Client Profile SSN Validation and Partial SSNs

Social Security Number validation and using non-numeric characters for SSN.

Invalid Social Security Number (SSN) Warning

When a user enters an SSN for a client, the system will check to see if the SSN is valid as based on Social Security Administration guidelines. An SSN is considered invalid if any of the following are true:

• The last four digits of the SSN are ‘0000’

• The first three digits are ‘000’, ‘666’, or start with '9'

• The middle digits (i.e., digits 4 and 5; the second grouping of digits) are ‘00’

• The digits are repetitive, like 000-00-0000, 111-11-1111, 333-33-3333, etc.

• The digits are sequential, like 123-45-6789 or 987-65-4321.

If the SSN is invalid, the system displays the following pop-up: “‘The SSN entered does not conform to Social Security Administration guidelines. Click ‘Cancel’ to change the SSN. Click ‘OK’ to proceed with the SSN entered.” This pop-up appears before the ”An existing client has been found matching the SSN entered” pop-up appears.

If the user clicks “Cancel”:

• The pop-up disappears
• The user’s mouse returns to the first digit of the SSN.
• The SSN field is underlined in red.
• The user can change the SSN and save the profile with the edited SSN.
  • If the user enters another invalid SSN, the pop-up appears again. This continues until a valid SSN (or one with 1-9 non-numeric characters) is entered. 

If the user clicks “OK”:

• The pop-up disappears.

• The SSN field is not underlined in red.

• The user can save the profile with the invalid SSN.

Non-Numeric Characters for Unknown/Refused SSN Digits

Clarity, including the DIT and Operational API, will now allow users to enter a non-numeric character for any digits of a client’s Social Security Number (SSN) that is unknown or refused by the client, and the system will automatically convert those non-numeric characters to an “x.”

• If a non-numeric character is entered for all 9 digits of the SSN, the “Quality of SSN” field defaults to “Client doesn’t know” but is editable.
• If any digit in the SSN has a non-numeric character (such as xxx-45-6789, 123-xx-6789, 12x-x5-6789, 123-45-x789, etc.), and there are no more than 8 non-numeric characters in the SSN, the “Quality of SSN” field defaults to “Approximate or partial SSN reported” but is editable.
• If the ‘Consent Refused’ toggle is enabled in a client profile, Clarity will automatically convert the 0s for the SSN to ‘x’s when the profile is saved.

Using “X” as a Placeholder vs. Masking for SSNs

Users can tell when an X or x is used in a SSN as a placeholder for an unknown number and when a known number in a SSN is hidden from view.

• When an X is used to mask or hide a number in the SSN, an * (asterisk symbol) is used instead of the X. For example, if a client’s SSN is 123-45-6789, on the profile the user sees ***-**-6789.
  
  
  • If an X or x is entered by the user for any of the first 5 digits of the SSN, the system still masks the first 5 digits of the SSN on the client profile with an *. For example, if the client’s SSN is xxx-45-6789, the SSN appears on the client profile as ***-**-6789.
  • If an X or x is entered by the user for any of the last 4 digits of the SSN, the system still shows the last 4 digits of the SSN on the client profile as it is currently shown. For example, if the client’s SSN is 123-45-67xx, the SSN appears on the client profile as ***-**-67xx.
  • This does not change what the user with the appropriate access sees when they hover over the SSN and click on the "Edit" link. All digits of the SSN are visible when they click on "Edit."
    

SSN Masking in the Client Profile Audit Log

When a user with the appropriate access views a client profile audit log, there is the ability to tell the difference between an X used in a SSN as a placeholder for an unknown number and an X that is used to hide from view a known number in a SSN.

• In the client profile audit log, when an X is used to mask a number in the SSN, an * is used instead of the X. For example, if a client’s SSN is 123-45-6789, in the audit log the sysadmin would see the following:
  ssn: ***-**-6789
  ssn1: ***
  ssn2: **
  ssn3: 6789
  • If an X or x is entered for any of the first 5 digits of the SSN, the system still masks the first 5 digits of the SSN in the audit log with an *. For example, if the client’s SSN is 123-xx-6789, the full SSN appears in the audit log as ***-**-6789 and ‘ssn2’ appears in the audit log as **.
  • If an X or x is entered by the user for any of the last 4 digits of the SSN, the system still shows the last 4 digits of the SSN in the audit log as it is currently shown. For example, if the client’s SSN is 123-45-67xx, the full SSN appears in the audit log as ***-**-67xx, and ‘ssn3’ appears in the audit log as 67xx.

Updated: 02/24/2025