Virginia and ID.me – ID.me Help Center

The Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) works with ID.me to verify Virginia residents requesting benefits and services online.

ID.me provides secure digital identity verification to government agencies and other partners to make sure you are you—and not someone pretending to be you. This article explains how to verify your identity for VEC.

Before you verify

To verify your identity, you’ll need specific information and documents, depending on if you verify using self-service, over a live video call, or in-person. We recommend gathering any necessary documents before you begin the verification process.

Self-service is the most common verification method and you’ll be guided through the process. To verify, you’ll need:

A mobile phone that has a camera or a computer with a webcam
Email address
Government-issued photo ID (driver's license, passport, passport card, or state ID)
Social Security Number

During a video call, you’ll work with a live agent to get verified. To verify, you’ll need:

A mobile phone that has a camera or a computer with a webcam
Email address
Government-issued photo ID (driver's license, passport, passport card, or state ID)
Social Security Number

With In-Person Verification, you can complete your document upload and selfie step of your verification at select retail locations. To verify your identity in person, you’ll need:

An ID.me account with an IPV appointment.
Email address
Social Security Number
Two identity documents

1. Begin verification

Verification begins with VEC. If you received an email, text or voice message from the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC), select the link in the message. The link takes you to the VEC website, where you will start the verification process with ID.me by selecting the Verify with ID.me button.

If you have an ID.me account, enter your email address and password, then select Sign in.
If you do not have an account, select Create an ID.me account and enter the required information. Complete multi-factor authentication (MFA) and continue with your verification.

2. Sign in to ID.me

If you have an ID.me account, sign in using your email address and password. To create a new ID.me account:

Enter your email address and password, then select Create account.
Confirm your email address. For more information, visit Confirming your email address
Set up multi-factor authentication (MFA) to make your account even more secure.

Note: If you do not have a mobile device, select Backup Codes to generate 12 unique one-time-use codes.

3. Verify your identity

When you’re verifying your identity, you can choose to verify with self-service, a video call with an ID.me agent, or in-person at select retail locations. Select the tab below for an overview of each verification method:

After you’re signed in to your ID.me account, you can verify your identity by uploading a video selfie and a government-issued photo ID. To verify your identity with self-service:

When choosing how to verify your identity, select Self-Service.
Follow the prompts to upload your US driver’s license or state photo ID, or select Change Document to upload a passport or passport card. You can take a photo of the document with your smartphone or upload one from your computer.
Take and submit a video selfie. Your selfie will only be used to confirm that the person in the selfie matches your government ID. You may request that ID.me delete your Biometric Data at any time.
Enter your Social Security number.
Review and confirm that all of your information is accurate, then select Yes. After ID.me verifies your identity you will receive a confirmation message as a way to protect you from fraud.
Select Allow to finish your identity verification process.

After you’re signed in to your ID.me account, you can verify your identity on a video call. To verify with a Video Chat Agent:

When choosing how to verify your identity, select Video Chat Agent.

Note: If you don't have the required documents, select I don't have any of the documents listed above to verify on an extended video call.
Select Get Started, accept ID.me's consent to collect personally identifiable information, then select Continue.
Follow the prompts to upload your US Driver’s License or State Photo ID, or select Change document to upload a Passport or Passport Card. You can take a photo of the document with your smartphone or upload one from your computer.
Enter your remaining information, including your Social Security number, then select Continue. Learn why ID.me asks for your Social Security number.

Connect with a Video Chat Agent

During the call with your Video Chat Agent, the agent will compare you to your uploaded identity document. To connect to a live call:

After your information is confirmed, you will be prompted to join a video call. Select Join video call to proceed.
Wait for the next Video Chat Agent to be available.
Consent to having your call recorded, then select Join video call when prompted. You may request that ID.me delete your Biometric Data at any time.
Stay on the call as the Video Chat Agent compares you to your identity document photo. This should only take a moment.

After you’re signed in to your ID.me account, you can verify your identity at select locations. To verify your identity in person:

Select In-Person Verification.
Enter your information and select Continue.
Enter your zip code or city name to find and choose a convenient location for your appointment, then select Continue.
Choose a time and select Book Appointment.

Note: You can also do a walk-in appointment by visiting the same location during its regular business hours.
Save your appointment confirmation.

Once confirmed, you will receive detailed information about your In-Person Verification appointment on your screen, as well as in your email. This information includes:

Date and time of your appointment
Address of the Identity Network Location you selected
Reminder to bring two forms of identity documents
Registration Code, both in the form of a QR code and 25-character registration code
Instructions for your appointment

We recommend that you print and write down all of your appointment information on a piece of paper. Bring your appointment information and two forms of identity documents with you to your appointment.

4. Share your information

To complete the verification process, remember to consent to share your information with VEC.

If you verified your identity on a video call, there will be one last step to make sure you share your information with VEC. Check your email for specific instructions.

After you’re verified

After you are verified and VEC has your information, you can continue with VEC. For more information on what you can do after you’ve verified your identity for VEC, contact the Virginia Employment Commission.