Find An Answer to Your Question

To search our records for the information you want, we need certain identifying information. Our records are filed by Social Security Numbers (SSNs) rather than by names. If you can provide the person's SSN, we will search our records for any information we might have. Without an SSN, we will need the person's full name, date and place of birth, and parents' full names to locate the record. If you can provide the necessary identifying information, we will search for the number.

You may send your request to:

Social Security Administration
OEO FOIA Workgroup
300 N. Green Street
P.O. Box 33022
Baltimore, Maryland 21290-3022

You will be charged the cost of searching our records even if we are unable to locate any information on the person you are asking about. The fee for searching our records is $27 when the SSN is known and $29 when the number is unknown or is incorrect. The check or money order should be made payable to the Social Security Administration. We will also accept VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Diner's Club or Discover. Please include the appropriate credit card number, along with the expiration date of the credit card with your written request.

A deceased person does not have any privacy rights. Therefore, if he or she applied for an SSN, we can generally provide a copy of the Application for a Social Security Card (Form SS-5). This document contains the person's name, date and place of birth, and parents' names that were given when he or she applied for the number. The Social Security Administration did not begin keeping records until 1936; therefore, we have no records about people who died before then. We cannot search for records of people born before 1865 unless you provide the SSN.

There is a form available to request copies of applications for a Social Security Number (Form SS-5) for people who are deceased. Form SSA-711 (Adobe reader required to view) may be used for this purpose; however, you do not need to use the form. Address your request to:

Social Security Administration
OEO FOIA Workgroup
300 N. Green Street
P.O. Box 33022
Baltimore, Maryland 21290-3022