RM 10210.420 Priority List of Acceptable Evidence of Identity Documents

meet the stated primary, secondary, and third level evidence requirements (for example- unexpired, issued within the time frame stated) listed in RM 10210.405.

Documents with security features (such as passports, driver's licenses, identification cards and employee identification cards and employee identification cards) cannot be copied and certified by the custodian of record. You must be able to authenticate the document via the instructions in RM 10210.210.

Do not accept any document that clearly states it is not valid, or not for identification purposes.

EXCEPTION: Permanent U.S. driver’s licenses and State-issued non-driver identification cards with the legend “NOT FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION” are primary evidence of identity provided the document meets the evidence of identity requirements. Limited and temporary documents are unacceptable as proof of identity documents, unless approved by your Regional Office (RO) and Central Office (CO) enumeration staff.

A. Documents for children from birth through age 5

Use the following chart of Identity documents to help determine the identity of an applicant for an SSN

U.S. citizen: Birth through age 5

Alien: Birth through age 5

1. Primary evidence

Request one of the following documents:

Unexpired valid U.S. State issued non-driver identity card (issued by the same State agency that issues driver’s licenses/State-level agency with issuing authority over the State’s identity cards)

NOTE: Some States may issue State non-driver identification cards to children under age six.

1. Primary evidence

Request a current U.S. lawful alien document and an unexpired foreign passport.

Enter the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) document as the primary proof of identity document and enter the foreign passport information (name, date of birth, passport number, country name, issue date, and expiration date) in the Evidence Submitted field on the Social Security Number Application Process (SSNAP) summary screen, when the information is not already in the passport number field.

Form I-551, Permanent Resident Card (includes temporary I-551 stamp/machine readable immigrant visa (MRIV) in combination with an unexpired foreign passport when DHS has not issued the I-551 Permanent Resident Card).
EXCEPTION: You may accept an expired I-551 in combination with a Notice of Action (Form I-797) and an unexpired foreign passport. For instructions on documenting the I-797 and entering an extended expiration date for the I-551 based on the I-797, see RM 10211.025C.1.d.

Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record in combination with an unexpired foreign passport.
NOTE: Select "I-94 w/Unexpired Foreign Passport" from the Primary Proof of Identity Document drop-down menu.

For instructions on entering in SSNAP, see RM 10211.140A.

NOTE: An admission stamp in an unexpired foreign passport and an unexpired passport are two separate documents. See Policy for Number of Documents Required for an SSN Card, RM 10210.020C.3.

Form I-872, American Indian Card ( only members of the Texas Band of Kickapoos are eligible for this card, see RM 10211.075C and RM 10210.425A.6.).
NOTE: In some cases, the alien may have a current lawful alien document but may not have an unexpired foreign passport (for example, a refugee or an applicant who may have entered the U.S. without inspection or who may have an American Indian Card). In these situations, accept the lawful alien document alone.

2. Secondary evidence

If primary evidence is not available (available means the document exists and the applicant can access or obtain it within 10 business days), request one of the following secondary evidence documents:

U.S. Indian Tribal card or identification document approved by the Regional Office (RO) with concurrence from Enumeration policy in Central Office (CO) as an acceptable identity document

Final adoption decree issued by the court where the recent adoption occurred, showing the child’s name and the child’s date of birth (DOB) or the names of the adopting parent(s). If the adoption took place more than a year previously, a more recent identity document should be available (for example, medical record). For information on availability of documents based on a child’s age, see RM 10210.405D.5.

Certified copy of medical record (clinic, doctor, or hospital), immunization record, or letter providing extract data from the medical record showing, the applicant’s name and the applicant’s DOB or age (for certification by custodian, see GN 00301.030A.3. and for definition of extract, see RM 10210.420D.2 of this section)
NOTE: The issue date of the immunization record is either the date parents received the document or the date of child’s first recorded shot. Ensure that the document is less than four years old (see RM 10210.405D.5).We do not accept immunization records from U.S. citizens who are over age 5. If the issue date is four years old or more, check the date of the child’s last recorded shot. If date of last recorded shot is less than four years from the current date, use that date as the issue date and annotate in SSNAP remarks. If the date of the child’s last shot was four years or longer, you must request another document.

NOTE: Do not accept a receipt or a record of treatment recorded or maintained by the applicant or the applicant's family.