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Social
Security Death Index |
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The Social Security Death
Index
A Genealogy Guide
The Social Security
Death Index (SSDI)
(Created from the Social Security
Administration's Death Master File)
The Social Security Death Index (SSDI)
is a database of people whose deaths were reported to the Social Security
Administration beginning about 1962. A very small number of deaths are
listed before 1962. You will not find everyone who died from 1962 to the
present, but it does list many deaths in that time frame, especially in more
recent years (particularly from the late 1980s to the present). It is close
to being a national death index for the United States. If you find someone
listed in the Social Security Death Index you can order a copy of the form
they filled out when they applied for a Social Security Card (SS-5 form).
This form usually has more information about the person such as date and
place of birth, and names of parents.
Social Security Death Index Online
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Social Security Death Index for the State of Washington includes
listings where the deceased person had their Social Security Card issued
in Washington, resided in WA when they died, or had their last benefit
mailed to WA - this index is updated through September 2005 and includes
nearly 1.5 million names (free to search)
Helpful Links - Social Security Records
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Social Security Death Index - Frequently Asked Questions
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Railroad Workers
If you have a deceased ancestor who worked for a railroad company that
was covered under the Railroad Retirement Act (after 1936) you can
obtain records from the Railroad Retirement Board. See:
United States
Railroad Retirement Board - Genealogy Guide. It is helpful to first
find the person's Social Security number - try using one of the online
Social Security Death Indexes listed above.
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Not in the SSDI?
If your ancestor died before 1962 (or they are deceased, but not in the
SSDI) and you believe they may have applied for a Social Security Card,
you can still obtain a copy of their SS-5 (you will need to provide
proof of death). The first SS-5s were used in late 1936. For details
see...
The Social Security Administration's Guide to Freedom of Information Act
Requests
The Social Security Administration does not have information about
people who died before about 1940 when Social Security payments were
first paid out. The SSDI has very few entries for people who died from
1940-1961. Try the state listings below for some death indexes before
1962...
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