Updated October 19, 2026. Quick answer: Form SSA-7050-F4 requests Social Security earnings information by mail. An itemized statement with employer names costs $61.00, $96.00 if certified, and certified yearly totals cost $35.00. Yearly totals are free if you do not need certification: get them in your online account instead. SSA must receive the form within 120 days of the signature date, and allows 120 days to process it.
Quick reference
| Request | Fee and detail as printed on the form |
|---|---|
| Itemized statement of earnings | $61.00 (employer names and addresses) |
| Itemized statement, certified | $96.00 ($61.00 plus $35.00 certification) |
| Certified yearly totals | $35.00 (no employer names) |
| Yearly totals without certification | Free in your my Social Security account |
| Form must arrive | Within 120 days of the date signed |
| Processing time | SSA asks you to allow 120 days |
| One request covers | One Social Security number and one type of statement |
| Payment | Credit card, check or money order; no cash; fee not refundable |
Do you need this form at all?
Often not. The first page of the form says “Yearly earnings totals are free to the public if you do not require certification.” and sends you to ssa.gov/myaccount. If you only want to check what is on your record, the free route is the right one, and our page on checking your Social Security earnings record explains the deadline for fixing a missing year. Social Security’s earnings-record booklet gives the reason to look first: “You should use your personal my Social Security account to review your complete earnings record and make sure it is accurate.”
SSA-7050 is for the cases the online account cannot serve: itemized detail with employer names and addresses, or a record SSA will certify because someone, such as a pension plan, a court or a lawyer, has asked for one. The form itself says “Certification is usually not necessary unless you are specifically asked to obtain a certified earnings record.”
The fees, one by one
The instructions page states the base fee and what drives it: “Yes. We charge a $61.00 fee for providing information for purposes unrelated to the administration of our programs.” Certification adds to it: “We will certify the itemized earnings information for an additional $35.00 fee.”
The fee section on the last page lists the totals: “Applicable fees are $35.00, $61.00, or $96.00.” That is $35.00 for certified yearly totals, $61.00 for a non-certified itemized statement and $96.00 for a certified itemized statement. The form also notes that sometimes there is no charge. It says “Sometimes, there is no charge for itemized earnings information.” That applies when you believe your earnings are wrong: show the years involved and explain why you need the information, because without the explanation SSA charges the fee.
Who may order, and what to attach
You can order your own record. A parent or legal guardian can order for a minor or a legally declared incompetent individual, with proof of the relationship. For a person who has died, the form lists the legal representative of the estate, a survivor (spouse, parent, child, or a divorced spouse of a divorced parent) and an individual with a material interest such as an heir at law, next of kin, beneficiary under the will or donee of property of the decedent. It adds “You must include proof of death and proof of your relationship to the deceased with your request.”
A different mailing recipient is allowed. Section 3 lets you authorize SSA to send the information to another named person at one address. If you want one of each statement type, the form says you need two separate forms, each with its own payment.
Signing, deadlines and where to send it
The signature section makes the request under penalty of perjury and prints a deadline in the margin: “SSA must receive this form within 120 days from the date signed”. After you send it, “Please allow SSA 120 days to process this request.” The form says to call 1-800-772-1213 after that.
Payment rules are blunt: “This Fee Is Not Refundable. DO NOT SEND CASH.” Mail the form, supporting documents and fee to Social Security Administration, P.O. Box 33011, Baltimore, Maryland 21290-33011. SSA will return forms without the appropriate fee.
The edition read for this page is Form SSA-7050-F4 (11-2024) as the agency served it on 2026-10-19. Check the edition printed on the copy you use, because a later edition can change the questions, the mailing instructions and the evidence asked for.
Common mistakes
- Paying $35 or $61 for numbers that are free. Uncertified yearly totals are in your online account.
- Signing and then waiting. The form prints that SSA must receive it within 120 days from the date signed.
- Ticking more than one statement type on one form. The form says choose one, or SSA returns it.
- Requesting a deceased person’s record without proof of death and proof of your relationship.
Related: checking your earnings record, fixing an earnings record error, and Social Security and Medicare forms.
Sources
- Form SSA-7050-F4 (11-2024), Request for Social Security Earnings Information: https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ssa-7050.pdf
- SSA Publication 05-10081, How to Correct Your Social Security Earnings Record: https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10081.pdf
Read from the Social Security Administration and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services documents linked above on October 19, 2026. General information, not legal or benefits advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 is the right place to confirm anything consequential.