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SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER REQUIREMENT RELATING TO APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION TO PRACTICE LAW IN CALIFORNIA
All applicants for admission to practice law are required to provide a social security number pursuant to Business and Professions Code Section 30 (California’s tax enforcement provisions) and Family Code Section 17520 (Child Support Enforcement Program.)Business and Professions Code Section 30 provides that:
... a licensing board may not process any application for an original license or for renewal of a license unless the applicant or licensee provides its federal employer identification number or social security number where requested on the application.
Family Code Section 17520(6)(d) provides that:
Notwithstanding any other law, all boards shall collect social security numbers from all applicants for the purpose of matching the names of the certified list provided by the department to applicants and licensees and of responding to requests for information made by child support agencies.
CHANGE EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2006
Effective January 1, 2006, applicants without a social security number because they do not qualify for one, may request that they be exempted from the requirement of providing a social security number at the time they apply for admission.Such applicants may request an exemption from the social security number requirement by completing and submitting the required form together with the State Bar registration application form. (Both the exemption and registration forms must be obtained by contacting the Los Angeles Office of Admissions; the forms are NOT available online.) To qualify for an exemption, applicants must state the reason they are unable to qualify for a social security number and attest to not being in arrears with any court ordered child or family support obligations.
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