# How HR and payroll teams request a Social Security card from new hires

Source: https://dokutrak.com/requests/hr-payroll/ssn-card
Author: Arthur Teboul, DokuTrak
Published: 2026-11-12
Language: en-US

> 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

Subject: Your Social Security card for payroll setup

```text
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.

14-day free trial, no card. Add one only to keep going.