You can open an ABLE account online in minutes.
What You’ll Need
For the account owner (and any Authorized Legal Representative, or ALR):
- Full legal name
- Date of birth
- Social Security number or taxpayer ID
- Home address, email, and phone
- Whether the account owner receives SSI or SSDI, or will self‑certify to having a separate diagnosis
- A bank account if you want to fund the account online
Step‑by-Step Instructions
- Go to your state’s ABLE website and choose Open an account.
- Enter your email address and select Get Started.
- Create a password and select Next.
- Enter personal information to verify your identity and for tax reporting.
- If you are opening the account for someone else and will be managing the account for them, enter your own information.
- If you are opening your own account for yourself, enter your information.
- To learn more about verifying your identity and what documentation might be required, please see our “Verify Your Identity” article.
- Read the information on the following screen and click the boxes to confirm you are ready to proceed. Click Get Started.
- Select how you identify and hit Next.
- Select whether you are the account owner (also called the “beneficiary”) or not and then select Next.
- Fill out the beneficiary’s information and select Next.
- Answer eligibility questions and select Next.
- Confirm that the qualifying medical condition began before age 46.
- Confirm one of the following about the the account owner:
- Receives SSI or SSDI
- Has a qualifying diagnosis from a licensed doctor and that it causes the required level of limitation.
- Acknowledge that eligibility is self‑certified and you are keeping your own records. To learn more about this, please read our “Am I Eligible for an ABLE Account?” article.
- Select communication preferences and select Next.
- Review your information and if everything looks correct, select Create my account.
- Connect a bank account and select Next.
- Find an investment(s) that you would like to contribute to, enter how much money you want to add to each investment, and then select Next.
- Review your information and select Confirm.
New accounts often have a short hold before funds are fully available for withdrawal. This is normal and helps protect the account.