Electronic Death Registration

State Death (DFSTATE) Format

The DFSTATE file is the specified format for the States to use to send data to SSA. It provides a uniform set of data that SSA will receive from the States. Whether the States use the EDR electronic submission system or submit the data manually, they use the following format so that the data can be received by SSA’s Death Alert Control and Update System (DACUS). This ensures that SSA will process the death report, and makes certain that each type of death report is posted to the NUMIDENT which is SSA’s official repository for fact of death information.

Field Location	Field Name	Program Mnemonic	Field Size	Remarks
01-09	SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER	SSN	9	a
10-29	LAST NAME	LNAME	20	a
30 44	FIRST NAME	FNAME	15	a
45-59	MIDDLE NAME	MNAME	15	b
60-67	DATE OF DEATH (mmddccyy)	DOD	8	a
68-75	DATE OF BIRTH (mmddccyy)	DOB	8	a
76	SEX CODE (Values: M, F, U)	SEX	1	a, f
77-79	STATE SOURCE OF DEATH (Value: 010-650)	SSD	3	a
80-105	DEATH CERTIFICATE NUMBER	DCN	26	a
106-109	MOTHER'S MAIDEN SURNAME	MOM-SURN	4	b
110-113	MOTHER'S FIRST NAME	MOM-FNAME	4	b
114-117	FATHER'S SURNAME	DAD-SURN	4	b
118-121	FATHER'S FIRST NAME	DAD-FNAME	4	b
122-123	PLACE OF BIRTH	POB	2	b
124	FOREIGN COUNTRY INDICATOR	FOREIGN	1	c
125	EDR VERIFY CODE Values: Y – EDR Verified N – EDR Unverified Space – non EDR or no online SSN Verification	EDRCD	1	a
126-133	DATE OF SSN VERIFICATION (mmddccyy or spaces)	DOV	8	d
134-141	DATE OF STATE TRANSMISSION (mmddccyy or spaces)	DST	8	d
142-150	FILLER (Spaces)	-----	9	e

Remarks:

1. Mandatory

2. Optional

3. Optional (enter a 1 when the PLACE OF BIRTH in positions 122-123 is a foreign country)

4. Conditional. Date in positions 126-133 is mandatory if the EDR VERIFY CODE in position 125 = Y or N, otherwise it should be spaces.

Date in positions 134-141 is mandatory if the EDR VERIFY CODE in position 125 = Y, otherwise it should be spaces.

5. Should always be spaces

6. The SEX code in position 76 must equal M, F or U for EDR reports (position 125 = Y or N).

The values of 1 for Male and 2 for Female will be accepted on non-EDR reports (position 125 = Space), but values of M, F or U are preferred.

Summary of Changes to DFSTATE format

The State Death (DFSTATE) format has changed to include fields needed for Electronic Death Registration (EDR) processing. Only states that will participate in EDR need to make changes to the record.

Three new fields have been added:

EDR VERIFY CODE

• Show a ‘Y’ when the report was submitted through the EDR system, online SSN verification was requested and the SSN was verified.

• Show an ‘N’ when the report was submitted through the EDR system, online SSN verification was requested, but the SSN was not verified.

• Show a space when the report was not submitted through the EDR system, or the report was submitted through the EDR system, but online SSN verification was not requested.

DATE OF SSN VERIFICATION

This field is mandatory when a report is submitted through the EDR system and online SSN verification was requested (i.e., when position 125 = Y or N), otherwise it should be spaces. When needed, it is the date of the online SSN verification attempt. If more than one verification attempt is made, use the date of the latest attempt.

DATE OF STATE TRANSMISSION

This field is mandatory when a report is submitted through the EDR system, online SSN verification was requested and the SSN was verified (i.e., when position 125 = Y). This is the date that the record is transmitted to SSA. When position 125 is not = Y, the field should be spaces.

In addition, filler size decreased from 26 to 9 characters and it appears at the end of the record. It should always be spaces.

All fields are alphanumeric.