How to Find Someone’s Social Security Number: Your Full Guide

Cindy Ellis - August 27, 2022

Social security numbers give you access to many public records about someone. When you look for someone’s social security number (SSN), you’ll have access to their private information and the resources you need to perform a background check. The best time to find someone’s social security number is when you’re hiring a new employee or learning about a family member’s past.

While it’s not legal to use someone else’s social security number for their own benefit, many employers access a potential employee’s social security number to learn more about them. We’ll give you the methods to find someone’s SSN. Furthermore, we’ll give you guidelines to help you act within the law.

Read on to learn about how to find someone’s SSN below.

What Is a Social Security Number?

Social security numbers are 9-digit numbers separated by dashes. A social security number (SSN) plays a key role in every American’s identity. Everyone is assigned an SSN at birth, and that number is used for life. In rare circumstances, SSNs can be changed. People who immigrate to the United States legally are also assigned a social security number.

Social security numbers are also secure. It’s one of the most important numbers to have because it contains information about your identity. Without an SSN, it’s hard to learn about who someone is, which is why most places ask for an SSN to verify identity. Unfortunately, because it’s used for identification, it’s often the target of scammers and hackers.

What Is a Social Security Number Used For?

Social security numbers are used for a few things. That said, the primary purpose of a social security number is for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to measure someone’s career earnings. When measuring someone’s earnings, the IRS can verify their details and assign the appropriate benefits during disability and retirement.

SSNs are also needed to get a job. Employers won’t hire or pay someone without a social security number. An employer will only do this if the payment is “off the books.” Otherwise, it’s not legal to work without a social security number.

Social security numbers are also useful for determining the number of benefits someone gets. Some people also use social security numbers to gauge the type of benefits they get. For example, people over the age of 65 can choose to enroll in social security payments and Medicare benefits.

Is It Legal to Find Someone’s Social Security Number?

Yes, it’s legal to find someone’s social security number. For example, it’s legal for employers to access this number for record-keeping and tax purposes. However, using someone’s SSN for nefarious reasons is illegal. Some examples include identity theft, stealing benefits, and tax fraud.

To know whether it’s legal to search for someone’s SSN, consider the situation. If you’re a family member or employer, it’s legal to find someone’s SSN. On the other hand, it’s not a good idea to view someone’s SSN in other cases.

Is It Possible to Change Your Social Security Number?

It’s possible to change your social security number but only in rare cases. Even if your identity was stolen, you can’t always get a new social security number. The only time your number can change is if the number sequence is causing confusion within your family. Otherwise, it’s difficult to get it changed. You need to have a serious reason to change it because it’s typically attached to you for life.

Are There Websites to Find Social Security Numbers?

There aren’t any websites to find someone’s social security number. While people search engines will help in the event of someone’s death, they won’t work otherwise. When it comes to finding someone’s social security number, you need to have a permissible purpose. It’s not nearly as simple as is it to find someone’s phone number, for instance.

Additionally, it helps to be a family member of the person or a potential employer. These are the two relationships where SSNs are used the most and grant permissible purpose.

How to Find Someone’s Social Security Number

There are a few ways to find someone’s social security number. However, it’s always best to ask your employee first if you’re an employer. In most cases, the potential employee will provide you with their information. We’ll take you through the best ways to find someone’s SSN.

1). Ask Them

If you’re looking for the social security number of an employee, sometimes it’s best to ask them. There aren’t many situations where you can legally acquire someone’s SSN, so asking someone is one of the best methods. For employees, you need to ask them for their social security number before you hire them anyway.

To ask someone, make sure you’re in a professional setting and that the conversation is about employment. Employees expect to give out their SSN for work purposes, so it’s not uncommon for them to provide it. When asking, ensure that you explain why and use a legal document like a W-2 or 1099 form.

Also, only use the social security number for its intended use. Maliciously using a social security number is a felony.

2). Third-Party Resources

One of the best ways to find someone’s social security number is to use third-party resources. In some cases, social security numbers are public records. This proves true when someone is dead or if you have access to their birth certificate. Because many protections are in place to keep SSNs secure, you’ll need the death certificate or birth certificate to gain access to someone’s number.

If a family member passed away, you can use a public records database search tool like Information.com to find their death certificate or birth certificate. All you need to perform the search is their first and last name. From there, you can provide the necessary channels with the death certificate to verify their social security number.

You’ll also find other third-party resources to find someone’s social security number. For employers, some larger firms will help you find someone’s social security number. Always verify the resources you search with to ensure that everything is legal.

3). Having a Permissible Purpose

According to the FRCA, you need a specific reason (like child support) to look for and assess someone’s SSN. When finding someone’s social security number, you need to have a permissible purpose. Because SSNs are available to employers and the government, most people aren’t allowed to simply look for someone’s SSN.

Permissible purpose to find someone’s SSN is granted in rare circumstances. There are a few situations where it’s necessary to find someone’s SSN:

• Child support collection
• Judgment collections
• 1099 issuance
• Litigation

Having a permissible purpose is one of the few ways to find someone’s SSN legally.

4). Check a License

There are 29 states that use social security numbers as part of state-issued license numbers. In some cases, the SSN is listed in other locations. Checking someone’s license may reveal their number if they live in the appropriate state.

Keep in mind that this is not true for all states. It’s also worth noting that checking a license is not always a legal way to obtain someone’s SSN. Only police officers and other government officials (like the IRS) are permitted to use information discovered through someone’s social security number.

5). Hire a Private Investigator

Another great way to find someone’s social security number is to hire a private investigator (PI). Hiring a PI is expensive but often one of the few promising ways to find someone’s social security number. You can hire private investigators in-person or through online websites and platforms.

When using a PI, there are a few things to keep in mind. The first aspect to consider is the cost of using a PI and if you have a permissible purpose. Without a permissible purpose, hiring a PI for someone’s SSN is not worth it. Doing so will get you in trouble, and most PIs won’t work with someone who doesn’t have a permissible purpose.

The next aspect to consider is how much a private investigator costs. Unlike other services, PIs have varying costs that depend on the person. It also depends on what you’re paying them for and how long it takes for them to find someone. For example, private investigators cost between a few hundred and several thousand dollars.

5). Tax Forms

Finally, you can check tax forms and tax returns. These forms include a lot of information about someone. On a tax form, for example, you’ll find where someone works, and you’ll learn their social security number. In most cases, you’ll only have access to these documents if you’re someone’s employer or a family member. It’s also possible to fill out the tax forms from someone who passed away.

Aside from looking directly at someone’s tax forms, you can also check their pay stubs. Pay stubs contain someone’s social security number, which are used for many things. For example, many car dealerships request a pay stub before someone can take out a loan.

When all else fails, you can always ask someone or use a people search engine to narrow down your SSN search.

Find Someone’s SSN Today!

Finding someone’s SSN is possible with third-party search tools and public records databases. However, the best way to gain access to someone’s SSN is to ask the right people. When hiring employees, simply ask the employee for their SSN. If they want the job, they have to provide it regardless.

Another way to find someone’s SSN is to perform a background check or to use a people search engine like Information.com. Make sure you follow FCRA guidelines to avoid problems when searching for someone’s SSN.