Social Security Number?

[Fëanor]

I was at a lake this weekend and I was issued a ticket by the park police.

Anyway, the cops asked for my Social Security number. Is that normal? If so, why is that? I was going to ask the officer why he wanted it, but I knew I'd get out of there faster if I just told him the number and smiled.

[Magicman]

are you serious? They want to know your ssn to know who you are. you could say you're John Doe but your soc matches up with who you really are. You amaze me.

[Fëanor]

They had my driver's license, credit/debit cards with photo ID, a physical description, phone number, home address, etc. More than enough to positively ID me. Besides, I have never been asked for my SSN by a cop before. That's why it seemed out of place to me.

Sorry for being curious why someone might want information that could be used to steal my identity, especially combined with everything else they knew. Obviously you have never had to deal with that. Consider yourself lucky.

As for myself, usually I try not to hand out my SSN like candy.

[Bing_Oh]

I don't know about Nevada, but all citations in Ohio require SSN's. Your social security number is the most reliable numerical identifier for a person. Drivers license numbers vary from state to state. There could be more than one person with your same name and date of birth in the US. But the SSN is unique.

[Fëanor]

I don't know about Nevada, but all citations in Ohio require SSN's. Your social security number is the most reliable numerical identifier for a person. Drivers license numbers vary from state to state. There could be more than one person with your same name and date of birth in the US. But the SSN is unique.

Ah, alright, thank you.

I was thinking it was more for debt collection purposes as that is the reason most organizations want your SSN.

Thanks for explaining.

[IMachU]

In CA the SSN can be used to identify you if we run you for wants/warrants and there is a close match.

[Bushum]

I don't know about Nevada, but all citations in Ohio require SSN's. Your social security number is the most reliable numerical identifier for a person. Drivers license numbers vary from state to state. There could be more than one person with your same name and date of birth in the US. But the SSN is unique.

I never ask anyone for their SSN. We don't even include it on the DL anymore. Besides that when you run an OL by name and DOB you have to include the state to get a hit unless you are just checking it for W&W's.

[boardwurx]

Social Security Number?

I am in the hiring process with Milwaukee PD right now, and I got a huge scare on my BI. Check out the info on my other post.

http://forums.officer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67314

Everything is fine now, and I am still in the process. Point of my response is that the jerk who is sometimes using my SS# and name got booked into Milwaukee Jail using it.

He gave my info (SS# and Name) instead of showing a DL. So now it will always be listed on his record as a alias... no matter what I do.

[PhilipCal]

Social Security Number?

They had my driver's license, credit/debit cards with photo ID, a physical description, phone number, home address, etc. More than enough to positively ID me. Besides, I have never been asked for my SSN by a cop before. That's why it seemed out of place to me.

Sorry for being curious why someone might want information that could be used to steal my identity, especially combined with everything else they knew. Obviously you have never had to deal with that. Consider yourself lucky.

As for myself, usually I try not to hand out my SSN like candy.

Feanor, yours is a valid question, and somewhat area specific. For example, in Alabama, your Social Security Number is not required on a citation. Socials were included on Driver Licenses untill about two years ago. On licenses currently issued, they are not shown . Obviously, identity theft is a major concern, and you are correct to be a little "wary" about providing your Social Security number. Under the circumstances you found yourself in , it was no doubt, the correct thing to do, but in general, caution should be the order of the day.

[Tim Dees]

I was at a lake this weekend and I was issued a ticket by the park police.

Anyway, the cops asked for my Social Security number. Is that normal? If so, why is that? I was going to ask the officer why he wanted it, but I knew I'd get out of there faster if I just told him the number and smiled.

Your Nevada DL number is created by running your SSN through an algorithm. If law enforcement has one, they can derive the other. It's a way of comparing two forms of identification - if they don't match, then it's time to look into the matter further.

But, if you have proper ID, like your DL, and you're asked for your SSN and you don't want to give it, decline. I don't know of any legal requirement for you to disclose it to the officer. Now, if you don't have ID, and you don't want to go to jail, I'd suggest giving him whatever information he asks for. But that's up to you.

[Margaret Hood]

Why were you issued a ticket?? Was it justifiable for the Officer to ask for more information. That would suggest something more. But in any case, never, never give out you SS no to anyone. Police have many ways of verrifying infor.. let them earn it. It severs its purpose

[Ten Six]

Why were you issued a ticket?? Was it justifiable for the Officer to ask for more information. That would suggest something more. But in any case, never, never give out you SS no to anyone. Police have many ways of verrifying infor.. let them earn it. It severs its purpose

Let them earn it? What does that mean? I'm not so sure you offer the best advice.

[Fëanor]

Your Nevada DL number is created by running your SSN through an algorithm. If law enforcement has one, they can derive the other. It's a way of comparing two forms of identification - if they don't match, then it's time to look into the matter further.

Wow, thank you. Very informative and kinda cool too (or maybe I'm a dork).

But, if you have proper ID, like your DL, and you're asked for your SSN and you don't want to give it, decline. I don't know of any legal requirement for you to disclose it to the officer. Now, if you don't have ID, and you don't want to go to jail, I'd suggest giving him whatever information he asks for. But that's up to you.

It's good to know that I'm not required to give it if there is a next time. Of course, hopefully, I'll never get a ticket again.

Why were you issued a ticket?? Was it justifiable for the Officer to ask for more information. That would suggest something more. But in any case, never, never give out you SS no to anyone. Police have many ways of verrifying infor.. let them earn it. It severs its purpose

I suppose I could have not told him but I was just trying to make his job easier so he might return the favor and make my life a little easier. He got to handwrite the amount of my fine.

[Bing_Oh]

I never ask anyone for their SSN. We don't even include it on the DL anymore. Besides that when you run an OL by name and DOB you have to include the state to get a hit unless you are just checking it for W&W's.

In Ohio, SSN's are optional on driver's licenses. It's probably more than 50% that choose not to have them on the license. In that case, I can get the same information with the DLN (including their SSN through LEADS, so I rarely ask a person for their SSN if I have their license...I just get it from the dispatcher).

However, in the case of someone who doesn't have any valid form of identification, I'll still stick with the SSN. Many more people can recite their SSN's as opposed to their DLN's, and it's not unusual for me to get more than one way to identify a person when they lack an ID. We all know that the dirtbags out there aren't below memorizing someone else's info to avoid warrants and such.

[Bing_Oh]

Why were you issued a ticket?? Was it justifiable for the Officer to ask for more information. That would suggest something more. But in any case, never, never give out you SS no to anyone. Police have many ways of verrifying infor.. let them earn it. It severs its purpose

With all due respect, I think you're out of your depth here, Margaret. If I'm issuing a citation to someone and they don't have a valid form of identification, then they will prove their identity to my satisfaction. That means providing whatever information I believe is necessary to identify them. It's not their choice, and if they think it is and buck me on the issue, I would not hesitate to arrest them and book them in under the name John/Jane Doe. It wouldn't be the first time I've done it...