On June 25, 2011 the Social Security Administration (SSA) changed the way they issued social security numbers. Before 6/25/2011 SSN Validation tools used an algorithm based on the predictable nature of how SSNs were issued by each state. For example; The first three digits of a SSN used to be a reliable indicator of what state the SSN had been issued in (if you got your SSN in a small populated state like Alaska your SSN started with 574). Larger states like New York had a range of numbers from 050 to 134 for example.

Then, the SSN also issued lists of the highest numbers issued each month for each group of SSNs that had been issued making these SSN validator algorithms pretty accurate. However, after June 25, 2011 the SSA Randomized it for security and stopped publishing lists. SSN Randomization makes it impossible for free SSN verification services to determine whether or not a Social Security Number has been issued or not.

If you are an employer looking to verify the SSNs of employees, please visit the SSA page for Social Security Number Verification Service or visit eVerify. Please note that the Searchbug SSN Validator uses premium information systems that obtain actual information associated with real people. This service does not provide the name or address of anyone associated with the SSN and may only be used for limited purposes to verify the SSN of current employees.

If you are a business looking for the SSA official SSN verification tool that program is called Consent Based SSN Verification. The CBSV program has one-time $5,000 sign up fee plus a fee per SSN verification. If you have a lot of SSNs to validate, that may be a better option. If you only have a few a day or a few hundred a month, this SSN validator should work for you.