Social Security Numbers Explained

When you are born or when you become a naturalize American Citizen, you are issued a Social Security number.Most of us remember the first time we saw out social security card and were allowed to sign it with our young handwriting, and it’s humorous to go back and look at it. This number is you and only you according to the national government. This is your American stamp. Many of us have looked at this number, when we were trying to memorize it, and began wondering what all these numbers mean? Are they telling me where I was born, or are they classifying me in some way? A friend of mine once said that if one of the numbers was a 0, it meant that you were marked for death. The theories, conspiracy theories,a nd ideas go on and on. If you listen to enough people, there is a lot that this number tells or doesn’t tell the “right” people. I’m here to tell you exactly what ti means.

The whole idea of a SSN was started in 1935 as a number to become employed. Then in the late 80’s it became a requirement that all dependents, or tax payers, had to have a social security number. This 9 digit number has had many rules as to what the numbers mean in the past, and they have gone through three distinct changes. “Until 1965, only half the group numbers were used. Before 1972, numbers were assigned by field offices; since 1972, they have all been assigned by the central office. The order in which numbers were assigned was changed in the 1972 transition.” (usrecordsearch.com/ssn.htm) It is possible other small changes have transpired, or there were other changes between 1935 to 1965, but the records of that are very hard to find and many of them have been destroyed. Just like any government standardized document, getting it started, continuing it, and making it more streamlined has caused things to change and people to forget how it use to happen. Now, everyone has a SSN number, and parents can and are encouraged to get a social security numbers for their new borns but they can’t be issued till they are born.

This 9 digit are separated into three separate sections. The first three numbers are the area field. This is linked to the exact place where your social security number was issued or applied for. The first number applies tot he state, and the other two apply to the controlling office that existed in that sector at that time. Because of sector movement and office movement, these numbers have changed a number of times. Just like any government facility, the Social Security department is at the whim of the federal budget and the federal mandates of how their federal offices will operate.

The middle 2 digits are the group number. This is a specific group or section of 2 digit numbers that was being used when that particular card was being made. However, because of population growth and odd federal mandates there is very little rhyme and reason as to why they used sections of the numerical sequence. For example, of the number is 62. That is because in that region, at that time, they were using numbers ranging from 21-92. However, there were times where they did not use odd numbers, because they were saving those for a time they were needed, as in times of large population growth.

The last three digits are the serial number. They represent the last three digits of the serial number of the form that was used to issue a card. these serial numbers began as 100 and moved all the way up to 999 depending on the pack of paper that was opened at that time, by that office, in that location or center. “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.” ( www.usrecordsearch.com/ssn.htm)

Because of the odd way that the government changes and creates, and then recreates what they are doing, it has caused quite a number of inconsistencies with the SSN. But this should be expected. We have a government that is given the ability to reinvent itself every 4 years. Exact listing of what each region and center was using at the exact time of issue are available at the SSN website, as well as at many genealogy websites. In addition to that, being that this is a relatively standard number you can track an ancient relatives exact location of birth, or at least the closest place that they got their card issued at. Now a bit of the mystery of what that 9 digit number you spout of, write down, and have memorized actually is.