For individuals

Why organisations need to verify your identity

Organisations may ask you for proof of identity to make sure they are helping a legitimate customer and not someone attempting to commit identity crime. They might need to check your identity when you access services, apply for a loan or receive a medical benefit.

Identity crime is one of the most common crimes in Australia. Around one in four Australians will be a victim of identity crime at some point in their lives.

The identity verification services (IVS) are designed to better protect you from identity crime, streamline how Australians receive services and enable more services to be digital.

With your express consent, the IVS can check whether your identity document is valid.

For more on the IVS, visit About our services.

What information match results show

Information match results indicate whether the information provided in the verification request matches the relevant official record.

Usually, information match results return either a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response to verify a record.

The IVS does not make decisions about your identity. Organisations must consider all information they have available, and should use the IVS in combination with their existing identity proofing procedures. They should not use an information match result as the sole basis for a decision to agree or not agree to provide you with goods, services or benefits.

How identity information is stored

Each government agency that issues your identity documents uses its own secure system to store and protect the original record. In most cases, the IVS receives information on your identity documents directly from these systems.

In the case of driver licence information, the Document Verification Service hub checks your information with the National Exchange of Vehicle and Driver Information System (NEVDIS). Austroads Limited operates NEVDIS on behalf of driver licencing authorities.

Western Australia is the first jurisdiction to contribute facial images from driver licences to the National Driver Licence Facial Recognition Solution (NDLFRS). This service is hosted by the Attorney-General's Department, on behalf of the states and territories. Soon, Australian driver licencing authorities from other states and territories will also be able to provide facial images from driver licences. 

For more on the IVS, visit About our services.

Read our privacy statement for details on the types of information shared by the IVS.

Driving infringements and demerit points

Information about demerit points or previous driving infringements is not available through the IVS.

Certifying your own documents

Only approved government and private sector organisations can use the IVS. An individual cannot use the IVS to certify a document.

What happens when identity match results are wrong

In rare cases, your individual identity information may fail to match with the original record. This might be because:

• your personal details were entered incorrectly
• the original record is incorrect
• the system was unavailable.

If this happens to you, contact the organisation verifying your identity information. They may:

• give advice on your identity verification options
• request a secondary check to be done on your behalf
• ask the original document issuer to check the quality of their record.

The organisation cannot use an information match result as the sole deciding factor for whether to provide services or benefits to you. They must also have an alternative method of verification.

If you are unsatisfied with the response from your organisation, please email us at ivs.manager@ag.gov.au.