Help center
Text/SMS or phone call
Text/SMS or phone calls are convenient but are extremely vulnerable to theft, hackers, and other attacks.
If you choose to use this less secure option, enter a phone number at which you can receive phone calls or text messages. If you only have a landline, you must receive your one-time code by phone call. Login.gov cannot send one-time codes to extensions or voicemails.
We will send a unique one-time code to that phone number each time you sign in to your Login.gov account. Each one-time code expires after ten minutes and can only be used once. If you don’t enter the one-time code within ten minutes, request a new code.
After you receive the code, type it into the “One-time code” field. Each time you sign in to Login.gov you’ll have the option of getting a new one-time code by phone call or by text. You will receive a new one-time code each time you sign in to your Login.gov account.
- Check that your device is turned on
- Turn airplane mode off
Remember you need a mobile device to receive a one-time code by text message. If you have a landline, select to receive the one-time code by phone call instead.
You can resend a one-time code by selecting using the “resend code” button.