What AAA-GG-SSSS used to mean
The three blocks on a card used to hint at a filing state or mailing ZIP, and a ledger. After 2011 they do not.
SSN Guides
How Social Security Numbers are put together, which ones can never be issued, and how to keep yours private.
Why SSA randomized SSNs in 2011
On 25 June 2011, SSA stopped handing out new numbers by state. Old cards stayed the same.
Impossible SSN patterns SSA never assigns
Area 000, 666, and 900 to 999, group 00, and serial 0000 are reserved. A lot of other never-issued lists are old.
SSN validation is not verification
A format check is not SSA SSNVS, E-Verify, or a name match.
How to keep a Social Security Number private
How to keep all nine digits, and the last four, off forms and screenshots.
How to apply for a Social Security Number
A real application lives on SSA.gov. This site cannot take Form SS-5.
Enumeration at Birth and Enumeration at Entry
Most newborns get a number in the hospital. That is one reason a state guess from the first three digits fails.
Famous sample Social Security Numbers
Why 078-05-1120 and 123-45-6789 show up in ads, and why we label them as samples.