Ability to Verify SSN Number Will Change as of June 2011

The Social Security Administration currently provides a table, updated monthly, which shows the assigned states and issuance range for the first five digits of the SSN. These numbers are known as the High Group List. Effective on or about June 25, 2011, the High Group List will no longer be updated. On that date all SSNs will be assigned on a purely random basis. While the High Group List will remain online, after that date the potential exists for any possible SSN to be assigned at any location across the country. This randomization will also affect the Enumeration and Entry applicants and the Railroad Retirement Board - all applicants will receive a number at random from the entire range of SSNs.

For more information go to www.ssa.gov/employer/randomization.html.

The reasons given for this discontinuation of the High Group List are to fight ID theft and because the SSA is running out of numbers. In this author's eyes, this is unfortunate because the verification of the validity of the first five digits of an assigned SSN is an extremely useful tool to those professions and entities who are fighting fraud and false IDs. Also, the validation of a SSN prior to an offer of employment (opposed to after the hire) has been an integral part in today's employment screening process.

The SSA will still provide opportunities for direct name based SSN verification. Internet based verification services include the SSA's Social Security Number Verification Service for employers, eVerify, and the SSA's Consent-Based SSN Verification Service. There are stipulations. For example, the cost for this latter service is $5,000 to sign-up and $5.00 per verification.

Federal and State Agencies will continue to have several SSN verification systems available to them such as those outlined at www.ssa.gov/gix/eprojects.html.


Forthcoming Changes to UCC Name Searches

The joint sponsors (the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, the American Law Institute, and the American Bar Association) of Uniform Commercial Code 9 recently announced approved and recommended Amendments to UCC 9.

UCC 9 promulgates a uniform law for non-real property collateral, which the states then adopt. Most record searchers know that the core of UCC 9 is an electronic debtor name system for filing and for searching creditors' financing statements in states' secretary of state filing offices.

A copy of the amendments, which were approved by the sponsors in July 2010 and are now under consideration for enactment by the states, may be viewed at www.law.upenn.edu/bll/archives/ulc/ucc9/2010am_approved.htm

New Edition of Manual to Online Public Records Released

This month marks the release of the new Secord Edition of the Manual to Online Public Records. This 544 page manual reveals how public records and public record searching websites are not created equal, and gives an information edge on how to evaluate sites and also on the best sites to use based on topic or record category. Discover advanced strategies to search Social Network sites for hard-to-find public information. Over 13,000 government and vendor online resources are described.

The book is available at BRB Publication's Bookstore .