# Social Security Death Index (SSDI) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 8, 2012, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-death-index-ssdi/621331 "2012-05-08T22:36:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-death-index-ssdi/621331/1 "2012-05-08T22:36:10Z")
There was once a time when one could just type in SSDI and get the Social Security Death Index and find out when all you distant relatives had kicked the bucket. Now SSDI sites that pop up on the first page or two have things like Ancestry and Genealogy in their urls. Do you know of anyway to just go the old, free SSDI site? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-death-index-ssdi/621331/2 "2012-05-08T22:43:06Z")
Access appears to have changed: [http://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/app/answers/detail/a\_id/149/~/online-availability-of-ssa's-death-master-file](http://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/149/~/online-availability-of-ssa%27s-death-master-file) ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-death-index-ssdi/621331/3 "2012-05-08T22:45:36Z")
Yep, changed. If your local library subscribes to ancestry, you can go and access it there. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-death-index-ssdi/621331/4 "2012-05-08T23:08:42Z")
You probably already know that ths SSDI that most people used was a part of [ancestry.com](http://ancestry.com), and you weren’t looking at the Big G’s own records. Having said that. . . psst! I’ve had some success with[this link](http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/kentucky/ssdi-search.aspx?daterange=1&countryid=1&stateid=20&affiliateid=1185), but I don’t know how long it will be available. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-death-index-ssdi/621331/5 "2012-05-09T16:26:19Z")
The nice Mormons behind [familysearch.org](http://www.familysearch.org/) haven’t put their SSDI search behind a pay or registration wall yet. ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-death-index-ssdi/621331/6 "2012-05-10T12:30:56Z")
> [@janeslogin](#): > > There was once a time when one could just type in SSDI and get the Social Security Death Index and find out when all you distant relatives had kicked the bucket. Now SSDI sites that pop up on the first page or two have things like Ancestry and Genealogy in their urls. Do you know of anyway to just go the old, free SSDI site? Thanks for your post,I wondered the same thing. I also thank the responders. will give it a try.