NDI Eligibility Requirements

Eligible research projects

Before applying to use data from the National Death Index (NDI), researchers should carefully read and review the eligibility requirements below. These requirements will help you determine whether your project meets the criteria to access NDI data.

Eligibility Requirements

• NDI data may be used only for public health and medical studies, and only if users will take no actions that may directly affect individuals or establishments.
• NDI data may not be used for personal, genealogical, legal, administrative, or commercial purposes. NDI data also may not be used to generate profit.
• NDI data may not be sent or shared outside of U.S. borders, including territorial borders. Only "public-use" files approved by NDI may be posted to the internet.
• NDI data may be used only for the study or project described in the approved NDI application.
• NDI data may not be shared with anyone not approved by NDI.
• NDI applications must include evidence of a current Institutional Review Board (IRB) review.
  • If you have questions about surveillance-related applications, please contact NDI staff at ndi@cdc.gov.
• NDI applications must be submitted by the project's principal investigator.

Sufficient data variables to qualify

To avoid a possible rejection, user records must satisfy at least one of the following qualifying conditions or matching criteria—

• FIRST and LAST NAME and SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER
• FIRST and LAST NAME and MONTH and YEAR OF BIRTH
• SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER and DATE OF BIRTH and SEX

Sufficient data variables to identify a match

A search of the NDI file will identify possible record matches between individual NDI data records and individual data records submitted by the user.

To qualify as a possible record match, submitted records must satisfy at least one of the following conditions or matching criteria. The specified data fields must match on both the submitted record and the NDI record—

• Social Security number.
  • For a search to be performed on the nine digits of a Social Security number, the NDI user’s record must also contain EITHER a first and last name OR date of birth and sex; see preceding edit/reject criteria.
• Exact month & +/- 1 birth year, first and last name.
• Exact month & +/- 1 birth year, first and middle initials, last name.
• Exact month & day of birth, first and last name.
• Exact month & day of birth, first and middle initials, last name.
• Exact month & year of birth, first name, father's surname.
• For female subjects: Exact month and birth year, first name, last name (on user's record), and father's surname (on NDI record).