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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 |
318-361 IL |
521-524 CO |
| 001-003 NH |
387-399 WI |
525NM |
| 004-007 ME |
400-407 KY |
528-529 UT |
| 008-009 VT |
408-415 TN |
530-NV |
| 010-034 MA |
416-424 AL |
531-539 WA |
| 035-039 RI |
425-428 MS |
540-544 OR |
| 040-049 CT |
429-432 AR |
545-573 CA |
| 050-134 NY |
433-439 LA |
574-AK |
| 135-158 NJ |
440-448 OK |
575-576 HI |
| 159-211 PA |
449-467 TX |
577-579 DC |
| 212-220 MD |
468-477 MN |
580 VI (Virgin Islands) |
| 221-222 DE |
478-485 IA |
581-584 PR (Puerto Rico) |
| 223-231VA |
486-500 MO |
585-NM |
| 232-236 WV |
501-502 ND |
586PI (Pacific Islands - Guam) |
| 237-246 NC |
503-504 SD |
587-588 MS |
| 247-251 SC |
505-508 NE |
589-595 FL |
| 252-260 GA |
509-515 KS |
596-599 PR (Puerto Rico) |
| 261-267 FL |
516-517 MT |
600-601 AZ |
| 268-302 OH |
518-519 ID |
602-626 CA |
| 303-317 IN |
520 WY |
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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. |
