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To ensure the process of opening your new checking account goes smoothly and efficiently, bring the appropriate documents with you to the bank, including photo identification, your Social Security card and proof of current address, such as a utility bill, cable bill, mortgage statement or signed lease agreement. While not all banks require every one of these banking documents, it is better to have them and not need them than the opposite.
Almost every bank requires you to present a valid, government-issued photo ID when opening a checking account. This verifies you are who you say you are and allows the bank to match your name to your face. The most common form of government-issued photo ID is a driver's license; if you lack one because you do not drive, you can go to most Department of Motor Vehicles, or DMV, locations and receive an identification-only ID on the spot. To get this ID, you must bring a birth certificate or valid passport and proof of address to the DMV.
Banks also require you to have either a valid Social Security Number(SSN) to open a checking account. If you have a SSN, bring your Social Security card with you to the bank so it can verify the document. Otherwise, bring proof of your ITIN. If you have neither a SSN or ITIN, you can apply for SSN by filling out and submitting Form W-7 to the Internal Revenue Service.
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