Gather the information necessary to request a pin. What you will need depends on whether you are a dependent of your parents or legal guardians or independent for the purposes of financial aid.
Federal law stipulates that you must meet at least one of the following criteria to be deemed independent for the purposes of financial aid: be at least 24 on the date of application, married, or a parent; have dependents of your own, have earned a bachelor's degree; are an active duty member of the military, a veteran, foster child, emancipated, or homeless; or your parents are deceased.
All others are dependent and must supply their parents' information in addition to their own. Should you wish to file your FAFSA online, you must request a pin for your parents as well.
Visit the U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid PIN website (see References) and click the blue "Apply Now" button on the right.
Fill out the pin application for yourself. Enter your Social Security number, first and last name, middle initial, date of birth, mailing address and email address. Select a challenge question from the drop-down menu and supply the answer, keeping in mind that your answer is case sensitive.
From there you have the option of either creating a pin or letting the site generate one for you. It is recommended, however, that you come up with your own pin, making sure that it is one that you can easily remember. Click "Next" to submit your application.
If you are a dependent, you will have to repeat this process for your parents, as they will need pin numbers as well.
Request a duplicate or replacement pin by selecting the option from the menu at the U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid PIN website. You will be required to supply your name, Social Security number and date of birth.
From there you will be prompted to answer your challenge question. If you answer correctly, the site will give you the option to have your pin displayed on screen or sent to you in an alternate format, such as through email or mail. Postal mail requests take approximately 7 to 10 business days.