Proving your identity
Find out how to prove your identity for a Transport for NSW product or service, such as a driver licence.
When you need to prove your identity
You're required to prove your identity when requesting a product or service from Transport for NSW. This is to protect your identity and privacy, and to ensure our records are accurate.
You will need to provide proof of your identity when you apply for, renew or replace any NSW Government-issued card with a photo on it, such as:
- NSW driver and rider licences
- NSW Photo Cards
- Mobility Parking Scheme cards
- Driving Instructor licences
- Firearms, Security Industry and Commercial Agent and Private Inquiry licences.
You will also need to provide proof when you want to conduct any vehicle-related transactions, such as when you:
- request a new vehicle registration, or transfer registration into your name
- apply for special number plates
- apply for an E-toll tag.
For proving your identity for Maritime products, such as a boat licence, see Proving your identity - Maritime.
We cannot accept:
- copies, certified copies or laminated documents
- any identity document that is recorded as destroyed, lost, stolen or cancelled
- general boat and personal watercraft driving licences.
Documents that are not in English must be accompanied by an official translation.
If you're providing documents from List 1 and 2, your name should be consistent on both documents.
Your gender (if shown) should also be the same on both documents. If not, see Updating your gender details.
Your signature
One of your proof of identity documents should show your signature. If it doesn’t, you'll need to complete a Witness Letter. One of the following people can witness your signature:
- your employer
- bank manager
- school principal
- accompanying parent or guardian.
Signatures on application forms must be original (‘wet’ – i.e., signed with a pen and ink). Electronic (‘digital’) signatures, including emailed, faxed, scanned, or photocopied signatures are not permitted.
Our application forms generally include a section for the witness to complete, if needed.
Any variation of what is ordinarily used as a signature is not permitted, as additional words or symbols may convey a legal meaning or otherwise limit, place a caveat or condition on the name.
Temporary interim licences
Applying for a replacement NSW driver or rider licence? If you can't immediately provide acceptable proof of identity documents, you can provide a reference statement to apply for a temporary interim licence.
This reference statement needs to be from someone aged 18 years or older and who has known you for at least 12 months. We may contact your referee to confirm their statement.
Our application forms generally include a section for the referee to complete, if necessary.
See Replace a NSW driver licence online for more information.
Primary identification documents - List 1
Your primary (List 1) document must show:
- your full name (all given names and your family name)
- the day, month and year of your birth.
Transport for NSW may verify any document you provide with the issuing authority.
Accepted List 1 documents
- NSW driver licence or NSW Photo Card that has expired more than 2 years but less than 5 years ago (may be presented as a plastic card or as a digital driver licence)
- Driver licence from another Australian state or territory (must be current or expired up to 2 years ago) If an interstate digital driver licence is presented, it must be accompanied with a plastic driver licence card.
- Australian full birth certificate or Integrated birth certificate showing parental details (historic certificates issued in 1987 and 1988 are accepted)
- Overseas birth certificate showing parental details (a passport or an official Australian travel document must also be provided)
- Current Australian passport, or one that expired within the last 2 years (passports that have been cancelled are not accepted)
- Current Travel documents issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (a Certificate of Identity, Document of Identity, or Titre de Voyage)
- Current overseas passport (passports that have been cancelled are not accepted)
- Australian naturalisation or citizenship document
- Current photo identity card for the NSW Police Force
- ImmiCards issued by the Australian Government that are current or have expired up to 2 years ago:
- Evidence of Immigration Status (EIS)
- Permanent Resident Evidence (PRE)
- Residence Determination ImmiCard (RDI), or
- Australian Migration Status (AMS).
If your interstate licence shows your middle name(s) as initial(s), you’ll need to show another document from List 1 or 2 that shows your full name.
Secondary identification documents - List 2
Your secondary (List 2) document must show your family name and your first given name in full. These should match the names on your document from List 1 – see Name differences below.
Accepted List 2 documents
- Current Medicare Card, green or blue
- Current Pensioner Concession Card
- Current Department of Veterans' Affairs entitlement card
- Any other current entitlement card issued by the Australian Government
- Current credit card or account card showing your name and signature (issued by a bank, building society, credit union or American Express)
- Account statement, passbook or letter up to 12 months old (issued by a bank, building society, or credit union), which must include:
- your family name and first given name in full
- the account number or account type
- the financial institute letterhead or financial institute branch stamp
- Telephone, gas or electricity bill up to 12 months old
- Water rates, council rates or land valuation notice up to 12 months old
- Current student identity card issued by an Australian secondary school, TAFE or university. The card must display your photograph. If there's no expiry date, a card can be accepted up to 2 years from the date it was issued. If only a year of issue is shown, cards can be accepted until 31/12/** of that year.
- Evidence of enrolment at an Australian secondary school, TAFE or university up to 12 months old (must include your full name and the institution's letterhead)
- Current Mobility Parking Scheme (MPS) permit (issued by Transport for NSW)
- Current NSW Firearms licence, Security Industry licence or Commercial Agents and Private Inquiry Agents licence
- Current photo identity card for the Australian Defence Force
- Current interstate Proof of Age Card, Evidence of Age Card, or Personal Information Card
- Current Keypass (issued by Australia Post). Digital Keypass cards are not accepted.
- Current consular photo identity card (issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade).
Name differences
If the names on your List 1 and List 2 documents are different from each other, refer to the table below to find out if your List 2 document is acceptable.
If your List 2 document shows initials, these need to match your full name on your List 1 document.
| List 2 document | Acceptable or not |
|---|---|
| Showing your first name as an initial. | Not acceptable. |
| Showing both your first and middle names as initials. | Not acceptable. |
| Showing middle names as initials. | Acceptable as a List 2 document. Initials must match the full name on your List 1 document. Middle name initials must appear in the same order as the List 1 document. |
| Showing middle names, but not showing all middle names. | Acceptable as a List 2 document. Middle names must appear in the same order as the List 1 document. |
| Not showing middle names. | Acceptable as a List 2 document. |
| Showing additional names, or initials not shown on a List 1 document. | Not acceptable.
|
Documents not in English
If your identity documents are not in English, you’ll need to provide an official translation.
Translations are acceptable if they're from:
- Multicultural NSW (previously Community Relations Commission of NSW)
- the Translating and Interpreting Service provided by the Department of Home Affairs.
We also accept translations from:
- the Consulate-General of the Republic of Korea
- the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO), Sydney.
Any other translations are not acceptable.
Proof of identity for organisations
If you're dealing on behalf of an organisation (for example, to register a vehicle in a company name), the Director or an authorised delegate must:
- complete the relevant application form
- provide their own proof of identity, and
- complete and sign the Representatives Authority section on the application form
OR
- provide a letter of authorisation on company letterhead, and
- provide proof that the company or organisation is a legal entity by providing evidence of its Australian Company Number (ACN):
- Certificate of Registration for a company
- Current Company Extract
- Certificate of Registration on Change of Name
- printed extract from the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) website.
Contact Transport on 13 22 13 for more information about proof of identity requirements for organisations.
See Apply for a customer number with Transport for NSW (organisations) for more on registering on behalf of an organisation.