How to Change Your Social Security Password

Where to Sign In to Social Security

Open {site} and select the option to sign in or create an account. Check that the page identifies the Social Security Administration and uses a government web address before entering personal information.

Social Security no longer accepts the old Social Security username and password. Online accounts now use Login.gov or ID.me. Choose the same provider you used when you created or moved your account. Login.gov and ID.me are separate accounts, so a password for one will not work with the other.

Avoid sign-in buttons in unexpected emails or text messages. If a message says your account has a problem, close it and start again from {site}. Never give anyone your password or a one-time verification code.

How to Change Your Password While Signed In

A Social Security password change online happens through your sign-in provider, not inside the benefit information area of your my Social Security account.

To change a Login.gov password while you still have access:

1. Sign in with your Login.gov email address and current password.
2. Complete the authentication method already connected to the account.
3. On the account page, find the Password field and select Edit.
4. Enter a new password that meets the displayed requirements.
5. Select Change password and wait for confirmation before closing the page.

If you use ID.me and do not see a password control under Sign In & Security, use its official Forgot password process. This replaces the ID.me password connected to Social Security without changing your Social Security record.

After you change your Social Security account password, sign in again through the SSA page. Do not create another provider account merely because the old password stopped working.

How to Reset a Forgotten Password

First identify whether the account uses Login.gov or ID.me. The reset message must be requested from that provider.

For Login.gov:

1. At the Login.gov sign-in screen, select Forgot your password?
2. Enter the email address used for the account and select Continue.
3. Open the message from Login.gov and select its password-reset button.
4. Enter the new password and select Change password.
5. Sign in with the new password and complete authentication.

If your Login.gov identity profile uses a personal key, a password reset may deactivate that profile. Follow the reactivation prompt and enter the most recent personal key. Save the replacement key if Login.gov issues one.

For ID.me:

1. Enter the account email on the ID.me sign-in screen and select Continue.
2. Select Forgot password?, enter the email again, and continue.
3. Open the ID.me reset email. Use its reset button or enter the provided confirmation code in the browser.
4. Enter the new password twice and continue.
5. Sign in again and complete multi-factor authentication.

Password and Identity Verification Requirements

Login.gov requires a password containing at least 12 characters. Its guidance says to avoid common phrases, repeated characters, personal dates, parts of your email address, and passwords reused for other accounts. A longer phrase made of several unrelated words can be easier to remember.

ID.me directs users to create a strong, unique password. Follow the requirements shown on its password screen because the provider controls those rules.

Changing or resetting a password does not remove the account's second security step. Have access to the account email and the authentication method you previously set up. Depending on the provider and account, that method may be an authenticator app, passkey, security key, text or voice code, backup code, or another approved option.

Extra identity recovery can require a government-issued photo ID, a phone, a device with a camera, a live selfie, personal information, or a video call. Provide documents only within the provider's official recovery flow.

What to Do If Password Recovery Does Not Work

• Confirm that you selected the correct provider and entered the exact email attached to it.
• Check spam and junk folders, then request a fresh reset message. Use only the newest message.
• Update the browser, allow cookies and JavaScript, or clear the browser's cache and cookies before trying again.
• If ID.me reports that the account is locked, use the unlock instructions sent to the account email before resetting the password.
• If the password works but verification fails, use the provider's multi-factor authentication recovery process.
• If you lost access to both the email and authentication method, contact the sign-in provider. Be ready to verify that the account belongs to you.

Login.gov users who cannot access the original email and do not remember the password may need to create a new Login.gov account with another accessible email and verify their identity again. ID.me users should follow ID.me Support's account-recovery process instead of creating duplicate wallets.

How to Contact Social Security Support

Use the verified contact block on this page to reach Social Security or locate an office. Social Security can help with blocked electronic access, account deactivation, and certain identity-verification issues. Login.gov or ID.me handles passwords, email addresses, authentication methods, and provider-specific identity proofing.

Before contacting support, have your full name, date of birth, account email, sign-in provider, and the exact error message ready. Keep your Social Security number and identity documents private until an official representative or secure verification screen specifically requests them. Support should never ask you to reveal your password or a current one-time security code.