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Social Security numbers are assigned to citizens, permanent residents, and employed temporary residents of the United States. The Social Security Administration issues these numbers for the purpose of tracking individual Social Security and, secondary, for identification regarding taxation, employment, and other services.

The New Deal Social Security program introduced the first Social Security numbers in November The New Deal was the result of the Great Depression and the creation of Social Security was intended to provide for older citizens, as the United States had no national insurance system in place at that time. The program differed fundamentally in scope from other New Deal programs, which were intended to last for less than a decade. The Social Security Act, however, introduced a permanent system, funded by payroll taxes and formed the basis for the welfare system in the United States, designed to provide aid for older citizens, needy minors, the unemployed, and the handicapped.

As you search through this index, it’s important to keep in mind that the policies and practices of issuing Social Security numbers have evolved over the years. Prior to , it was common for individuals to receive Social Security numbers around age 14 as they were primarily used for tracking income. It wasn’t until the Tax Reform Act of that parents and guardians were required to list the Social Security numbers of any dependents over the age of five who they were claiming on their taxes. The age was lowered to two in and to one in Today, parents usually apply for Social Security numbers for their children on the same form used to apply for their birth certificates.

If you have military ancestors, it may be useful to know that Social Security numbers were used as identification numbers for members of

  • The Army and Air Force from 1 July
  • The Navy and Marine Corps from 1 January
  • The Coast Guard from 1 October

This practice ended in June

Since the start of the Social Security program, over million Social Security numbers have been issued. The Social Security Administration does not reuse numbers and has said it has enough remaining numbers to last several generations without the need to reuse or change the makeup of the Social Security numbers. As you start your research, however, it should be noted that there have been incidents of more than one person being accidentally assigned the same Social Security number.

The makeup of Social Security numbers

The first three numbers, the area number, are determined by geographical region of the local Social Security office where it was issued, prior to This does not mean that the individual lived in the place where the card was issued as, at that time, you could apply for a card at any local Social Security office. Starting in , however, all numbers are issued out of Baltimore and the area number correlates to the applicant’s mailing address ZIP code. Please note that the mailing address does not have to match the place of residence.

The middle two numbers represent the group number, which range from 01 to Group numbers are not assigned consecutively but instead are assigned in this order:

  • Odd numbers from 01 to 09
  • Even numbers from 10 to 98
  • Even number from 02 to 08
  • Odd number from 11 to 99

The final four digits are the serial numbers: a straight numerical sequence from to within a group.