SSN Justification Memo

February 1, 2019
MEMORANDUM FOR DEFENSE PRIVACY AND CIVIL LIBERTIES OFFICE
THROUGH OSD/JS PRIVACY OFFICE
SUBJECT: Justification for the Use of the Social Security Number (SSN) – DoD CAF Form 3
This memorandum is to satisfy the Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) 1000.30,
“Reduction of Social Security Number (SSN) Use within DoD,” requirement to justify the
collection and use of an individual’s SSN on the Department of Defense Consolidated
Adjudications Facility (DoD CAF) Form 3, Request for Records.
The DoD CAF Form 3 is used to collect SSN, full names, other personal identifiable
information (PII) and signatures of individuals making Privacy Act requests for records
maintained in DoD CAF systems of record. Specifically, DoD CAF adjudicative records
pertaining to an individual’s access to national security information. The DoD CAF Form 3
ensures that all the necessary PII is collected in order for the DoD CAF Privacy Act Office to
verify the identity of the requester and conduct an adequate search for responsive records.
As stipulated in DoD Instruction 1000.30, Reduction of Social Security Number (SSN)
Use Within DoD, Enclosure 2, the use of the SSN as the single identifier which links
adjudicative files pertaining to a person’s security clearance is an acceptable use of the SSN.
The SSN is the primary personal identification used in major DoD national security systems, and
it remains the only unique identifier that ensures the accuracy across all the systems for proper
data retrieval. The full SSN is necessary to retrieve records located in the appropriate system of
record and therefore cannot be truncated or masked on the DoD CAF Form 3.
Individuals are advised on the DoD CAF Form 3 that providing the SSN is voluntary;
however, without it the DoD CAF Privacy Act Office may not be able to retrieve the requested
records. The information collected on the DoD CAF Form 3 is subject to protection under the
Privacy Act of 1974. The collection is currently being reviewed by OMB as a new form. The
information collected on the form will be safeguarded in accordance with the Privacy Act of
1974 and DoD 5400.11-R, “Department of Defense Privacy Program.”
FOSTER.ELISABETH.A.1
229303682

Digitally signed by FOSTER.ELISABETH.A.1229303682
DN: c=US, o=U.S. Government, ou=DoD, ou=PKI,
ou=WHS, cn=FOSTER.ELISABETH.A.1229303682
Date: 2019.02.01 11:32:03 -05'00'

E. A. Foster
Chief, Information Management
DoD Consolidated Adjudications Facility

PRIVACY ACT INFORMATION
In compliance with the Privacy Act of 1974, this information is Personal Data and must be protected from public disclosure.