WHAT YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER TELLS

WHAT YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER TELLS

ABOUT YOU

Your social security number is a unique identification. You are the

only person who has that number. But did you ever wonder what the

numbers in your social security number mean? This report will tell you

exactly what those numbers tell about you, and how to effectively use

social security numbers as a means of identifying your customers.

Your social security number is made up of 3 parts called the AREA

(XXX), GROUP (XX), and SERIAL(XXXX). I'll explain these parts

separately. First, the AREA (XXX) has one of two meanings,

depending on when you got your number. If you received your social

security card before 1972, the area number shows what state you

APPLIED for your card in. If you received your social security card

after 1972, the area number shows the state you RESIDED

in at the time you applied. Here is a list of the number combinations

and their corresponding states.

000 NONE 387-399 WI 528-529 UT

001-003 NH 400-407 KY 530-NV

004-007 ME 408-415 TN 531-539 WA

008-009 VT 416-424 AL 540-544 OR

010-034 MA 425-428 MS 545-573 CA

035-039 RI 429-432 AR 574-AK

040-049 CT 433-439 LA 575-576 HI

050-134 NY 440-448 OK 577-579 DC

135-158 NJ 449-467 TX

580 VI (Virgin Islands) 159-211 PA

468-477 MN 581-584 PR (Puerto Rico)

212-220 MD 478-485 IA 585-NM

221-222 DE 486-500 MO

586PI (Pacific Islands - Guam)

223-231VA 501-502 ND

232-236 WV 503-504 SD

237-246 NC 505-508 NE 587-588 MS

247-251 SC 509-515 KS 589-595 FL

252-260 GA 516-517 MT

596-599 PR (Puerto Rico)

261-267 FL 518-519 ID 600-601 AZ

268-302 OH 520 WY 602-626 CA

303-317 IN 521-524 CO

318-361 IL 525NM

900-999 Were used when state aid to the aged, blind, and disable

was converted to federal programs administered by the Social

Security Association, not valid social security numbers

You will see that some states have more than one group of numbers.

This is because their original group of numbers became exhausted.

The GROUP (XX) has no meaning other than to determine whether or

not a number has been assigned. This is important to know, if you

want to use social security numbers as identification for your

customers. Here's how you should use this information.

Every month, the Social Security Association publishes a list of the

highest group assigned for each AREA. The order of assignment is

odd numbers under 10, even numbers over 9, even numbers under 9

(except for 00, which is not used), and odd numbers over 10. So, for

example, if the highest GROUP assigned for AREA 999 is 72, then a

customer who gives you the social security number 999-04-1234 is a

fraud, because even GROUPS under 9 have not yet been assigned.

The SERIAL (XXXX) portion has no meaning and is not assigned in

strict numerical order. 0000 is never used. If you know what to look

for, social security numbers are an important tool for screening

customers.