RE: SSN Validity Checking

Friends,

I got curious so I sent the Social Security folks an email.  Their
response is below.  I'm assuming that their limitation on the area
number has been influenced by the Book of Revelations.

Regards,
Andy Nolen-Parkhouse

<start of response>
Thank you for contacting the Social Security Administration.

An invalid or impossible Social Security number (SSN) is one that has
not yet been assigned.

The SSN is divided as follows:

-- The area number (the first three digits), group number (the fourth
and fifth digits), and serial number (the last four digits).

To determine if an SSN is invalid, consider the following:

-- No SSN's with an area number in the 800 or 900 series, or "000" area
number, have been assigned.

-- No SSN's with an area number above 728 have been assigned in the 700
series, except for 764 through 772.

-- No SSN's with a "00" group number or "0000" serial number have been
assigned.

-- No SSN's with an area number of "666" have been or will be assigned.

Additional information about SSN's that have been assigned is available
on our web site at:

http://www.ssa.gov/foia/highgroup.htm