Robert A. Fornal / Genealogy Obtaining Information with US Social Security Number (SSN) An Excellent First Resource The Social Security Death Index, while not comprehensive, is one of the best indexes to use when you're starting your research. You'll likely be able to find some information for any ancestor who worked in the U.S. after 1937 and who died after 1962. For many people born in the nineteenth century before formal birth registration was required, Social Security records can provide valuable vital facts about birthplace and date, death date, or parents' names. They can also give you clues to where a person lived or even worked at a given time, where they resided when they first applied for their Social Security card, where they last resided, and the residential area of the person who received benefits upon their death. What's in a Number? The first three digits of a Social Security number, known as the area number, are assigned by geographical region. Visit the SSA's web site for a list of area numbers and corresponding states. Prior to 1972, cards were issued in local Social Security offices around the country, and the area number represented the state in which the card was issued. Since 1972, when the SSA began assigning numbers and issuing cards centrally from Baltimore, the area number is assigned based on the zip code in the mailing address provided on the application for the original Social Security card. A word of warning: the applicant's mailing address may not be the same as his or her place of residence. Therefore, the area number does not necessarily represent the applicant's state of residence either prior to 1972, or since. The area numbering scheme was developed in 1936, before computers, to make it easier for the SSA to store the applications in Baltimore files that were organized by regions and alphabetically. Originally, it was intended for SSA internal use and convenience, and was not intended for anything more. However, it's a good clue for the family sleuth! Where Can I Find a Social Security Number? A variety of documents may reveal a person's Social Security number: Look carefully at the death certificate if you have it. Military records since 1967 use the person's Social Security number as an identifier. Check with the funeral home that handled arrangements - they may have a record of the deceased's Social Security number. A life insurance policy or death claim may list it. Some states use the Social Security number as a driver's license number. Look around the house; if the deceased or their minor children received any kind of Social Security benefits, you may have papers listing the Social Security number in a filebox in your home. And there's always the Social Security Death Master File (SSDMF), also known as the Social Security Death Index (SSDI). Request an SS-5 The SS-5, Application for Social Security Account Number, contains the following information: Social Security number, full name (including women's maiden names), address at time of application, employer and employer's address (pre-1947 applications only), age at last birthday, date and place of birth, parents' full names (including mother's maiden name), sex, color, and whether the applicant had previously applied for Social Security or Railroad Retirement. It also contains the application date and the applicant's actual signature. Wouldn't you like to have this information about the person you are researching? Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), SSA will fulfill requests for applications of deceased persons for $27.00, if you provide the Social Security number. If you do not know the number, the search fee is $29.00. Be sure to include the person's Social Security number, full name (including maiden name and name at death), sex, date and place of birth, date of death, and parents' names. Provide proof of death, or state that the person is listed in the SSA Death Master File. Include the following statement: "Microprint required - Printout not sufficient." (Otherwise, you may receive a computer-generated printout instead of a copy of the original application.) Mail your request and payment to: Social Security Administration Office of Central Records Operations 300 N. Green St. P.O. Box 33022 Baltimore, MD 21290-3022