What Do the Numbers on Your Social Security Card Mean?
Your Social Security card contains a nine-digit Social Security Number (SSN). Issued by the Social Security Administration, an independent agency of the United States government, its main purpose is to track individuals for taxation purposes.
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Format
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Every SSN is in a 3-2-4 format. This is commonly referred to as "AAA-GG-SSSS."
Area Number
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The first part of the SSN, "AAA," is the Area Number. This is based on the ZIP code in the mailing address the Social Security card applicant provides.
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Group Number
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The second set of SSN numbers, "GG," stands for the Group Number. These run from 01 to 99, and are issued in four sequences for each state: ODD numbers from 01 through 09, EVEN numbers from 10 through 98, EVEN numbers from 02 through 08, and ODD numbers from 11 through 99.
Serial Number
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With each of the four sequences of group numbers issued, the SSN is assigned a serial number--the "SSSS" part--which runs consecutively from 0001 through 9999.
Significance
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Because of the way SSNs are formatted, a SSN has become a de facto national identification number.
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