Northwestern Medicine Prentice Hospital: How to Obtain Social Security & Birth Certificate for Your Newborn Child

The Cook County Clerk's office is the official record keeper for births that occur in Chicago, including births that occur at Northwestern Medicine Prentice Women’s Hospital.

Our team will share information about your newborn child with the Cook County Clerk’s office so that they can document a record of your child’s birth, but we are not able to request the birth certificate on your behalf.

In order to obtain a birth certificate for your child, you can submit a request to the Cook County Clerk through one of five methods:

• In person: downtown or at one of five suburban courthouses
• Online: visit VitalChek.com
• By phone: call VitalChek at 866.252.8974
• By going to a local currency exchange: for hours and locations call 847.759.8905 or visit mycurrencyexchange.com
• By mail: using the Cook County Clerk birth record request form

The standard cost is $15 for the first certificate and $4 for each copy. Additional fees may apply.

Please wait 2 weeks after your child’s birth before placing the order to allow time for the birth registration process to be completed. This process is managed by the Cook County Clerk office and may change.
For more information, please visit the Cook County Clerk website at: https://www.cookcountyclerk.com/service/birth-certificates

Social Security Card for Newborn:

At the time the birth is information is documented, hospital staff will ask if you would like us to initiate the process of applying for a social security number for your child. If you chose to have us do this, the card will be mailed to your home in about two months. Please see the following page for details.

Social Security Administration Enumeration at Birth Program:

The Enumeration at Birth (EAB) program offers new parents at hospitals in the United States the option to request a Social Security number (SSN) during the birth registration process. Through EAB, the bureau of vital records takes birth registration information submitted by Northwestern Medicine Prentice Women’s Hospital and electronically sends that information to Social Security. Social Security then assigns a number and issues a card through an automated process. Once assigned, the card will be mailed to your home – typically within about two months after the birth, though actual wait time may be longer.

EAB eliminates the need for you to gather the necessary proofs, complete an SS-5 application, and visit or mail original documents to a Social Security field office for processing. If you wish to apply for your child’s SSN on your own, visit ssa.gov or call 1.800.772.1213 to find your nearest Social Security field office and to find out what documentation you will need in order to apply.

Please be aware that the EAB program is handled by an automated process – not by local Social Security field office staff. This means Social Security field office team members will not be able to provide estimated delivery dates or troubleshoot issues regarding assignment of newborn SSNs applied for through EAB.

There is no charge for a Social Security number or card.

This process is managed by the Social Security Administration.

For more information, please visit the Social Security Administration website at ssa.gov.