"Margie" <margie92@earthlink.net> writes: > Do I have to buy my ancestor's social security record at the price > of $27, or can I go somewhere in person just to view it? Margie - Unfortunately there is no place to just view them. They also offer something called a numident which you can get for $16. It is a computer-generated form containing the information on the SS-5, rather than an actual copy. The copy is nicer though, if you want to have a sample of your ancestor's handwriting. It's a pretty pricey source of information, if you already have the data it provides - but it will provide the date of birth, place of birth, and name of parents if it has been filled out completely. Sometimes however, you may only end up with a numident even if you order the $27 copy, because for some reason they no longer have the actual application. Lisa llepore@juno.com