Facts and Folklore about the Social Security Number

FACT AND FOLKLORE ABOUT THE SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER

Today we have a 9-digit social security number, have you ever wondered why? 

To answer that question, we need to go back to 1935 and 1936.  With passage of the law, a way to identify payers and beneficiaries had to be determined.  To accomplish this many ideas were considered.  In hopes of a resolution, the Social Security Board in November 1935, adopted an identifier composed of 3 alphabetic characters representing geographic areas and 5 numeric characters, i.e.  ‘ABC-12345’.

This scheme met a quick death.  The Board had made the decision without consulting other federal agencies. It turns out that the U.S. Employment Service (USES), the Census Bureau, the Central Statistical Board, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics all used numeric symbols without alphabetic characters.  These other agencies had tabulating machines that used only numeric characters.  Such machines were chosen because at the time most standard tabulating machines used only numeric characters.  The new proposed scheme with alphabetic symbols, would have required these agencies, as well as many private companies, to purchase new machines that could handle the alphabetic symbols

The other problem, with the purchase of such new machines, would have to come from only two companies manufactured tabulating machines using a combination of alphabetic and numeric characters.  These two companies were the same companies that had previously been sued by the U.S. Government for violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

In a November 1935 three proposed alternatives were put forward:

•       a 7-character version consisting of 4 digits and 3 alphabetic characters

•       an 8-digit number with a 5-digit serial number and a 3-digit geographic indicator; or

•        a 9-digit number consisting of a 4-digit serial number, a 2-digit year of birth indicator, and a 3-digit number indicating the geographic area of registration;

It was the 9 digit proposal that was adopted, and that is how we arrived at the present social security numbers.

We don't know who received the first card, because the manner in which the post office sent them out, but the first number was 001-01-0001.

The nine digits are broken up into three number groups, why?

The nine-digit SSN is composed of three parts:

•       The first set of three digits is called the  Area Number

•       The second set of two digits is called the   Group Number

•       The final set of four digits is the Serial Number

AREA NUMBER

The Area Number is assigned by the geographical region. 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 SSA began assigning social security numbers and issuing cards centrally from Baltimore, the area number assigned has been based on the ZIP code in the mailing address provided on the application for the original Social Security card. Because the mailing address does not have to be the same as their place of residence, the Area Number does not necessarily represent the State of residence of the applicant. 

 ROUPGROUP NUMBER

  GROUP NUMBER

The group number (middle two (2) digits) range from 01 to 99 but are not assigned in consecutive order. Group numbers issued first consist of the ODD numbers from 01 through 09 and then EVEN numbers from 10 through 98, within each area number allocated to a State. After all numbers in group 98 of a particular area have been issued, the EVEN Groups 02 through 08 are used, followed by ODD Groups 11 through 99.

SERIAL NUMBER

The serial numbers (last four) run consecutively from 0001 to 9999

THE QUIRKS

Prior to June 25, 2011, a valid social security number could not have an area number between 734 and 749, or above 772. Effective June 25, 2011, the SSA assigns social security numbers randomly and allows for the assignment of area numbers between 734 and 749 and above 772 through the 800s.

There are also special numbers which will never be allocated:

•       Numbers with all zeros in any digit group 

•       Numbers with 666 or 900-999 in the first digit group.

•       Numbers from 987-65-4320 to 987-65-4329 are reserved for use in advertisements.