Social Security Login.gov Account Access Guide

Where to Sign In to Your Social Security Account

Start at {site}, choose the option to sign in or create an account, and then select Login.gov. This is the correct route because it begins with Social Security and returns you to your personal my Social Security account after authentication.

Do not use a sign-in link from an unexpected email, text, advertisement, or search result. Searches such as “social security login.gov,” “socialsecurity login.gov,” and “my social security login.gov” may lead to unofficial pages that imitate the real service.

Social Security stopped accepting its older Social Security usernames and passwords in 2025. Login.gov and ID.me are now the sign-in services for Social Security online accounts. The change provides stronger identity checks, two-factor authentication, and credentials that can also work with participating government agencies.

Setting Up or Linking a Login.gov Account

If you already use Login.gov for another government service, use that account. Do not create a second one merely for Social Security. Begin through Social Security, choose Login.gov, and enter the email and password for your existing Login.gov account. Follow the prompts to connect it to your Social Security record.

To create an account, you must be at least 18 and have your own email address. Login.gov will ask you to confirm that email, create a password, and set up at least one authentication method. Available methods can include a security key, an authentication app, face or touch unlock, a phone call or text, or backup codes.

Social Security also requires identity verification before it displays personal records. Be ready to provide information about yourself and a readable government-issued photo ID. A phone number may be used during verification, although Login.gov offers authentication choices that do not require a mobile phone. Enter sensitive details only after starting from the trusted Social Security entry point.

If you previously had a my Social Security username, you do not sign in with those old credentials. Select Login.gov and complete the prompts that associate the new credential with your existing Social Security information. Your Social Security records remain with SSA; Login.gov handles the sign-in credential and identity check.

Signing In Step by Step

1. Open {site} and select the sign-in option for a personal my Social Security account.
2. Choose Login.gov rather than the retired Social Security username option.
3. Enter the email connected to your Login.gov account, followed by your password.
4. Complete two-factor authentication using one of the methods already saved on your account.
5. Review and accept any Social Security terms shown when linking or entering the service.

After a successful sign-in, Login.gov redirects you to your personal my Social Security account. You may first see a terms screen or account notice. You can then reach the Social Security information and services available for your record. A search for “my social security account login.gov” or “social security login.gov account” does not create a separate kind of account; Login.gov is the secure doorway to the SSA account.

Fixing Common Sign-In Problems

If you forgot your password, select “Forgot your password?” on the Login.gov sign-in screen. Enter the email used for the account, open the reset message, and follow its instructions. Check spam or junk folders if the message does not appear. Do not create another account simply because the message is delayed.

Too many incorrect passwords, authentication codes, or code requests can temporarily lock sign-in. Stop making repeated attempts and follow the instruction shown on the screen. If the lock occurred during identity verification, return later through the Social Security sign-in page and try again with clear ID images and carefully checked information.

For a page that loops, stays blank, or rejects a correct sign-in, close extra tabs and update the browser. Clear cookies and cached files, then restart it. Try a supported browser such as Chrome, Edge, or Safari. Private browsing, a VPN, blocked cookies, or aggressive privacy extensions can interfere with redirects and remembered-device settings.

Recovering Access After Losing Your Authentication Method

On the authentication screen, choose the option to use another security method. A backup code, second phone method, authentication app, security key, or another method already connected to the account may let you continue.

After signing in with a backup method, remove the lost phone, app, or security key and add its replacement. Keep at least two current authentication methods so one lost device does not lock you out.

If you have lost every authentication method, Login.gov support cannot bypass two-factor authentication or sign in for you. Follow Login.gov’s locked-out account instructions. You may need to delete the Login.gov account and create a new one, then reconnect it through Social Security. Deleting the Login.gov credential does not erase records held by SSA, but it prevents access through that credential until a new account is connected.

Getting Help from Social Security or Login.gov

Use the Login.gov Help Center for password resets, email or phone changes, authentication methods, security codes, locked Login.gov credentials, and problems completing Login.gov identity verification. Use the official contact option displayed there if the written steps do not solve the problem.

Contact Social Security for issues involving your benefits, earnings record, application, notices, or information displayed after authentication. SSA also handles requests to block or unblock electronic access, deactivate access to a Social Security account, and certain identity-verification problems. Use the verified contact block on this page rather than contact details copied from a message or search result.

Protecting Your Account

Phishing messages may copy government logos, warn that benefits will stop, or demand immediate verification. Do not reply with your Social Security number, password, authentication code, or personal key. Login.gov and SSA support should never need your password or a one-time code to act on your behalf.

• Start sign-in from the trusted Social Security entry point instead of an unsolicited link.
• Use a long, unique Login.gov password that is not used for email or another account.
• Add a second authentication method and keep backup codes in a secure offline place.
• Remove lost devices and old authentication methods promptly.
• Review Login.gov account history and saved methods for changes you do not recognize.
• Keep your phone, browser, and authentication app updated and protected by a screen lock.

If a message seems suspicious, leave it unopened and reach the service independently. Change your password and review authentication methods immediately if you entered credentials on a page you no longer trust.