Verifying your identity on a video call

If you tried verifying your identity using Self-Service and weren’t successful, you may have the option to finish verifying on a video call with a Video Chat Agent. Video Chat Agents, or Trusted Referees, are trained identity specialists employed by ID.me to verify your identity.

To verify with an agent, you’ll need to consent to the call being recorded and show the agent your original identification documents. This article explains how to verify your identity on a video call.

What you’ll need

When verifying your identity on a video call, you must upload and show the following physical documents:

• Two primary documents or 
• One primary and one secondary document 

For a complete list of eligible primary and secondary documents, visit Primary and secondary identification documents.

You may also need to submit additional documentation:

• To prove your Social Security number
• To prove your current address
• If your name has changed

1. Enter your personal information

Begin by entering and confirming your personal information. This will be compared to the documents you upload later, so it’s important that everything is accurate.

1. Select Get started.
   
2. Review your information and update it, if needed. After you confirm your information is correct, select Continue.
3. Enter your Social Security number, which helps ID.me uniquely identify you. Select Continue.

You may be asked to allow ID.me to review your credit profile. This will not affect your credit score.

2. Select and send documents

Sending your identity documents helps ID.me prove you are who you say you are. To submit your documents:

1. Select which primary or secondary documents you’ll use to verify. If there are pre-approved documents you have already uploaded, you can reuse the documents by selecting them. Select Continue.
   
   Note: If there is an issue with your information, such as a recent name change, you may be asked to submit additional documents.
   
2. Send your documents by taking new document photos, reusing documents that were already approved, or choosing documents from your device.
   
   • Select Take Photo, then enter your phone number to receive a link to upload your documents. You’ll receive a text message with a secure link from ID.me to take photos of your documents.
   • Select a document under "Uploaded documents" to reuse a pre-approved document you uploaded during the Self-Service verification process.
   • Select Choose Image to upload your documents already stored on your device.
     
3. Confirm you have acceptable document uploads, then select Continue.

3. Review your documents

The personal information you entered in Step 1 must match and appear on the documents you uploaded to prove your identity. Review your information, then:

• Select Yes if the information you entered appears on the documents you uploaded. Go to Prepare your documents, where ID.me will review your documents.
  
• Choose Select a different document if they didn't match, then upload documents that have the personal information you entered earlier. Otherwise, your documents will get rejected.
  

4. Gather your documents

To ensure you can quickly verify on a video call, have your documents ready to show to the Video Chat Agent. We cannot verify your identity using copies or photos of your identity documents. They must be original and in your physical possession.

While your documents are under review, you’ll see an estimated wait time. You can wait or schedule a video call appointment by selecting Schedule an appointment, to finish verifying at a time that works best for you.

Rejected documents

Your documents may get rejected for a variety of reasons. If you are notified that your documents weren’t accepted, visit How to fix rejected documents for steps to fix this. 

5. Join the video call

After your documents are reviewed and approved, follow the prompts to confirm you have your documents ready and that you consent to the video call being recorded. Select Join Video Call when you are ready.

After you join the video call:

1. Wait for the Video Chat Agent to join.
2. Verify the information you provided, including your name, date of birth, address, and Social Security number, if required.
3. Show your documents to the Video Chat Agent. Hold your smartphone so the Video Chat Agent can see your documents, as shown below. If you cannot see your documents, ask the Video Chat Agent for directions.

After you verify

After you’re verified, you may receive an email with next steps, depending on the partner you’re verifying for. Follow the instructions in the email to share your information with your ID.me partner.

Troubleshooting

Reusing documents

You can reuse your state or government-issued ID document if you went through the Self-Service verification process and your document was previously approved. However, if the document you reuse gets rejected, you will need to start over with Step 1 of the video verification process. In that case, you must upload two primary documents or one primary and two secondary documents.