Law / United States / 
Minnesota
Use of Social Security numbers: limits on businesses
In force since .
A sensitive categories rule binding public and private bodies.
- Obligation class
- Prohibition, Security
As of .
What it requires
- If you are a person or entity other than a government entity, do not publicly post or publicly display an individual's Social Security number in any manner.
- Do not print an individual's Social Security number on any card the individual must use to access products or services you provide.
- Do not require an individual to transmit the individual's Social Security number over the Internet unless the connection is secure or the number is encrypted, and do not require an individual to use the number to access an Internet website unless a password, unique personal identification number or other authentication device is also required.
- Do not print a number you know to be an individual's Social Security number on materials mailed to the individual unless state or federal law requires it, although applications and forms sent by mail may include it, and never on the outside of a mailing.
- Do not assign or use a number as the primary account identifier that is identical to or incorporates an individual's complete Social Security number, except in conjunction with an employee or member retirement or benefit plan or human resource or payroll administration.
- Do not sell Social Security numbers obtained from individuals in the course of business; a release incidental to a larger transaction that is necessary to identify the individual for a legitimate business purpose is not a sale, and a release for marketing is not a legitimate business purpose.
- Restrict access to the Social Security numbers you hold so that only employees, agents or contractors who need access to perform their job duties have it.
These lines are LexLint's reading of the law's text, as of .
What this law does
Section 325E.59 bars a person or entity, not including a government entity, from publicly posting or publicly displaying an individual's Social Security number in any manner. A person or entity may not print an individual's Social Security number on any card required for the individual to access products or services provided by the person or entity.
A person or entity may not require an individual to transmit the individual's Social Security number over the Internet unless the connection is secure or the number is encrypted. A person or entity may not require an individual to use the individual's Social Security number to access an Internet website unless a password or unique personal identification number or other authentication device is also required.
A person or entity may not print a number that it knows to be an individual's Social Security number on materials mailed to the individual, unless state or federal law requires the number to be on the document.
A person or entity may not assign or use a number as the primary account identifier that is identical to or incorporates an individual's complete Social Security number, except in conjunction with an employee or member retirement or benefit plan or human resource or payroll administration. A person or entity may not sell Social Security numbers obtained from individuals in the course of business.
A person or entity must restrict access to the individual Social Security numbers it holds so that only its employees, agents or contractors who require access in order to perform their job duties have access to the numbers.
Social Security numbers may be included in applications and forms sent by mail, including documents sent as part of an application or enrollment process, or to establish, amend, or terminate an account, contract, or policy, or to confirm the accuracy of the number, notwithstanding paragraph (a), clauses (1) to (5).
Section 325E.59 does not prevent the collection, use, or release of a Social Security number as required by state or federal law, for a purpose specifically authorized by a law that restricts use and release of information on individuals, or the use of a number for internal verification or administrative purposes. The section does not apply to documents that are recorded or required to be open to the public under chapter 13 or by other law.
For the section, a government entity has the meaning given in section 13.02, subdivision 7a, but does not include the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities or the University of Minnesota. The section applies only to the use of Social Security numbers on or after .
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