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
586
PI (Pacific Islands - Guam)
223-231
VA
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
525
NM
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.
