402 lines
8.9 KiB
Plaintext
402 lines
8.9 KiB
Plaintext
Structure of Social Security Numbers
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last modified May 15, 2001
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A Social Security Number (SSN) consists of nine digits, commonly written as
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three fields separated by hyphens: AAA-GG-SSSS. The first three-digit field
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is called the "area number". The central, two-digit field is called the
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"group number". The final, four-digit field is called the "serial number".
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The process of assigning numbers has been changed at least twice. Until
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1965, only half the group numbers were used. Before 1972, numbers were
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assigned by field offices; since 1972, they have all been assigned by the
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central office. The order in which numbers were assigned was changed in the
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1972 transition. There may have been other changes, but it's difficult to
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get information on how things used to be done.
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Area Numbers
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The area numbers are assigned to geographical locations. They were
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originally assigned the same way that zip codes were later assigned (in
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particular, area numbers increase from east to west across the continental
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US as do the ZIP codes). Most area numbers were assigned according to state
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(or territorial) boundaries, although the series 700-729 was assigned to
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railroad workers regardless of location (this series of area numbers was
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discontinued in 1964 and is no longer used for new SSNs). Area numbers
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assigned prior to 1972 are an indication of the SSA office which originally
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issued the SSN. Since 1972 the area number in SSNs corresponds to the
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residence address given by the applicant on the application for the SSN.
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In many regions the original range of area number assignments was eventually
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exhausted as population grew. The original area number assignments have been
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augmented as required. All of the original assignments were less than 585
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(except for the 700-729 railroad worker series mentioned above). Area
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numbers of "000" have never been issued.
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The following table is now out of date. The SSA currently maintains an
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up-to-date version. I'm leaving the old one here in case the SSA's version
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goes away. As of 2001/5/15, the SSA lists group numbers as high as 768 as
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having been issued.
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001-003 NH 400-407 KY 530 NV
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004-007 ME 408-415 TN 531-539 WA
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008-009 VT 416-424 AL 540-544 OR
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010-034 MA 425-428 MS 545-573 CA
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035-039 RI 429-432 AR 574 AK
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040-049 CT 433-439 LA 575-576 HI
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050-134 NY 440-448 OK 577-579 DC
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135-158 NJ 449-467 TX 580 VI Virgin Islands
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159-211 PA 468-477 MN 581-584 PR Puerto Rico
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212-220 MD 478-485 IA 585 NM
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221-222 DE 486-500 MO 586 PI Pacific Islands*
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223-231 VA 501-502 ND 587-588 MS
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232-236 WV 503-504 SD 589-595 FL
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237-246 NC 505-508 NE 596-599 PR Puerto Rico
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247-251 SC 509-515 KS 600-601 AZ
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252-260 GA 516-517 MT 602-626 CA
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261-267 FL 518-519 ID 627-645 TX
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268-302 OH 520 WY 646-647 UT
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303-317 IN 521-524 CO 648-649 NM
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318-361 IL 525 NM *Guam, American Samoa,
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362-386 MI 526-527 AZ Philippine Islands,
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387-399 WI 528-529 UT Northern Mariana Islands
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650-699 unassigned, for future use
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700-728 Railroad workers through 1963, then discontinued
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729-799 unassigned, for future use
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800-999 not valid SSNs. Some sources have claimed that numbers
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above 900 were used when some state programs were converted
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to federal control, but current SSA documents claim no
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numbers above 799 have ever been used.
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As of Feb 10, 1999 the most recent area numbers to have been assigned
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include 650-658, 667-675, and 680. This list is from the SSA's web site,
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which shows the highest group number assigned for each area.
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NEW SSN LISTING:
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The chart below shows the first 3 digits of the social security numbers
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assigned throughout the United States and its possessions. See "Note" at
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bottom of page.
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001-003
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New Hampshire
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004-007
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Maine
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008-009
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Vermont
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010-034
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Massachusetts
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035-039
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Rhode Island
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040-049
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Connecticut
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050-134
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New York
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135-158
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New Jersey
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159-211
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Pennsylvania
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212-220
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Maryland
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221-222
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Delaware
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223-231
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Virginia
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691-699*
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232-236
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West Virginia
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232
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North Carolina
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237-246
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681-690
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247-251
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South Carolina
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654-658
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252-260
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Georgia
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667-675
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261-267
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Florida
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589-595
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766-772
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268-302
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Ohio
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303-317
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Indiana
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318-361
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Illinois
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362-386
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Michigan
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387-399
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Wisconsin
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400-407
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Kentucky
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408-415
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Tennessee
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756-763*
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416-424
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Alabama
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425-428
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Mississippi
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587-588
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752-755*
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429-432
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Arkansas
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676-679
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433-439
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Louisiana
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659-665
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440-448
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Oklahoma
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449-467
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Texas
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627-645
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468-477
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Minnesota
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478-485
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Iowa
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486-500
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Missouri
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501-502
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North Dakota
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503-504
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South Dakota
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505-508
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Nebraska
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509-515
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Kansas
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516-517
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Montana
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518-519
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Idaho
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520
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Wyoming
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521-524
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Colorado
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650-653
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525,585
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New Mexico
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648-649
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526-527
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Arizona
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600-601
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764-765
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528-529
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Utah
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646-647
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530
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Nevada
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680
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531-539
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Washington
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540-544
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Oregon
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545-573
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California
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602-626
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574
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Alaska
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575-576
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Hawaii
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750-751*
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577-579
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District of Columbia
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580
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Virgin Islands
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580-584
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Puerto Rico
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596-599
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586
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Guam
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586
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American Samoa
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586
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Philippine Islands
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700-728
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Railroad Board**
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729-733 Enumeration at Entry
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NOTE: The same area, when shown more than once, means that certain numbers
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have been transferred from one State to another, or that an area has been
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divided for use among certain geographic locations.
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Any number beginning with 000 will NEVER be a valid SSN.
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The information in our records about an individual is confidential by law
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and cannot be disclosed except in certain very restricted cases permitted by
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regulations.
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* = New areas allocated, but not yet issued
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** 700-728 Issuance of these numbers to railroad employees was discontinued
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July 1, 1963.
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Group Numbers
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The group number is not related to geography but rather to the order in
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which SSNs are issued for a particular area. Before 1965, only half the
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group numbers were used: odd numbers were used below 10 and even numbers
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were used above 9. In 1965 the system was changed so assignments continued
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with the low even numbers and the high odd numbers. So, group numbers for
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each area number are assigned in the following order:
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Odd numbers, 01 to 09
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Even numbers, 10 to 98
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Even numbers, 02 to 08
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Odd numbers, 11 to 99
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Group codes of "00" aren't assigned
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In each region, all possible area numbers are assigned with each group
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number before using the next group number. This means the group numbers can
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be used to find a chronological ordering of SSNs within a region. When new
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group numbers are assigned to a state, the old numbers are usually used up
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first.
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SSA publishes a list every month of the highest group assigned for each SSN
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Area. For example, if the highest group assigned for area 999 is 72, then we
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know that the number 999-04-1234 is an invalid number because even Groups
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under 9 have not yet been assigned.
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Serial Numbers
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Serial numbers are assigned in chronological order within each area and
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group number as the applications are processed. Serial number "0000" is
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never used. Before 1965, when number assignment was transferred from field
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offices to the central office, serial numbers may have been assigned in a
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strange order. (Some sources claim that 2000 and 7000 series numbers were
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assigned out of order. That no longer seems to be the case.) Currently, the
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serial numbers are assigned in strictly increasing order with each area and
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group combination.
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Invalid SSNs
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Any SSN conforming to one of the following criteria is an invalid number:
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Any field all zeroes (no field of zeroes is ever assigned).
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First three digits above 770
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A pamphlet entitled "The Social Security Number" (Pub. No. 05-10633)
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provides an explanation of the SSN's structure and the method of assigning
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and validating Social Security numbers.
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This description of the structure of the Social Security Number is based on
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messages written by Jerry Crow and Barbara Bennett. The information has been
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verified by its correspondence to the SSA's Program Operations Manual System
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(POMS) Part 01, Chapter 001, subchapter 01, which can be found at Federal
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Depository Libraries. (SSA Pub. No. 68-0100201.)
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Brought to you by FinalHope
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Source: http://www.cpsr.org/cpsr/privacy/ssn/ssn.structure.html
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