How HR and payroll teams request a Social Security card from new hires
By Arthur Teboul, DokuTrak · Published
In short
For payroll setup you need the new hire’s name and Social Security number exactly as the Social Security Administration has them. A copy of the card is one way to get that right, so ask whether they are willing to share one. For Form I-9 the card is a List C document, but the employee chooses what to present, in original.
Why HR and payroll teams need a Social Security card
Payroll reports wages under the name and SSN on Form W-2. If they do not match SSA records, wages may not post to the employee’s earnings record and you may receive a mismatch notice. Copying the name from the card, rather than from a nickname on the offer letter, avoids that. You can also check the pair with the SSA’s Social Security Number Verification Service.
What exactly to ask for
A copy of the front of the card, or, if the employee prefers not to send one, a check of the name and number in person. Do not make the card a condition of the I-9, and keep any copy in a restricted file, apart from the I-9 and the general personnel file.
What to check when it arrives
- The name in payroll matches the card letter for letter, including any hyphen or second surname.
- The number in payroll matches the card, checked digit by digit.
- The copy is stored with restricted access, separate from the I-9 and the personnel file.
Email to send your client
Replace the bracketed parts. The same text fits in the message of a DokuTrak request (up to 1,000 characters).
Subject: Your Social Security card for payroll setup
Hi [Client name],
We are setting up your payroll so your first paycheck arrives on time. Your W-2 has to show your name and Social Security number exactly as the Social Security Administration has them.
If you are comfortable with it, please send a copy of your Social Security card. If you would rather not send a copy, let me know and we will confirm the details in person.
This is separate from your Form I-9. Could you send it by [date]?
Thank you, [Your name]
Ask once. DokuTrak does the chasing.
- Your client uploads from one link, with no account and no password.
- Reminders go out on a schedule, by default 2, 5, 10 and 14 days after the request, until the file arrives.
- With AI review switched on in your workspace (it is off by default), each upload gets a first pass that flags a file that is not a Social Security card or an unreadable or blurry scan. It says so when it is not sure.
- You accept every file or mark it for re-upload, and your client gets the note by email. The AI never accepts a file.