You fill out Form SSA-711 by entering the deceased person’s full name, Social Security number, dates of birth and death, parents’ names, the type of record you want, your relationship to the decedent, the correct fee, and your signature, then mailing it with proof of death to the Social Security Administration’s FOIA Workgroup in Baltimore, Maryland. The form is the official channel created under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. § 552) and the Privacy Act of 1974 for releasing a dead person’s earnings record, application for a Social Security card (the SS-5), or Numident file.
The problem the form addresses is real. Social Security records are protected by 20 CFR Part 401, which forbids casual disclosure of personal data, even after death, unless a requester pays the right fee, proves the person is deceased, and submits a written, signed request that follows agency rules. Miss any of those four pieces and the SSA returns the request unprocessed, which can delay probate, derail a genealogy project, or stall a wrongful-death lawsuit by months.
About 2.9 million Americans die each year according to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, and a meaningful share of those families eventually need an SSA-711 to settle estates, claim benefits, or trace ancestry. Knowing the form cold saves time and money.
Here is what you will learn in this guide:
- 📝 Every line of Form SSA-711 explained in plain English, with the consequence of getting each one wrong.
- 💵 The exact fee tiers ($30, $44, $46, plus certification surcharges) and when each one applies under the SSA fee schedule.
- 👨👩👧 Three named, real-world examples covering a genealogist, an executor, and an adoptee searching for biological parents.
- ⚖️ How the Freedom of Information Act, the Privacy Act, and the 120-year rule shape what SSA can release.
- 🚫 The seven most common mistakes that cause SSA to reject the form, plus the do’s, don’ts, pros, and cons of using SSA-711 versus other records sources.
What Form SSA-711 Actually Is
Form SSA-711 is titled Request for Deceased Individual’s Social Security Record, and it is the only standard paper request the Social Security Administration accepts for buying copies of a dead person’s records. The form was created so the agency could comply with the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552, while still charging the cost of search and reproduction allowed under 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A). Without this form, the public would have no clean path to records that can prove parentage, citizenship, or work history dating back to 1936.
The agency uses the form to release three different documents. The first is a computer extract of the decedent’s lifetime earnings, listing wages and self-employment income year by year. The second is a photocopy of the original Form SS-5, which is the application the person filed to get a Social Security card. The third is the Numident record, an internal SSA database printout that captures every name change, address, and card replacement.
Each record answers a different question. Genealogists usually want the SS-5 because it lists the parents’ full names, including the mother’s maiden name. Estate attorneys usually want the earnings record to confirm covered employment for survivor benefits or to value an unpaid wage claim. Researchers and journalists often want the Numident to track moves and aliases.
The form is not for living people. If the person is alive, the request belongs on Form SSA-7050 (earnings) or Form SSA-L996 for replacement cards. Sending an SSA-711 for a living subject violates the Privacy Act and will be rejected, with the fee returned only after a delay.
A common misconception is that the form is free because FOIA is a “public” law. It is not free. Congress authorized agencies to charge reasonable fees, and SSA’s fee schedule is published in POMS GN 03325.002. Sending the form without payment guarantees rejection.
The Legal Backbone Behind SSA-711
The form sits at the intersection of three federal regimes. The Freedom of Information Act opens federal records to the public by default. The Privacy Act of 1974 closes records that identify living individuals. The Social Security Act and its implementing rules in 20 CFR Part 401 tell SSA how to balance the two when the subject is dead.
Under SSA policy, a person is presumed dead and outside the Privacy Act’s protection if SSA has a record of death, the person would be over 120 years old, or the requester provides proof of death. This is sometimes called the 120-year rule, and it appears in POMS GN 03315.010. The consequence of failing to meet one of these triggers is that SSA must redact or withhold the record entirely.
A real-world example helps. Maria Alvarez wants her late grandfather’s SS-5 to confirm his birth village in Mexico for a dual-citizenship application. She mails an SSA-711 with a photocopy of his death certificate. Because the death certificate is independent proof, SSA processes the request and releases the unredacted SS-5.
A common misconception is that SSA must release everything FOIA covers. It does not. Tax return information attached to earnings records is shielded by 26 U.S.C. § 6103, and SSA will redact employer names and addresses unless the requester is a verified family member with a probate purpose.
Where to Get the Form and How to Submit It
Download Form SSA-711 directly from the SSA forms library. Do not use third-party aggregator sites, because they sometimes post outdated versions that lack the current fee schedule. The form is one page, two-sided, and fillable in any standard PDF reader.
Mail the completed form, the fee, and proof of death to the FOIA Workgroup, Social Security Administration, 6100 Wabash Avenue, P.O. Box 33022, Baltimore, MD 21290-3022. The address is printed on page two of the form and is also confirmed in the SSA FOIA portal. SSA does not accept SSA-711 by fax or email, because the agency requires an original wet signature for identity verification.
Pay by check or money order made payable to the Social Security Administration. Cash is not accepted, and SSA does not process credit cards for FOIA fees as of 2026. Sending cash is the single fastest way to lose your money and your request, because mail handlers cannot reconcile loose currency to a request packet.
Processing takes 60 to 120 days on average, according to SSA’s annual FOIA report. Complex requests, like those involving redaction review for living co-workers, can stretch to nine months. Requesters who need faster turnaround should write expedited processing requested on the envelope and attach a sworn statement of need under 28 CFR § 16.5(e).
Line-by-Line Walkthrough of Form SSA-711
The form has ten numbered items plus a signature block and a fee section. Each item has its own purpose, its own pitfalls, and its own consequence if completed wrong. Read every instruction on page two before you write anything on page one.
Item 1: Decedent’s Name
Enter the full legal name the decedent used on the original Social Security card application, including any middle name and suffix. If the person changed names through marriage, divorce, or court order, list the original name first and add the later name in parentheses. The plain-English point is simple: SSA’s database is indexed by the name on the SS-5, not the name on the death certificate.
The consequence of using only a married or anglicized name is that SSA’s indexer may return a no record found response and keep your fee. This happens often with immigrants whose original SS-5 carried a birth-country spelling that differs from the obituary.
A real-world example: Liam O’Sullivan, an Irish immigrant, filed his SS-5 in 1952 as William O’Sullivan. His granddaughter writes Liam on the SSA-711 and SSA cannot match. Listing both names would have solved the problem.
A common misconception is that SSA cross-references nicknames automatically. It does not. The indexer reads the boxes you fill in, nothing more.
Item 2: Social Security Number
Provide the nine-digit Social Security number if you know it. If you do not, leave the box blank rather than guessing, because a wrong number triggers a higher search fee. Knowing the SSN drops the photocopy fee from $46 to $44 and shaves weeks off the search time.
The consequence of writing an incorrect SSN is that SSA charges the higher no-SSN fee anyway and may release the wrong person’s record if the wrong number happens to belong to a deceased namesake. That has produced several embarrassing genealogy mix-ups documented by the National Genealogical Society.
A common misconception is that the SSN appears on the death certificate of every state. Several states, including California pre-2014 and New York, mask the SSN on public death certificates, so requesters often do not have it.
Item 3: Date of Birth
Enter the month, day, and year. If only the year is known, write the year and put approximate next to it. SSA’s matching algorithm tolerates a two-year window, but anything wider risks a no-match.
The consequence of an unknown date of birth is not fatal, but SSA may ask for additional identifying information, which restarts the clock. Adding a town of birth in the margin often rescues the request.
Item 4: Date of Death
Enter the exact date from the death certificate. If the date is unknown and you are relying on the 120-year rule, write the decedent’s date of birth plus 120 years and label it presumed. This is the trigger that lifts Privacy Act protection.
The consequence of leaving Item 4 blank without proof of death is automatic rejection under 20 CFR § 401.190. SSA will mail the form back unprocessed.
Item 5: Place of Death
State and country are enough. Place of death helps SSA confirm the death record in its internal Death Master File, which speeds verification.
The consequence of omitting place of death is a slower review, not rejection. Still, every blank field gives SSA an excuse to set the file aside.
Item 6: Father’s Full Name
List the decedent’s father’s first, middle, and last name. This field is critical for genealogists, because it is one of two parent fields that produce the highest research value on the SS-5 photocopy.
The consequence of leaving Item 6 blank when requesting the SS-5 is none, because SSA will release whatever the SS-5 itself says. But filling it in helps SSA confirm it pulled the right record when two people share a name.
Item 7: Mother’s Maiden Name
Enter the mother’s full name as used at her own birth, before any marriage. The maiden name is the genealogical gold the SS-5 contains, and providing it on Item 7 lets SSA disambiguate common names like John Smith.
The consequence of guessing the maiden name is that SSA may return a record for the wrong John Smith. A real-world example: David Park requested his great-uncle’s SS-5, guessed the maiden name Lee, and received a stranger’s record. The correct name was Yi. He had to refile and pay again.
Item 8: Type of Record Requested
Check one or more of the boxes for numident, SS-5 photocopy, or certified earnings statement. Each box has its own fee. Checking all three is allowed but multiplies the cost.
The consequence of checking the wrong box is that you receive a record you did not need and pay for it. Read the box descriptions on page two carefully, because the Numident contains different data than the SS-5 photocopy even though both touch the original card application.
A common misconception is that the Numident is just a summary of the SS-5. It is not. The Numident captures every later transaction, including replacement cards and name changes, that the original SS-5 cannot show.
Item 9: Relationship to Decedent
State your relationship: son, daughter, grandchild, executor, attorney, researcher, no relation. SSA uses this answer to decide whether to redact employer names from any earnings record released.
The consequence of misstating the relationship to get more data is a federal false-statement charge under 18 U.S.C. § 1001. SSA refers serious cases to the Office of the Inspector General.
A real-world example: Karen Webb listed herself as the executor when she was only an heir, hoping to unlock the unredacted earnings record. SSA caught the discrepancy with the probate court and rejected her request, then flagged her name for two years.
Item 10: Purpose of Request
Briefly state why you want the record: probate, genealogy, citizenship application, journalism, litigation. The purpose interacts with FOIA fee waivers under 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(iii). News media and noncommercial scholars can request waivers.
The consequence of leaving Item 10 blank is the loss of any fee-waiver argument. SSA defaults to the commercial-rate fee when the purpose is unstated.
Signature, Date, and Address Block
Sign in ink. Print your name, mailing address, and daytime phone. SSA returns the records to the address in this block, never to a different address listed inside the form.
The consequence of an unsigned form is automatic return. SSA does not accept electronic signatures or initials in this block, because the wet signature is the agency’s identity proof.
Fee Section
Enter the fee that matches your selected records. The current schedule is $30 for a computer earnings extract, $44 for a certified earnings statement when the SSN is known, $46 when the SSN is unknown, and an additional $34 for any third-party certification under seal.
The consequence of underpaying is rejection. The consequence of overpaying is a refund check that takes four to six months to issue.
Three Real-World Scenarios
Scenario 1 — Genealogist Needs the SS-5
| What the Researcher Does | What Happens Next |
|---|---|
| Anna Kowalski mails an SSA-711 for her great-grandfather, checks the SS-5 box, encloses $44 and a death certificate. | SSA matches the SSN, mails the SS-5 photocopy in 90 days, revealing the great-grandfather’s village in Poland. |
| Anna forgets to enclose the death certificate. | SSA holds the request, mails a deficiency letter, and the clock restarts when she replies. |
| Anna pays only $30 thinking the lower fee applies. | SSA rejects the request, returns the check, and Anna must refile with $44. |
Scenario 2 — Executor Needs Earnings Record
| What the Executor Does | What Happens Next |
|---|---|
| Marcus Bell, executor of his uncle’s estate, requests the certified earnings statement, encloses Letters Testamentary and $44. | SSA releases the unredacted record because the executor proves fiduciary status. |
| Marcus omits the Letters Testamentary. | SSA redacts employer names, limiting the value of the record for an unpaid-wage claim. |
| Marcus checks all three record boxes without paying the combined fee. | SSA processes only the lowest-fee item and ignores the rest until Marcus refiles. |
Scenario 3 — Adoptee Searches Biological Parents
| What the Adoptee Does | What Happens Next |
|---|---|
| Jordan Reyes, adopted in 1978, requests the deceased biological mother’s SS-5 to learn her maiden name. | SSA releases the SS-5, and Jordan obtains the maternal grandparents’ names. |
| Jordan cannot prove the death without a certificate. | SSA applies the 120-year rule only if the mother would be over 120; otherwise, the request fails. |
| Jordan asks SSA to forward a letter to living half-siblings. | SSA declines, because it does not run a forwarding service for the deceased; Jordan must use a search registry instead. |
Fee Schedule in Detail
The SSA fee structure is published in POMS GN 03325.002 and updated annually. The agency rounds fees to whole dollars and adjusts them for inflation only when the Office of Management and Budget approves a new schedule.
The $30 computer extract delivers a printout of yearly earnings totals without employer detail. The $44 certified earnings statement with SSN delivers an officially sealed record acceptable in court. The $46 certified earnings statement without SSN costs more because SSA staff must search by name and date of birth, which takes longer.
Add $34 for each additional certification, such as when a court or foreign consulate demands a separate sealed copy. Add another $44 if you also want the SS-5 photocopy alongside earnings. The fees stack, so a complete package can run $122 or more.
A common misconception is that paying more buys faster service. It does not. Fees pay for record retrieval, not queue priority. Only a granted expedited-processing request changes the timeline.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Sending cash instead of a check or money order, which SSA cannot process and may lose, leaving you with no record and no refund.
- Using a copy of an outdated SSA-711 from a third-party site, which can lack the current fee boxes and trigger automatic rejection.
- Listing only the decedent’s married name when the SS-5 was filed under the maiden name, causing a no-match response.
- Guessing the Social Security number, which produces wrong-person releases or higher fees.
- Failing to enclose proof of death when the decedent would be under 120 years old, which violates the Privacy Act trigger.
- Misrepresenting your relationship to the decedent, which exposes you to 18 U.S.C. § 1001 liability.
- Leaving Item 10 blank, which forfeits the FOIA fee-waiver argument.
- Sending the form by fax or email, which SSA does not accept for SSA-711 because of the wet-signature rule.
- Mailing the form to a local SSA field office instead of the Baltimore FOIA Workgroup, which adds weeks of internal forwarding.
- Forgetting to sign and date the form, which is the single most common reason for rejection according to SSA’s FOIA reading room.
Do’s and Don’ts
- Do download the latest SSA-711 PDF every time you file, because SSA updates fee boxes without warning.
- Do enclose a clear photocopy of the death certificate, because it eliminates Privacy Act questions before they arise.
- Do keep a stamped copy of the entire packet, because tracking a request without your own copy is nearly impossible.
- Do write the decedent’s SSN on the check memo line, so SSA can match payment to request if they are separated in the mailroom.
- Do request expedited processing in writing if a probate or court deadline is real and provable.
- Don’t send original documents, because SSA does not return them.
- Don’t combine multiple decedents on one form, because SSA processes one subject per SSA-711.
- Don’t assume the Numident replaces the SS-5, because the two records contain different fields.
- Don’t call the SSA national 800 number for FOIA status, because field staff cannot see FOIA queues.
- Don’t file SSA-711 for a living person; use SSA-7050 instead.
Pros and Cons of Using SSA-711
- Pro: It is the only direct route to the SS-5, the single richest genealogical document in the federal system.
- Pro: Certified earnings statements are admissible in probate and Social Security disability appeals before the Office of Hearings Operations.
- Pro: Fees are modest compared with private records-research firms, which often charge $250 or more.
- Pro: The form is mailable from anywhere in the United States and from most overseas APO addresses.
- Pro: Records can resolve dual-citizenship and immigration questions when foreign archives are missing.
- Con: Processing takes months, which is too slow for many estate timelines.
- Con: Employer names are redacted unless the requester is a verified executor or court-ordered party.
- Con: SSA does not accept electronic submission, which feels archaic in 2026.
- Con: Refunds for overpayment or rejection take longer than the original processing time.
- Con: Some pre-1936 records were destroyed in storage incidents, so the form sometimes returns no record found even when the person clearly worked.
Federal Law First, Then State Nuances
Federal law controls SSA-711 because Social Security records are exclusively federal. The Freedom of Information Act sets the disclosure floor, the Privacy Act sets the protection ceiling, and 20 CFR Part 401 is the SSA-specific bridge. State law cannot expand or shrink what SSA releases.
State law matters indirectly, however, because state probate courts decide who qualifies as an executor and what proof of death looks like. In California, the Probate Code § 8400 governs Letters Testamentary, and California death certificates have masked the SSN since 2014, complicating Item 2 entries. The consequence is that California requesters often file in the no-SSN fee tier and pay $46 instead of $44.
In New York, SCPA § 1001 governs preliminary letters, and the state’s death certificate also redacts the SSN by default. Requesters frequently must obtain an unredacted version through the New York State Department of Health before filing SSA-711.
In Texas, Estates Code § 256.151 controls the application for probate, and Texas death certificates still display the SSN, which keeps requesters in the lower fee tier. The consequence is that Texas executors often have an easier path than their California or New York counterparts.
In Florida, Probate Code § 733.103 governs Letters of Administration, and the Florida Department of Health issues two types of death certificates: one with cause of death (restricted) and one without. SSA accepts either for SSA-711 purposes, which simplifies filing.
A common misconception is that state probate orders unlock everything SSA holds. They do not. Even a fully empowered executor will see employer names redacted if the redaction protects a living third party, because the Privacy Act protects the employer’s identifying connection in some cases.
Court Rulings and Precedents Worth Knowing
Courts have repeatedly affirmed SSA’s fee-charging authority and its right to redact under the Privacy Act. In National Archives and Records Administration v. Favish, 541 U.S. 157 (2004), the Supreme Court held that surviving family members have privacy interests in a decedent’s records, which influences SSA redaction practice on SSA-711 releases. The consequence is that even a deceased subject can carry residual family-privacy protections.
In U.S. Department of Justice v. Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, 489 U.S. 749 (1989), the Court limited FOIA to the agency’s core purpose, which the SSA cites when it refuses to compile records that do not already exist. The plain-English point is that SSA must hand over what it has, not build new records to satisfy a request.
In Sims v. CIA, 471 U.S. 159 (1985), the Court reinforced agency discretion in source protection, which carries over to SSA’s protection of employer identities in earnings records.
These rulings together produce a steady administrative practice: SSA releases the record, redacts living-third-party data, charges the published fee, and refuses to create new compilations. Knowing this in advance shapes a smarter SSA-711 filing.
How SSA-711 Compares with Other Records Tools
| Tool | Best Use |
|---|---|
| Form SSA-711 | Decedent’s SS-5, earnings, or Numident for genealogy, probate, or research. |
| Form SSA-7050 | Certified earnings record for a living person, used in disability or wage disputes. |
| SSA Death Master File | Bulk death verification for businesses, not individual record retrieval. |
| State vital records office | Death certificates, not Social Security records. |
| FOIA request to SSA | Policy memos, statistical data, or non-individual records. |
FAQs
Is Form SSA-711 the right form for a living person’s records?
No. Use Form SSA-7050 for living individuals. SSA-711 is reserved for deceased individuals and will be rejected if the subject is alive.
Can I email or fax Form SSA-711 to SSA?
No. SSA requires a wet-ink signature and original mailed form, sent to the FOIA Workgroup in Baltimore, Maryland. Faxed or emailed forms are not accepted.
Does SSA waive the fee for genealogy researchers?
No. Genealogy is treated as a noncommercial personal use, but SSA charges the standard fee and grants waivers only for narrow public-interest media and scholarly requests under FOIA.
Is proof of death always required?
No. Proof is not required when the decedent would be over 120 years old or when SSA already has a death record. Otherwise, attach a death certificate.
Can the executor get unredacted employer names?
Yes. A duly appointed executor with Letters Testamentary may receive unredacted earnings, though SSA still redacts data tied to other living workers when applicable.
Will SSA forward a letter to living relatives of the decedent?
No. SSA discontinued its letter-forwarding program in 2014 and does not act as a search-and-locate service for private parties.
Does the form release medical records?
No. SSA-711 covers earnings, the SS-5, and Numident. Medical records held in disability files require a separate request and additional consent or proof of fiduciary authority.
Can I file SSA-711 from outside the United States?
Yes. International requesters may mail the form with a U.S.-dollar money order to the Baltimore FOIA address, though processing may take longer due to postal handling.
Is there an online version of SSA-711?
No. As of 2026, SSA does not offer an online submission portal for SSA-711, although the PDF form is fillable on screen before printing.
Does SSA refund fees if no record is found?
Yes. SSA refunds the full fee when the search returns no record, but the refund process can take four to six months.
Can I request multiple decedents on one form?
No. Each SSA-711 covers one decedent. File a separate form, with a separate fee, for every additional person.
Is a notarized signature required?
No. A simple ink signature is sufficient. Notarization is not required and does not speed processing.
Are the records released by SSA-711 admissible in court?
Yes. Certified earnings statements bear the SSA seal and are admissible as self-authenticating public records under Federal Rule of Evidence 902.
Related reading
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