Notice2026-19250
Charging Standard Administrative Fees for Non-Program Information
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 21, 2026
Issuing agencies
Social Security Administration
Abstract
On August 22, 2012, we announced in the Federal Register a schedule of standard administrative fees we charge to the public for routinely requested records. When authorized, we charge these fees to recover our full costs when we provide information and related services for non-program purposes. We are announcing an update to the previously published schedule of standard administrative fees. The updated standard fee schedule is part of our continued effort to standardize fees for non-program information requests. Standard fees provide consistency and ensure we recover the full cost of supplying information when we receive a request for a purpose not directly related to the administration of a program under the Social Security Act (Act).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 181 (Monday, September 21, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 181 (Monday, September 21, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59832-59833]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-19250]
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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
[Docket No. SSA-2026-0793]
Charging Standard Administrative Fees for Non-Program Information
AGENCY: Social Security Administration (SSA).
ACTION: Notice of updated schedule of standard administrative fees.
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SUMMARY: On August 22, 2012, we announced in the Federal Register a
schedule of standard administrative fees we charge to the public for
routinely requested records. When authorized, we charge these fees to
recover our full costs when we provide information and related services
for non-program purposes. We are announcing an update to the previously
published schedule of standard administrative fees. The updated
standard fee schedule is part of our continued effort to standardize
fees for non-program information requests. Standard fees provide
consistency and ensure we recover the full cost of supplying
information when we receive a request for a purpose not directly
related to the administration of a program under the Social Security
Act (Act).
DATES: The changes described are applicable for requests we receive on
or after October 1, 2026.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephen Hull, Social Security
Administration, Accounting, 6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD
21235-6401, (410) 966-1890. For information on eligibility or filing
for benefits, visit our website, <a href="http://www.ssa.gov">www.ssa.gov</a>, or call our national
toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213 or TTY 1-800-325-0778.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 1106 of the Act and the Privacy Act
\1\ authorize the Commissioner of Social Security to set fees for and
promulgate regulations regarding the fees related to providing
information. Our regulations and operating instructions identify when
we will charge fees for information.\2\ Under section 1106(c) of the
Act, whenever we determine a request for information is for any purpose
not directly related to the administration of Social Security programs,
we may require the requester to pay the full cost of providing the
information.\3\ We may also charge fees in response to records requests
when otherwise authorized by law, such as when authorized for certain
program requests under section 1106(b) of the Act. To inform the public
of the standard fees we charge to recover our costs for routinely
requested records, we announced in the Federal Register a schedule of
standard administrative fees we charge to the public on August 22,
2012.\4\ We last updated the schedule of standard fees on August 23,
2024.\5\
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\1\ 42 U.S.C. 1306 and 5 U.S.C. 552a(f)(5), respectively.
\2\ See 20 CFR 401.95, 402.70, and 402.80 (explaining fee
charging practices in response to requests under the Privacy Act and
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA); Program Operations Manual System
(POMS) GN 03311.005.
\3\ See 42 U.S.C. 1306(c) and 20 CFR 402.80 (explaining SSA
exercises its authority to charge full costs under Section 1106(c),
which applies notwithstanding FOIA).
\4\ 77 FR 50757. Please note that this fee schedule sets costs
only for commonly requested records, which could be sought under a
privacy or FOIA request. SSA may also charge full costs based on
Section 1106(c) for fulfilling other records requests, such as FOIA
requests outside these records. See 20 CFR 402.80. When records are
sought under FOIA, a requester could also seek public interest
waiver under 20 CFR 402.85. When SSA charges under Section 1106(c),
even where public interest waiver has been sought, the FOIA does not
apply to SSA's fee-related determinations.
\5\ 89 FR 68232.
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New Information: We are required to review and update standard
administrative fees at least every two years.\6\ Based on the most
recent cost analysis, the following table provides the new schedule of
standard administrative fees \7\ per request:
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\6\ See the Office of Management and Budget Circular No. A-25,
User Charges.
\7\ Fees may differ for processing of records depending on
applicable fee authorities and actions needed to respond to a
records request, such as whether redactions are necessary and
whether special services have been requested.
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Copying an Electronic Folder: $75.
Copying a Paper Folder: $151.
Field Operations Headquarters Certification: \8\ $65.
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\8\ Requests received in a field office, regional office, or
headquarters component.
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Record Extract: \9\ $46.
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\9\ Requests received and processed in a field office.
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Third Party Manual SSN Verification: $74.
Central Processing Certification: \10\ $30.
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\10\ Requests received in Central Processing.
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W-2/W-3 Requests: \11\ $54.
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\11\ W-2/W-3 Fee is $54 per W2/W3 requested.
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Form SSA-7050, Request for Social Security Earning Information:
$49.
Requests for Copy of Original Form SS-5, Application for a Social
Security Card: $23.
Requests for Copy of Numident Record (Computer Extract of the SS-
5): $22.
A requester can obtain certified and non-certified detailed yearly
Social Security earnings information by completing Form SSA-7050,
Request for Social Security Earning Information. We charge $49 for each
Form SSA-7050 for detailed yearly Social Security earnings information.
We will certify the detailed earnings information for an additional
$30. Detailed earnings information includes the names and addresses of
employers. Yearly earnings totals are available in two ways, depending
on the requester's need for certification. A requester can continue to
obtain non-certified yearly earnings totals using Form SSA-7004,
Request for Social Security Statement or through our free online
service portal, my Social
[[Page 59833]]
Security, at <a href="https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount">https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount</a>, by creating a personal
online account for Social Security information and services. Online
Social Security Statements display uncertified yearly earnings, free of
charge, and do not show any employer information.
We will continue to evaluate all standard fees at least every two
years to ensure we capture the full costs associated with providing
information for non-program-related purposes. We require nonrefundable
advance payment. We can accept check, money order, or credit cards. We
do not accept cash. We will accept only one form of payment in the full
amount of the standard fee for each request and will not divide the fee
amount between more than one form of payment. If we revise any of the
standard fees, we will publish another notice in the Federal Register.
For other requests for information not addressed here or within the
current schedule of standard administrative fees, we will continue to
charge fees calculated on a case-by-case basis.
Mark Steffensen,
General Counsel, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2026-19250 Filed 9-18-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on September 21, 2026.
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