Social Security Numbers

Arizona has two laws that affect the use of social security numbers in higher education:

• A.R.S. § 15-1823. Arizona law prohibits universities and community colleges from assigning a faculty, staff, or student identification number that is identical to the person's SSN. The law also prohibits the display of the SSN, or any four or more numbers of the SSN on any official university or community college Internet site or any publicly accessible document.
• A.R.S. § 44-1373. It is illegal in Arizona to do any of the following:
  1. Communicate an individual’s social security number and make it available to the general public,
  2. Print an individual’s social security number or any sequence of more than five numbers that are reasonably identifiable as being part of an individual’s social security number on any card required for the individual to receive products or services,
  3. Require the transmission of an individual’s social security number over the Internet unless the connection is secure or the social security number is encrypted,
  4. Require the use of an individual’s social security number to access an Internet web site, unless a password or unique identification is also required to access the Internet site, or
  5. Print an individual’s social security number or any sequence of more than five numbers that are reasonably identifiable as being part of an individual’s social security number on any materials that are mailed to the individual, unless state or federal law requires the social security number to be on the document.

With the exception of sections 2 and 5 above, this statute does not apply to the department of revenue or any law enforcement agency of the state, county, city, town or political subdivision. This statute does not prevent the collection or release of an SSN if that collection or release is required by law or if it is necessary for internal verification or administrative purposes.

The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. § 552a) is the federal law that regulates the use of SSNs. This law makes it illegal for federal, state, and local government agencies to deny any rights, privileges or benefits to individuals who refuse to provide their SSNs unless the disclosure is required by federal statute, or the disclosure is to an agency for use in a record system which required the SSN before 1975.

The law also requires that any federal agency that requests your Social Security Number provide a disclosure statement stating:

• the authority that authorizes the solicitation of the information and whether disclosure of such information is mandatory or voluntary;
• the principal purposes for which the information is intended to be used;
• the routine uses which may be made of the information, and
• the effects on you, if any, of not providing all or any part of the requested information.

The following ABOR and ASU policies also address the privacy of student and employee information:

Student Records:

• Information about ASU IDs
• Release of Student Information
• Lost, Stolen, or Inappropriately Disclosed Student Records Information
• Privacy Rights of Students
• Examinations and Grade Posting

Employee/Personnel Records:

• Access to or Disclosure of Personnel Records or Information, ABOR Policy 6-912
• Access to and Release of Official Personnel Records Information
• Personnel Records

Concerned about a possible fraudulent use of a SSN? Contact:

• University Registrar Services
• Office of Human Resources
• Social Security Administration fraud telephone number: 800.269.0271
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC): information about identify theft