The Social Security Administration cannot provide you with an address of someone without the person's permission. However, the Social Security Administration has a letter forwarding service that can be used to attempt to contact a missing person under circumstances involving a matter of great importance, such as a death or serious illness in the missing person's immediate family, or a sizeable amount of money that is due the missing person. The circumstances must concern a matter about which the missing person is unaware and would undoubtedly want to be informed.

The Social Security Administration charges a $25 fee for forwarding letters when to inform the missing person of money or property due him or her. It does not charge for letters that have a humanitarian purpose. The Social Security Administration reads each letter to ensure that it contains nothing that could prove embarrassing to the missing person if read by a third party.

Any letter that is sent to Social Security Administration for forwarding should be in a plain, unstamped, unsealed envelope showing only the missing person's name. Nothing of value should be enclosed. Social Security Administration needs the missing person's Social Security number or identifying information (the person's date and place of birth, the father's name, and the mother's full birth name) to help it find the number.

You must send a written request that includes the missing person's name and the identifying information discussed above; your reason for wanting to contact the missing person; the last time the person was seen; and information about other attempts you have made to contact the person. Enclose the letter to be forwarded in a plain, unstamped, unsealed envelope, with a check for $25 payable to the Social Security Administration (assuming the request is not for humanitarian reasons) and mail your request to:

Social Security Administration

Letter Forwarding

PO Box 33022

Baltimore, Maryland 21290-3022

Social Security does not assure that a letter will be delivered or that a reply will be received, nor does it advise of the results of its search.