What do the numbers in a Social Security number mean?
A nine-digit Social Security number is composed of three parts: the area number, the group number, and the serial number. The Area Number: The first three digits in a Social Security number comprise the area number. Before 1972, this number identified the state in which the applicant’s original Social Security card was issued. Since 1972, all Social Security numbers have been assigned and issued from one office in Baltimore, and the area number identifies the mailing address zip code of the applicant. An applicant’s mailing address, either before or after 1972 may not be the same as the residence. The area number is merely an indicator that an applicant resided in or used an address in a particular state at the time the Social Security card was originally issued. A list of area numbers and corresponding states is available on the SSA s Internet web site at http://www.ssa.gov/. The Group Number: The middle two digits of a Social Security number range from 01 to 99, but they are not issu
