You can make sure you and your household are counted in the 2020 Census by participating:
- Online - The Census can be completed online at my2020census.gov in 13 languages.
- Phone - The Census can be completed by phone in 13 languages.
- Mail - Wait for the Census Bureau to mail your household a paper form that can be mailed back to the Census Bureau.
The questionnaire will consist of ten questions about each household member including name, age, race and more.
How to Identify a Census Taker
If you do not complete the Census questionnaire on your own, you may be visited by a Census taker. Census takers must show a photo ID with the U.S. Department of Commerce seal and an expiration date. If you ask, the census taker will give you a supervisor’s contact information and/or the census regional office phone number for verification.
Avoid Fraud and Scams
During the 2020 Census, the Census Bureau will never ask you for:
- Your Social Security number.
- Money or donations.
- Anything on behalf of a political party.
- Your bank or credit card account numbers.
Additionally, there is no citizenship question on the 2020 Census.
If someone claiming to be from the Census Bureau contacts you via email or phone and asks you for one of these things, it's a scam, you should not cooperate, and we encourage you to report such instances to the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Census Protection Hotline.
- Email: 888COUNT20@lawyerscommittee.org.
- English: 888-COUNT20 or 888-268-6820
- Arabic/English: 833-3DDOUNI or 833-333-6864
- Mandarin/Cantonese/Korean/Vietnamese/Tagalog/Urdu/Hindi/Bengali/Bangla/English 844-2020-API or 844-202-0274
- Spanish/English: 877-EL-CENSO or 877-352-3676
For more information from the Census Bureau on frauds and scams, visit: Avoiding Fraud and Scams.
What Happens to Your Answers?
Your 2020 Census answers are protected and confidential by federal law. Your answers cannot be shared with any other government agency…not immigration services, not a police agency, not even the FBI!
The Census Bureau can only use your data for statistical purposes. Your responses are compiled with information from other homes to produce statistics, which never identify your home or any person in your home. Learn more about how the Census Bureau protects your information.
Questions? Problems? Concerns? Contact: Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Census Protection Hotline.
- English: 888-COUNT20 or 888-268-6820
- Arabic/English: 833-3DDOUNI or 833-333-6864
- Mandarin/Cantonese/Korean/Vietnamese/Tagalog/Urdu/Hindi/Bengali/Bangla/English 844-2020-API or 844-202-0274
- Spanish/English: 877-EL-CENSO or 877-352-3676