Individual Taxpayer Identification Number Useful
Posted Apr 19, 2002

Our March 8, 2002 issue of the MurthyBulletin included an article entitled, SSNs Not Available Solely for Issuance of Driver's License, available on MurthyDotCom. In that article, we reported that the Social Security Administration would not issue the SSN for driver's license purposes. Applicants who are not authorized to work in the U.S. cannot obtain SSNs except in certain, very limited circumstances. We also noted that some states require the Social Security Number for the license, while others do not.

Persons who are not eligible for SSNs may be able to obtain Individual Taxpayer Identification numbers (ITINs) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It is our understanding that some states that require the SSN for driver's license issuance may be able to accept the ITIN instead.

Please note that, as with SSNs, ITINs cannot be issued specifically for the purpose of a driver's license. In fact, the following reminder appears at the top of the application form: "This number is for tax purposes only." The form also mentions that persons who are eligible for the SSN should not apply for the ITIN. An example of a person who may need an ITIN would be an H-4 spouse. Since H-4s are not authorized to work, they would not ordinarily be eligible for the SSN, but may need the ITIN to file taxes jointly with the H1B spouse or to open a bank account.

The ITIN application, IRS Form W-7, can be submitted either by mail or in person. The form is available from the IRS WebSite or from your local IRS office.