents. I had mine in a shoe box under my bed as a teen and it survived unscathed.

Heck, I have a 15 year old free pizza stamp card from a shop that permanently closed in better condition. Haha!

Edit: someone came through and downvoted every comment for the heck of it? Haha! Youuu get an updoot, and yooou get an updoot... etc.

I got mine in 1986 and it pretty much looks like the picture.

Fun side note: back then, you didn't get a social security number until you were old enough to get a job. I was fourteen when I got my social security number.

Plastic sleeve, boom problem solved, I'm 34 and I've only ever had one birth certificate because I keep it in a sleeve.

But hopefully y'all Americans can phase out the physical cards like we did in Canada.

Why are you not allowed to laminate it?

Someone explain to me why we can't laminate it.

Wait are we supposed to carry these around? I became a permanent resident back in 2010 and I don't think I've ever taken mine out of my filing cabinet.

Oh, you forgot the part where you are only allowed a fixed number of replacements in your lifetime.

Mine is still in the envelope it came in nearly 40 years ago and is still attached to the perforated paper card. Why carry it with you and destroy it? I’ve never on a whim needed to show it to anyone.

Edit: missed a word.

What’s the reason behind not being allowed to laminate it? Asking as a non American

Slip it into one of the thicker plastic baseball card sleeves. It's a perfect fit, can be easily pulled out, and provides excellent protection.

I work at a DMV. I have seen 10 yr old cards shredded to shit and 80 year cards in near mint condition. If great grandpappy can do it, yall can too.

don't you americans have plastic version's also, or did i get it wrong?

I understand social security to mean paying into a state pension, a national healthcare service, and provision of education.

What does social security mean in the American context?

“This single plain-text string of characters defines your entire identity in the eyes of the government, creditors, health care, everything. Good luck keep it safe!”

I've had mine laminated for almost fifty years.

I'm pretty sure that they removed the restriction on lamination at some point. But I'm not really sure.

I've kept mine in a tight card slot in a leather wallet for longer than some of these commentators have been alive and it honestly still looks great.

SSA will give you a free replacement card. I think TRUMP wanted to charge money for it, but not sure if that plan went through.

Canada issues their SSN cards in hard plastic, which IME is far superior to any credit card plastic. It’s been in my wallet since 1990 and while it looks old, it’s in better shape than almost all of my credit cards - none of which are older than 5 years.

I never knew you couldn’t laminate them? Why would they do something like that?

There was a fad a long while ago where people would get their number stamped onto a metal card. Only ever got to see one of them after years working at a casino where we collected SSNs for jackpot payouts.

Get married and change your last name! You'll get a brand new one. Works for men too, trust me!

Scanning is allowed? A photo?

like, you can get a new one though to be fair, I just got a brand new one, granted it was after legally changing my name but I'm certain you can just have one reprinted without a name change, I don't even think it costs anything.

I also don't understand carrying it around, my partner does, but I just have my number memorized, and the card itself is kept safe, for the few times in my life I will need the actual physical card.