Structure of Social Security Numbers
Ready, Set...CreditA credit card is a great financial tool. It can be more convenient to use and carry than cash and it offers valuable ..... ...... then discontinued
729-799 unassigned, for future use
800-999 not valid SSN's. Some sources have claimed that numbers above 900 were used when some state programs were converted to federal control, but current SSA documents claim no numbers above 799 have ever been used.
Group Numbers
The group number is not related to geography but rather to the order in which SSN's are issued for a particular area. Before 1965, only half the group numbers were used: odd numbers were used below 10 and even numbers were used above 9. In 1965 the system was changed so assignments continued with the low even numbers and the high odd numbers. So, group numbers for each area number are assigned in the following order:
Odd numbers, 01 to 09
Even numbers, 10 to 98
Even numbers, 02 to 08
Odd numbers, 11 to 99
Group codes of "00" aren't assigned
In each region, all possible area numbers are assigned with each group number before using the next group number. This means the group numbers can be used to find a chronological ordering of SSN's within a region. When new group numbers are assigned to a state, the old numbers are usually used up first.
SSA publishes a list every month of the highest group assigned for each SSN Area. For example, if the highest group assigned for area 999 is 72, then we know that the number 999-04-1234 is an invalid number because even Groups under 9 have not yet been assigned.
Serial Numbers
Consumer RightsThe FCRA grants you a number of important rights, including: The right to know what ..... Serial numbers are assigned in chronological order within each area and group number as the applications are processed. Serial number "0000" is never used. Before 1965, when number assignment was transferred from field offices to the central office, serial numbers may have been assigned in a strange order. (Some sources claim that 2000 and 7000 series numbers were assigned out of order. That no longer seems to be the case.) Currently, the serial numbers are assigned in strictly increasing order with each area and group combination.
Invalid SSN's
Any SSN conforming to one of the following criteria is an invalid number:
Any field all zeroes (no field of zeroes is ever assigned).
First three digits above 740
A pamphlet entitled "The Social Security Number" (Pub. No. 05-10633) provides an explanation of the SSN's structure and the method of assigning and validating Social Security numbers.
This description of the structure of the Social Security Number is based on messages written by Jerry Crow and Barbara Bennett. The information has been verified by its correspondence to the SSA's Program Operations Manual System (POMS) Part 01, Chapter 001, subchapter 01, which can be found at Federal Depository Libraries. (SSA Pub. No. 68-0100201.)
|
