No, it is not illegal to laminate your Social Security card. And you might have come to this question only because you must have heard of the guidelines provided by the Social Security Administration regarding the safety of your card, right? But that is just for the protective measures; they haven’t said anything that makes laminating it an illegal act. So yes, you can do that, but should you be doing that? Well, NO! There are better ways to keep it safe. We’ll talk about that too.
Is Laminating Your Social Security Card Illegal?
The answer is simple. Definitely, laminating your Social Security card is not against the law. There is no regulation, fine, or legal punishment, so basically, you are safe.
But the thing is, the Social Security Administration (SSA), the office that distributes these cards, is strongly recommending not to laminate them. The question of legality never even comes into it. It’s more about complications in keeping the card verified later on.
Why Does the SSA Advise Against Laminating It?
The Social Security Administration (SSA) says that if you laminate your Social Security card, it might mess up the card’s security features. The features are there to stop fraud and ensure that the officials can confirm the card is genuine.
Today’s Social Security cards have various layers of security such as unique paper, intricate design, and the elements that can be visually detected only at certain angles or under certain light. After embedding the card with polyester film, some of these features may get less clear, or touching them with a test pen might not be possible.
In reality, the Social Security Administration basically wants to be able to confirm the authenticity of your card every time without a shadow of a doubt.
What Problems Can Laminating Cause?
Putting your Social Security card through a lamination machine will not make you have legal issues, however, it may bring difficulties in your everyday life. How exactly? Just to give a good idea of that, for example, an employer when doing the verification of documents for Form I-9 or a government office may doubt a laminated card as they are not able to properly check its security features.
It sometimes happens that laminated cards are rejected. If you are in such a situation, you might have to ask for the issuance of a new card or else give different evidence of your SSN, which will require more of your time and energy.
Besides this, the SSA does not give any assurance if a card is laminated. For that reason, putting a card under a plastic cover can create more problems for you when you want to use the card somewhere.
Better Ways to Protect Your Social Security Card
Lamination is not the only way to protect your card if that is what you want to do. Instead, the SSA advises the use of a removable plastic sleeve or a transparent card holder.
Just put the card in a plastic cover that can be taken off at times when the card needs to be checked. This not only saves the card from being damaged but also keeps the security features visible.
Another clever method would be to keep your Social Security card in a safe place at home, for instance, in a safe or locked drawer. Generally, folks don’t have to take the card with them every day, so by storing it safely, they minimize the chances of their card being lost or getting destroyed.
What If You Already Laminated Your Card?
If your Social Security card is already laminated, don’t panic. You haven’t broken any laws. But if your card is not accepted, the quickest way is simply to get a new one from the SSA. Plain and simple! Generally, a replacement is provided at no charge.
