U.S. SOCIAL SECURITY DEATH INDEX – TIPS

Required Information
What Searches Are Invalid
Tips for Searching the U.S. Social Security Death Index
Narrow Your Search
For More Information Visit Social Security Online
Return to the Social Security Death Index Search

Required Information

You must enter at least:

• An individual’s last name.

OR

• An individual's first name.

OR

• An individual's Social Security number.

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What Searches Are Invalid?

FamilySearch will not search for:

• Middle names. FamilySearch will ignore middle names unless you check the Use exact spelling box. When you check Use exact spelling, the search will look for the individual's first, middle, and last name exactly as you listed it. If you check Use exact spelling, you may not list event, year, state or territory, or social security number.

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Tips for Searching the U.S. Social Security Death Index

• You may search for just a last name. Up to 200 results will be displayed on a page. Click Next to look at the other results.
• For common surnames, fill in additional fields to improve your search results. You will get better results if you enter an individual’s first name and last name.
• Last names are standardized so that spelling variations are included in the results.
• Women can be searched for only using the surname she registered with the Social Security Administration. If the woman was married, search using her married name.
• "Areas under U.S. Administration" for Social Security number issuance include Canal Zone, Canton Islands, Caroline Islands, Mariana Islands (other than Guam), Marshall Islands, Midway Islands, and Wake Islands.
• Due to truncation of the first and last names, the standard search results may contain more entries than are expected.
• If birth is the selected event, FamilySearch Internet will search for the location of Social Security number issuance.
• If death is the selected event, FamilySearch Internet will search for the state or territory of the ZIP code at time of death.
• If all is the selected event, FamilySearch Internet will search for both location of Social Security number issuance and location at the time of death.

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You may now use the following to make your search more specific: 

• Event
• Year Range (You must provide a year in the year box.)
• Year
• State or Territory
• Use Exact Spelling (If you check Use exact spelling, you may not list event, year, state or territory, or social security number.)
• Social Security Number

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You can obtain a copy of the actual application form of a deceased person from the Social Security Administration. The application form includes the person's name, date and place of birth, and parents' names that were given when he or she applied for the Social Security number. For more information, go to Social Security Online.

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Return to the Social Security Death Index Search