Guide · Checked Against ssa.gov, October 2026

How to Make a Social Security Appointment

How Do You Make a Social Security Appointment?

You can make a Social Security appointment online through SSA's appointment questionnaire, by calling 1-800-772-1213 (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.), or by calling your local office, which SSA recommends. The appointment may be by phone or in person, and many tasks never need a visit. To find the office that serves you and its direct phone number, use the office finder by ZIP code.

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A Social Security appointment is a set time for an SSA employee to handle your business, either over the phone or at a local office. Since January 6, 2025, SSA has asked people to schedule an appointment before coming in for field office service, including Social Security card requests. You don’t need one for everything, though. Many tasks can be done online, and SSA says it can often help by phone and save you a trip.

If you are not sure your task needs an office at all, run the Do I Need to Visit an Office? check first. It takes a minute and may save you the wait.

Ways to Get a Social Security Appointment

You have three ways to book, plus walking in. Here is how they compare, based on what SSA publishes.

Way to book When you can use it What it is best for Good to know
Online questionnaire at ssa.gov Any time Finding out whether you need an appointment at all SSA tells you if the task can be done online and routes you to phone or in-person service
Your local office’s phone line During office hours Booking an in-person visit at your own office SSA calls this the recommended way to schedule
National number, 1-800-772-1213 Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Scheduling, changing or canceling any phone or office appointment Has a call-back feature; TTY is 1-800-325-0778
Walking in without an appointment During office hours Urgent needs, or offices with short lines SSA will not turn you away, but expect to wait

Most office records on this site list the hours as Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, which is the schedule at 1,194 of the 1,231 offices listed. Check the record for your own office before you call or go.

How to Schedule a Social Security Appointment Online

SSA’s appointment page starts with a short questionnaire. You answer a few questions about what you need, and SSA connects you with the right service.

  1. Open the appointment page on ssa.gov and choose to get started.
  2. Answer the questions about your task. The first one asks whether you need a Social Security card or a change to your personal record.
  3. Read the result. SSA will say if you can finish the task online instead.
  4. If you still need help, book the appointment it offers. It may be by phone or in person.
  5. Keep the confirmation email or text message. It holds the link you need to change or cancel later.

The questionnaire is the fastest route when you are unsure what kind of help you need, because it sorts that out before you book.

How to Make a Social Security Office Appointment by Phone

Calling works for everyone, including people who don’t use the internet. You have two numbers to choose from.

Calling Your Local Office

SSA recommends booking through your local office. That office knows its own calendar, and it is where an in-person visit will happen. Each office page on this site lists the direct phone number SSA publishes for it. A few examples:

Not sure which office is yours? The office by ZIP code guide explains how SSA matches addresses to offices, and you can browse by state, such as Minnesota or California.

Calling the National Number

The national line is 1-800-772-1213. For appointments, SSA staffs it Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., in most U.S. time zones, in English, Spanish and other languages. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, the TTY number is 1-800-325-0778.

When a representative answers, say you want to schedule a phone or in-person appointment. SSA says wait times are usually shorter in the morning, later in the week and later in the month. If the hold is long, ask about the call-back feature so you don’t have to stay on the line.

How to Change or Cancel Your Appointment

To change or cancel, use the link in the confirmation email or text message SSA sent when you booked. If a representative scheduled the appointment for you, you also need the code they gave you.

If you lost the message or never got a code, call 1-800-772-1213 during weekday hours. Tell the representative you want to change or cancel a phone or in-person appointment. You can also call the office where the visit is booked.

Change the time as soon as you know you can’t make it. That frees the slot for someone else and gets you a new time sooner.

Can You Walk in to a Social Security Office Without an Appointment?

Yes. SSA has said it will not turn people away who can’t make an appointment or don’t want to. You can still wait in line. SSA names some groups it serves as walk-ins: vulnerable people, military personnel, people with terminal illnesses, and others who need immediate or specialized attention. Some offices have little or no wait, and they serve walk-ins too.

The tradeoff is time. SSA’s Office Locator tells visitors to skip the line by booking first. When SSA tested appointments in about 50 offices in Georgia and Florida, lines shrank by about 30 minutes.

Before you walk in anywhere, check that the office is open. SSA posts a list of offices that are temporarily closed or serving by appointment only, often because of construction. The office closed or moved guide shows how to check, and all Social Security offices close on federal holidays.

Pick the Right Office Before You Book

The kind of office matters as much as the time.

  • Field offices handle benefits applications, appeals and most other business. This site lists 1,188 of them.
  • Card centers handle only Social Security cards and record updates. There are 7, in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Manhattan, Philadelphia, Orlando and Minneapolis. SSA says you must visit a card center if a card or a record update is all you need. The Orlando Social Security Card Center at 500 N Orange Ave, for example, takes calls at (866) 331-2254. The card center guide lists all seven.
  • Hearing offices run appeal hearings before a judge. You don’t book those through the field office line. If you are appealing, see the hearing offices and appeals guide. The Sacramento, CA Hearing Office, for example, serves 12 field offices, and the full list is on the hearing offices page.

Don’t book a benefits question at a card center. SSA says express card offices don’t take benefits applications or appeals.

What Happens at Your Appointment

Your confirmation tells you whether the appointment is by phone or in person, and when. For a phone appointment, be somewhere quiet with your paperwork in reach at the set time. For an office visit, arrive a little early. The office security rules guide explains what to expect at the door.

A few things make the visit go well:

  • Have your Social Security number and the confirmation email or text ready.
  • Bring the papers for the task you booked, and ask when you schedule if you are unsure which ones apply.
  • If you need an interpreter, say so when you book. SSA provides one free and arranges for the interpreter to be there at your visit.
  • If you use a wheelchair, have a hearing or vision need, or want someone with you, the accessibility guide covers what to ask for.

If your appointment doesn’t solve the problem, ask the representative what the next step is and whether it needs another appointment. Write down the name of the person you spoke with and the date.

Watch for Appointment Scams

Real SSA appointment confirmations come by email or text, which scammers copy. SSA says it will never ask for sensitive or personal information through social media, email or text message. A real confirmation gives you a link to change or cancel. It doesn’t ask for your Social Security number, bank details or a payment.

Hang up or ignore the message if anyone claiming to be from SSA pressures you to act right away, threatens your benefits, or wants payment by gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency or cash. Report it to SSA’s Office of the Inspector General at oig.ssa.gov/report. If you’re unsure a message is real, call the number on your office’s page on this site or the national number yourself. Don’t use a number the message gives you.

For a quick look at every office and its direct line, start from the Social Security office directory.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I Have to Go to the Office for My Appointment?

Not always. SSA says an appointment may be by phone or in person, and many services can be handled by phone with an appointment. The scheduling questionnaire also tells you when a task can be finished online, so you may not need an appointment at all.

Can Someone Else Make the Appointment for Me?

A family member or caregiver can call with you and help you through the questions. If an SSA representative books the appointment, they give you a code, and you need that code along with the confirmation link to change or cancel it later.

What if I Need an Interpreter at My Appointment?

SSA provides interpreters free of charge. Call 1-800-772-1213, press 7 for Spanish, or stay silent through the English prompts for any other language. If your business cannot be finished by phone, SSA makes an office appointment and arranges an interpreter for that visit. The interpreters and accessibility guide covers more.

Is the Scheduling Line Open on Weekends?

No. SSA's appointment help line runs Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., in most U.S. time zones. The automated phone services on the same number run 24 hours a day, but a person schedules appointments only during those weekday hours.

Are Social Security Offices Open on Federal Holidays?

No. SSA closes all Social Security offices on federal holidays, so pick another day when you book an in-person appointment.

Can I Schedule a Video Appointment Instead?

SSA offers video appointments for some services. See the video appointment guide for how they work and who can use one.

Keep Reading

Sources

  1. SSA: Make or change an appointment
  2. SSA: Contact Social Security by phone
  3. SSA: Field Office Locator
  4. SSA: Changes to accessing in-person services (November 13, 2024)
  5. SSA Blog: Appointments growing (and lines shrinking) (December 12, 2024)
  6. SSA: Office closings and emergencies
  7. SSA: How to request an interpreter
  8. SSA: Protect yourself from Social Security scams

Independent site, not affiliated with the Social Security Administration. Office and hearing office details come from SSA's public data and locators. To apply for benefits, appeal or manage your record, go to SSA directly at ssa.gov.