Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!me!radio.astro!helios!root
From: root@helios.toronto.edu (Operator)
Newsgroups: can.general
Subject: Re: SIN Number
Keywords: Checksum Procedure
Message-ID: <675@helios.toronto.edu>
Date: 22 Dec 88 17:30:31 GMT
References: <302@idacom.UUCP> <723@apss.apss.ab.ca> <1902@pembina.UUCP> <420@perle.UUCP>
Reply-To: root@helios.physics.utoronto.ca (Ruth Milner)
Distribution: can
Organization: University of Toronto Physics/Astronomy/CITA
Lines: 27

In article <420@perle.UUCP> dave@perle.UUCP (David LeReverend) writes:
>
>They certainly are.  The last (ninth) digit is a "check sum", and it can be
>determined using the 9 simple steps shown below.  I tried this out on my own
>SIN
>
 [...]

>9) The result of step 8 becomes the last (ninth) digit in the SIN.
>

I tried this on my own SIN number, which is 15 years old and which has never
been rejected or changed, and the algorithm didn't work.

Is it possible that, like driver's licences, they make an adjustment for 
the holder's sex, as an additional check? (On Ontario driver's licences,
the holder's birthdate appears within the licence number, and they add 5
to the first digit of the month if the holder is female; e.g. my month of
birth is July, digits are 07, so on my licence it appears as 57).



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