Passports and passport cards are government-issued photo IDs you can use when verifying your identity. During the verification process, you’ll take a photo of your passport or passport card using your smartphone. This article explains how to verify your identity using a passport or passport card.
Before you verify
- Passport and passport cards are primary documents and must include your photo.
- If you’re helping someone who needs to verify using ID.me, make sure you have the necessary documents to upload.
How to verify
Using a passport or passport card to verify your identity involves going to the organization’s site that you are verifying for, creating or signing in to your ID.me account, and submitting your ID, along with other personal information.
1. Start the verification process
Go to the organization or agency’s site that you are verifying for. To find a list of organizations and where to start verification, go to Identity Verification.
2. Sign in or create an ID.me account
You must create an ID.me account or sign in to your existing account.
3. Set up multi-factor authentication (MFA)
To secure your account, set up your multi-factor authentication (MFA) method. ID.me recommends adding at least two MFA methods.
4. Submit your passport or passport card
When prompted, submit your passport or passport card. For passports, you only need to upload the front. For passport cards, you must upload the front and back. Make sure to follow our document photos tips.
If a driver's license is selected by default and you’d like to instead submit your passport or passport card instead, select Change, then select passport or passport card.
My passport or passport card wasn’t accepted
Your documents might not be accepted for a variety of reasons. If it wasn’t accepted, try taking another photo of your document, or use a different document.
If you try multiple times and your document isn’t accepted, select Verify identity on a video call. You will be prompted to upload documents and enter your information before starting a video chat with an ID.me Video Chat Agent. Video Chat Agents, or Trust Referees, are virtual agents that help verify your identity. You’ll need to show them your documents while on the video call.
Expired passport or passport card
Expired passports or passport cards are not accepted.
FAQ
I lost my passport or passport card. What should I do?
If you lost your passport or passport card, visit Applying for government-issued photo identification to learn about applying for an ID.
Can I verify with a driver’s license or state ID instead?
Yes, you can also verify with a driver’s license or state ID. To learn how, visit Verifying your identity using your passport or passport card.