SSA-3288 Customer-Assembly Preparation Kit
This workflow helps you prepare an SSA-3288 consent for release of Social Security records. PostalForm prepares the official form and delivers the unsigned preparation kit only to your verified address. PostalForm does not file, serve, or submit it. Specify the records and recipient, hand-sign and date the paper consent in ink, add any required authority evidence, and submit it to the SSA office holding the records yourself, or use SSA’s official online consent process instead.
PostalForm prepares and prints an unsigned customer-assembly kit and sends it only to your verified address. You perform final assembly and submission.
PostalForm is not affiliated with Social Security Administration.
Need more context?
The form is ready to fill now. If you want supporting instructions, mailing notes, or source links, they are below.
Important details+
Answer the guided questions and PostalForm prepares the official form, leaves signature areas blank, adds a customer instruction cover, and sends the packet only to your verified address. Nothing is filed or submitted for you. Specify the records and recipient, hand-sign and date the paper consent in ink, add any required authority evidence, and submit it to the SSA office holding the records yourself, or use SSA’s official online consent process instead.
What you need+
- Name, date of birth, and Social Security number of the person the records are about
- Name and full address of the person or organization receiving the records
- A specific reason for the release
- Which records to release — with date ranges for benefit, Medicare, and medical-record requests
- Signature and date; proof of relationship if a parent or legal guardian signs
- Hand-sign the printed form after the preparation kit is delivered
- Proof of relationship (only if a parent or guardian signs) (optional) — Required when the signer isn’t the subject of the record: add a copy of the birth certificate, guardianship order, or similar proof to the customer kit before final submission.
Form summary+
This workflow helps you prepare an SSA-3288 consent for release of Social Security records. PostalForm prepares the official form and delivers the unsigned preparation kit only to your verified address. PostalForm does not file, serve, or submit it. Specify the records and recipient, hand-sign and date the paper consent in ink, add any required authority evidence, and submit it to the SSA office holding the records yourself, or use SSA’s official online consent process instead.
How it works+
- Answer the guided questions and review the prepared form information.
- PostalForm prints the official form with signature areas left blank and sends the customer-assembly kit only to your verified address.
- After delivery, follow the cover instructions, hand-sign where required, and add every original, certified record, payment, witness, certification, companion form, or other physical item.
- Verify the current deadline and destination, then personally complete final submission through the official channel.
Where it gets mailed+
PostalForm mails the unsigned preparation kit to you. You complete the signatures, physical enclosures, and final submission yourself.
Packet order+
- Customer assembly instruction cover (remove and keep before final submission)
- Prepared unsigned form (signature and reserved third-party fields blank)
- Printed reference attachments
Common mistakes+
- Asking for “any and all records” — SSA rejects blanket requests; you must name the records.
- Skipping the date ranges on benefit-history, Medicare, or medical-record boxes; SSA won’t disclose without them.
- Checking both medical-records boxes (date range AND complete records) — the form says to pick one.
- Letting the consent go stale: it must reach SSA within 1 year of signing, or 90 days when medical records are included.
- Using the SSA-3288 for earnings or employment history — that’s Form SSA-7050-F4 — or for a minor child’s medical records, which requires the local office.
- Mailing it to SSA headquarters instead of the record subject’s local servicing office.
FAQs+
Where do I send Form SSA-3288?
To the local Social Security office that serves the person the records are about. The form’s instructions say to find it with SSA’s office locator (secure.ssa.gov/ICON) using that person’s ZIP code.
Does SSA charge a fee to release my records?
Releases connected to a Social Security program are free. For non-program purposes — some legal, insurance, or business uses — SSA may charge a fee, and detailed earnings histories are handled on Form SSA-7050-F4 with its own fee schedule.
How long is the consent valid?
SSA must receive it within one year of the date you sign — within 90 days if you’re releasing medical records. Each form covers a single release; ongoing disclosures need a new copy each time.
Is there a faster way to prove my benefit amount?
Usually yes — a free benefit verification letter downloads instantly from a my Social Security account, with no consent form needed. Use the SSA-3288 when a third party must receive records directly from SSA.
Can I use SSA-3288 for my child’s records or my earnings history?
A parent or guardian can release a minor’s NON-medical records with this form (with proof of relationship). A minor’s medical records require the local office, and earnings or employment history requires Form SSA-7050-F4.
Sources+
Related+
Last verified+
Last Social Security Administration verification: July 12, 2026