Do you have to put your SSN on a application?

Answer 1

One is never obligated to fill in any information on a job application; an application is strictly voluntary. The company accepting the application may, however, have minimum requirements for processing the application (that is, they may not accept the application and place it for consideration if it is missing information they require for processing; in some cases that might be a valid phone number or SSN). Depending on your state, there may be different laws regarding the requirement of SSN's for accepting an applicant's form. Most states currently require a valid SSN for employment, however (i.e., you can't work unless you have a valid SSN), and the company would require the SSN be presented before any employment could begin.

If you are worried about identity theft (and everyone should be), most states have laws requiring employers to take reasonable precautions to protect personal information on all documents, including employment applications. (This doesn't mean that all companies do so; just that there is a requirement.) Consider, however, whether you would want to work for a company if you don't trust them to handle your personal information on an employment application.