# Searching for people w/their SSN - legal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 30, 2003, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/searching-for-people-w-their-ssn-legal/221667 "2003-12-30T01:13:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2003, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/searching-for-people-w-their-ssn-legal/221667/1 "2003-12-30T01:13:57Z")
I have a couple of old friends I’d like to know the current status of. I have seen websites that offer to look for them. Some say they can do so if I have their social security numbers. Even if I did have their ssn, would it be legal for the site to search for the person with it? If they can do it, why can’t I? Or can I? ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2003, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/searching-for-people-w-their-ssn-legal/221667/2 "2003-12-30T06:50:59Z")
Of course it would be. In fact there is a little known service of the SS Admin. As a ONE TIME service they will forward a letter on to the last place of known employment if you know the SS# of the person. They WILL NOT tell you where that person works or even if the letter goes thru but they will do this as a courtesy, ONE TIME, basis. There is a much better way I will try to find the link. You put in the person’s name and approx b’day and it looks it up. I know it works on Driver’s Licence data 'cause my name came up and the city was a weird little town I lived in temporarily when I got my DL. I haven’t had a DL in 10 years so the info isn’t valid but it works darn good. Every name I could think of came up, it was hard when you had a name like John Smith as you had to go thru a lot of names. ---
**Author:** ![BurntToast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BurntToast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurntToast)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2003, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/searching-for-people-w-their-ssn-legal/221667/3 "2003-12-30T07:40:37Z")
sorry for the hijack but thats only[partially](http://www.ssa.gov/foia/ltrfwding.htm) true markxxx. "We will attempt to forward a letter to a missing person under circumstances involving a matter of great importance, such as a death or serious illness in the missing person’s immediate family, or a sizeable amount of money that is due the missing person. " i’m not sure they would consider trying to find your buddy a matter of great importantance, even if it is to you. not to mention there is a $25 fee. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/searching-for-people-w-their-ssn-legal/221667/4 "2003-12-31T01:00:23Z")
I’m gonna bump this once to see if any legal types or detectives can shed some light. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/searching-for-people-w-their-ssn-legal/221667/5 "2003-12-31T01:11:45Z")
I’d also like to know the answer to the OP’s question. I grew up thinking the your SSN was some big secret, not to be divulged by anyone but the owner. Now I have heard that it’s called your “national ID number”. “Hey you, where do you think you’re going. Show me your papers”. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/searching-for-people-w-their-ssn-legal/221667/6 "2003-12-31T01:58:36Z")
An illegal, albeit popular method, was obtaining a credit report. Some search companies did just that if you had the SSN and some other info. A credit report has recent adresses. Most companies that employed this method have been blacklisted by the national credit reporting agencies.