Verifying your identity on a video call

If you attempted to verify your identity using self-service and it wasn’t successful, you may have the option to finish verifying on a video call with a Video Chat Agent. This article explains what you need to do before and during a video call.

About Video Chat Agents

Video Chat Agents, also known as Trusted Referees, are trained identity specialists employed by ID.me to prove your identity.

What you’ll need

When verifying your identity on a video call, you’ll be asked to upload photos of your identification documents and show the physical copies to an ID.me Video Chat Agent.

You may need to show either:

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

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

1. Enter your personal information

To begin video verification, enter your information, then upload your identity documents. Ensure your personal information is accurate since it's used to help verify your identity.To begin:

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.
   

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. You must upload two primary documents or one primary and two secondary documents. 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 choosing documents from your device, taking new document photos, or reusing documents that were already approved.
   
   • Select Choose Image to upload your documents already stored on 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.
     
3. Take photos of your documents, if you choose that method.
   
4. 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. Prepare your documents

To ensure you can quickly verify on a video call, make sure you have everything ready. Before you join the video call, ensure you have the documents ready to show on the call. While your documents are under review, you’ll see an estimated wait time.

You can schedule a video call appointment by selecting Schedule an appointment, to finish verifying at a time that works best for you.

Join the video call

After you join the video call, you’ll need to give permission to record the video and confirm your personal information. Here’s what to expect during the video call:

1. 1. An ID.me Video Chat Agent will introduce themselves.
   2. You’ll give permission for ID.me to record the video call. To verify your identity, ID.me will need your consent to be recorded on the video call.
      
      Note: ID.me cannot verify your identity using copies or photos of your identity documents. They must be original and in your physical possession. Your documents won’t be reviewed until after your personal information gets confirmed.
   3. Verify the information you provided, including your name, date of birth, address, and Social Security Number—if asked by the Video Chat Agent.
   4. Show your documents to the ID.me Video Chat Agent. To ensure your documents can be approved:
      • Hold your camera at an arm’s length away from your face.
      • Point the camera directly at yourself.
      • Hold the document in front of your face with a free arm.
      • Slowly move the document closer to the camera until it is clearly visible.
      • If you cannot see yourself on the video call, ask the Trusted Referee for direction.
   5. After your documents are reviewed, the Video Chat Agent will give you information about next steps before ending your video call.

After you verify

After you are verified, you may receive an email with next steps, depending on the partner you’re verifying for.

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.