Social Security Records Search – Understanding Social Security Numbers

When it comes to Social Security Records, a search for the areas someone has been in could easily be made. This is a very important tool when tracing one’s lineage and/or history.

The SSDI (Social Security Death Index) contains 3 important locations: a zip code of the person’s place of birth, the place of death, and the address to which social security death benefits are sent to.

The Social Security Number itself contains an important locale. The first three numbers are specific to a particular state or location where the person has applied for social security. The following are the locations and their corresponding numbers.

Alabama = 416 - 424
Alaska = 574
American Samoa = 581 - 585
Arizona = 526 -527
Arkansas = 429 - 432
California = 545 - 573
Colorado = 521 - 524
Connecticut = 040 - 049
Delaware = 221 - 222
District of Columbia = 577 - 579
Florida = 261 - 267
Georgia = 252 - 260
Guam = 581 - 585
Hawaii = 575 - 576
Idaho = 516 - 519
Illinois = 318 - 361
Indiana = 303 - 317
Iowa = 478 - 485
Kansas = 509 - 515
Kentucky = 400 - 407
Louisiana = 433 - 439
Maine = 004 - 007
Maryland = 212 - 220
Massachusetts = 010 - 034
Michigan = 362 - 386
Minnesota = 468 - 477
Mississippi = 425 - 428
Missouri = 486 - 500
Nebraska = 505 - 508
Nevada = 530
New Hampshire = 001 - 003
New Jersey = 135 - 158
New Mexico = 525, 585
New York = 050 - 134
North Carolina = 237 - 246
North Dakota = 501 - 502
Ohio = 268 - 302
Oklahoma = 440 - 448
Oregon = 540 - 544
Pennsylvania = 159 - 211
Puerto Rico = 581 - 585
Railroad Retirement Board = 700 - 729
Rhode Island = 035 - 039
South Carolina = 247 - 251
South Dakota = 503 - 504
Tennessee = 408 - 415
Texas = 449 - 467
U.S. Virgin Islands = 580
Utah = 528 -529
Vermont = 008 - 009
Virginia = 223 - 231
Washington = 531 - 539
West Virginia = 232 - 236
Wisconsin = 387 - 399
Wyoming = 520
Currently unassigned = 586 - 699, 730 - 899

It is quite interesting to note that although more than 400 million social security numbers have been issued, there are still enough available unassigned numbers for several more generations to come.

The next six digits are now uniquely assigned to an individual. And unlike common belief, the two digits that follow the first three digits are not indicative of a person’s race. These two digits are simply randomly assigned numbers between 00 and 99.

Want to start looking now? Visit RecordsSiteReviews' Social Security records section for a list of today’s most reputable social security records search providers.