Lost or Never Received Your Identity Protection PIN: How to Recover Access
Find your current IRS IP PIN, check whether it can be mailed, and know what to do if neither route works.
If you lost your IRS Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN), check the Profile section of your IRS Online Account or the IRS app. If you can’t retrieve it there, call the IRS to see if it can reissue it by mail. A minor’s lost IP PIN follows a different route: the IRS directs you to call for mail reissue.
Planning to file late in 2026? The IRS announced that the online IP PIN system will be offline from November 16, 2026, until mid-January 2027. The IRS also says it cannot reissue IP PINs by mail during end-of-year maintenance. Check the official IP PIN page before filing.
Check your Profile
Look for the current IP PIN in the IRS app or your own IRS Online Account.
Check the mailing address
If the IRS can reissue the PIN, it mails it to the address on file.
Check your filing deadline
If recovery is unavailable, review the IRS paper filing option and keep payment deadlines in view.
1. Find out why no CP01A notice arrived
The CP01A notice contains the IP PIN for taxpayers who receive it by mail. The IRS says it does not routinely mail the notice if you enrolled online after 2019, it lacks a valid address for you, or you have not filed in the past three years. No letter does not mean you can leave the PIN off your return.
If you’re unsure whether the IRS assigned you a PIN, check your IRS Profile or contact the IRS through its official recovery page. Form 15227 is for new enrollment. Do not use it to replace a PIN the IRS already assigned.
2. Retrieve the PIN through your IRS Profile
- Start at IRS.gov and open your IRS Online Account, or use the official IRS app.
- Sign in with your own credentials. If you need to create an account, complete the identity checks.
- Open Profile and look for the current IP PIN. Use the PIN for the calendar year you submit the return, even if the return is for an earlier tax year.
If you’re locked out, use your sign-in provider’s official recovery process. Don’t give anyone your login password, security codes, or recovery codes. If a trusted preparer needs the IP PIN to file, send just the PIN through a verified secure channel when the return is ready.
3. Ask the IRS whether it can reissue the PIN by mail
| Situation | Next step |
|---|---|
| You can’t retrieve it online | Call 800-908-4490 in the U.S. The IRS lists Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time; Alaska and Hawaii follow Pacific Time. |
| You’re calling from outside the U.S. | Call 267-941-1000 (not toll-free), Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern Time. |
| The missing PIN belongs to a child under 18 | Call the IRS about mail reissue. The IRS says a minor’s missing PIN cannot be retrieved online. |
| You moved or can’t receive mail at the address on file | Tell the IRS before requesting mail reissue. Review IRS address-change options and ask what address it would use. |
If you pass phone verification and qualify for reissue, the IRS says it will mail the PIN within 21 days. That is a mailing timeframe, not a guaranteed delivery date. The IRS says it cannot reissue by mail if you first opted in during the current calendar year or if you request it during end-of-year maintenance.
Match the PIN to the year you submit
You’re filing a 2025 return in 2027. You find your old PIN letter with the 2025 records. If an IP PIN is required, use the valid 2027 PIN. The tax year printed on the return does not tell you which PIN to enter.
4. Decide how to file if the PIN is still unavailable
If e-file rejected the return for a missing or incorrect PIN, check whose PIN the error refers to, the calendar year, and the field you used. Enter the correct PIN before resubmitting. Don’t substitute your spouse’s PIN or your e-file signature PIN.
If online retrieval and mail reissue are unavailable, the IRS says you can mail a paper return without your own IP PIN. The IRS will verify your identity, which may delay processing and any refund. A dependent’s IP PIN is not required on a paper return under IRS guidance. Review filing and payment deadlines separately; a missing PIN does not extend them.
5. Use this recovery checklist
- Confirm whose PIN is missing and the calendar year you’ll file.
- Check IRS Profile or call the IRS for a minor’s missing PIN.
- Verify your address on file before relying on mail reissue.
- Check for maintenance and note your filing and payment deadlines.
- Save the e-file acknowledgment or proof of mailing. Keep the actual PIN out of your tracking log.
Frequently asked questions
Can I reuse last year’s IP PIN?
No. If a PIN is required, use the valid one for the calendar year you file.
Can I get my PIN over the phone?
The phone route is for requesting reissue by mail after identity verification, if eligible.
Is this the same as my IRS login code or e-file signature PIN?
No. The IP PIN is a six-digit IRS number used to protect tax filing. Your sign-in code and e-file signature PIN serve different purposes.
Recover the current PIN before you resubmit
Start with IRS Profile, check mail reissue if needed, and use the IRS paper filing option if you can’t recover the PIN and need to file.
