How to Verify a Government-Issued Identification Number?

Ever wondered about that mysterious string of numbers the government assigns you? Whether it’s your Social Security Number, your driver’s license number, or another official ID number, these digits follow you throughout your entire life.

But what exactly are these numbers for, and why does every government agency seem obsessed with them? If you’ve ever filled out a job application, filed taxes, or applied for benefits, you’ve encountered government identification numbers.

The truth is, these numbers are way more important than most people realize – and way more vulnerable to misuse than you might think. That’s why I’ve put together this complete guide to help you understand what these numbers are and how to protect yourself from identity theft.

By the time you finish reading, you’ll know exactly which numbers matter most and how to keep them secure.

What is a government-issued identification number?

A government-issued identification number is your official “ID code” that the government gives you to keep track of who you are in their system. Think of your Social Security Number if you’re in the US, your Aadhaar number in India, or your National Insurance Number if you’re in the UK.
How many types of government identification numbers are there?

Giving an exact number of how many types of Government Identification Numbers there are is quite hard since there are plenty of countries, and each country uses their own methods to assign identification numbers to their citizens.

There are three main umbrellas that cover most government-issued identification numbers worldwide.

• Federal (National) government ID numbers

As said earlier, different countries have their own ways of giving ID numbers to people. But to keep things simple, let’s take the United States as an example. The federal government uses a few main ID numbers for both individuals and businesses.

• Social Security Number (SSN): The Social Security Administration hands out these nine digits to track your work earnings. When retirement rolls around, they look at this record to calculate your monthly check. The same goes for disability payments if something happens to you.
• Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN): The IRS has created ITINs for immigrants, foreign workers, and their children who need to file returns. No SSN? No problem – you still have to pay taxes.
• Employer Identification Number (EIN): Think of this as your business’s Social Security Number. Every company needs one for tax filings. Companies with employees need one. So do partnerships, nonprofits, and trusts.
• Passport Number: Every passport gets its own number that links to your travel records at the State Department. Get a new passport? You get a completely different number. This helps track which document is still valid and where you’ve been.
• Military ID Numbers: Soldiers, sailors, and airmen get ID numbers that stick with them forever, even after they leave the service. The VA and Pentagon use these numbers to track your benefits, medical care, and service record.

While these federal ID numbers apply nationwide, some forms of identification are managed at the state level. And they are just as important in day-to-day life.

• State and local government ID numbers

States and local governments run their own ID systems, too. Each one works differently depending on where you live.

1. Driver’s License Numbers: Every state does this their own way. California might give you a simple sequence of numbers. Meanwhile, Florida builds your birth year right into the license number. Some states even code your gender or which DMV office issued your license. There’s no standard format anywhere.
2. Professional License Numbers: Want to practice medicine in Texas? You need a Texas medical license with a specific number. Move to Ohio? You start the licensing process all over again. Lawyers, real estate agents, accountants – they all go through the same thing. Your license number proves you can legally work in that profession within state borders.
3. Voter Registration Numbers: Sign up to vote, and your state gives you a voter ID number. Election workers use these to prevent duplicate voting. They also help track which ballots belong to which districts during close recounts.

Beyond federal and state systems, some ID numbers exist for very narrow purposes.

• Specialized government ID numbers

Beyond your main national ID number, governments love giving out specialized numbers for specific situations. These work as your “membership numbers” for different parts of the government system.

Here are some common ones you might encounter:

• Starting a business → Employer Identification Number (EIN) for taxes
• Getting married → Marriage certificate number for legal records
• Traveling abroad → Passport number for international identification
• Working in healthcare → Professional license number for medical practice
• Joining the military → Service member identification number
• Registering to vote → Voter registration number for elections
• Filing bankruptcy → Case number for court proceedings

The thing is, these numbers pile up over time. A single person might have five or six different government numbers by the time they’re adults, each serving a completely different purpose in the bureaucratic machine.

💡 Related Blog: What is Government ID Verification? Step-by-Step Guide for businesses

Government-issued Identification numbers by region

How are government issued identification numbers used?

Government-issued identification numbers serve as the foundation of identity verification across financial services, government programs, and commercial transactions.

#1. Opening new accounts

When someone applies for a bank account, financial institutions use the government ID number to verify their identity against official databases. The ID number acts as the key to access authoritative government records.

What previously required days of manual document review now happens within minutes through automated systems.

🟢 Signzy benefit: Signzy's KYC and AML screening solutions help financial institutions verify customer identities across 180+ countries, detecting forgeries, tampering, and synthetic identities while preventing fraud before accounts are opened.

#2. Processing loans

Lenders rely on government ID numbers to assess creditworthiness and evaluate repayment risk. These numbers provide access to credit bureau reports that show:

• Complete borrowing histories and payment records
• Outstanding obligations and credit scores
• Employment verification and tax filing data
• Previous defaults or bankruptcy filings

The unique identifier connects all this information together. Without it, distinguishing between applicants with common names becomes nearly impossible, and tracking credit histories across multiple institutions breaks down entirely.

"We process 800+ loan applications monthly, and manual ID verification was our biggest bottleneck. Document forgeries were getting more sophisticated, and our team couldn't keep up. After implementing Signzy's verification APIs, we're detecting synthetic identities and stolen IDs before they enter our system. Processing time also dropped from 2 days to 15 minutes." — Credit Operations Manager, Digital Lending Company.

#3. Issuing credit cards

Card issuers use government ID numbers for credit evaluation and fraud prevention. The number enables the retrieval of credit scores, analysis of past spending behaviors, and identification of any previous defaults or fraudulent activity.

This verification proves particularly valuable for detecting synthetic identity fraud, where criminals blend real and fabricated information to create false identities.

🟢 Signzy benefit: Signzy offers a credit risk assessment API suite that analyzes comprehensive data points, including credit reports, FICO scores, and bank statement analysis, to build complete risk profiles. By anchoring each application to a government-issued number, issuers can spot inconsistencies and prevent fraudulent accounts before they're approved.

#4. Wire transfers and large transactions

Financial institutions depend on government ID numbers to maintain compliance with anti-money laundering regulations and counter-terrorism financing requirements. For wire transfers and substantial transactions, these numbers identify all parties involved and create permanent audit trails.

Regulators mandate clear identification of fund sources and destinations, and ID numbers provide the unambiguous tracking mechanism that makes this possible.

#5. Business account opening

Establishing business banking relationships requires verification of everyone with ownership or control over the company. Government ID numbers authenticate business owners, authorized signatories, and beneficial owners who ultimately control or profit from the entity.

Banks collect these numbers for individuals with significant ownership stakes, preventing shell companies from operating anonymously.

🟢 Signzy benefit: Signzy's KYB verification platform validates business data across 180+ countries, detecting shell companies and fraudulent entities through AI-powered document forensics. Combined with bank account verification, organizations can confirm that account details match verified individuals, distinguishing legitimate businesses from entities potentially involved in money laundering or illegal activities.

#6. Corporate banking and commercial lending

Large corporate accounts and commercial credit facilities demand comprehensive due diligence on all key stakeholders. Government ID numbers allow banks to verify company directors, ultimate beneficial owners, and authorized representatives across different jurisdictions.

This information supports ongoing compliance monitoring, tracking changes in ownership structures and control. For multinational corporations, ID numbers from various countries help banks build complete pictures of corporate structures and identify connections to sanctioned entities or high-risk regions.

🟢 Signzy benefit: Signzy provides the verification infrastructure that enables financial institutions to process these complex corporate relationships while maintaining regulatory compliance.

How to verify government-issued identification numbers?

There are three primary approaches to verifying government ID numbers, each with distinct trade-offs in terms of speed, accuracy, and scalability.

1. Manual verification: Time-consuming, error-prone, and basically impossible to scale as your business grows.
2. Outsource to contractor agencies: Risky approach since you're putting sensitive customer data in someone else's hands, plus you lose control over timing and quality.
3. Use technology to keep it in-house: Use technology to keep it in-house: The most effective solution that gives you speed, accuracy, and complete control over your verification process. API-based platforms like Signzy, Onfido, or Trulioo provide automated verification infrastructure that integrates directly into your existing systems.

As you can already see, APIs hit the sweet spot here. Let's walk through the step-by-step process of how API-based government ID verification actually works.

How to automate government ID verification with APIs?

Most verification APIs follow a similar architecture, though implementation details vary by provider. Here's the standard sequence of how automated ID verification actually works.

Step 1: Customer provides their ID number

The verification process begins when a customer enters their government-issued ID number during account opening, loan application, or any other onboarding workflow. This happens through your application interface, whether that's a web form, mobile app, or in-branch system.

The customer typically provides additional information alongside the ID number, such as their full name, date of birth, and address. This creates multiple data points for cross-verification instead of relying solely on the ID number itself.

Step 2: Your system sends data to the verification API

Once the customer submits their information, your system automatically sends a verification request to the API endpoint.

This happens in the background, usually within milliseconds, without any additional action required from the customer or your staff. The API request includes the ID number and supporting information in a structured format.

Signzy's verification APIs, for example, can process requests across 180+ countries, handling different ID formats from Social Security Numbers to Aadhaar cards to Emirates IDs.

"Before automation, we had three people spending full days just validating SSNs, EINs, and state IDs for new business accounts. Human error meant we occasionally let fake documents through. Since implementing Signzy's verification platform, we've eliminated manual ID checks entirely. The system caught 18 fraudulent applications last quarter that would have slipped past our old process." — VP of Risk Management, Commercial Banking Division.

Step 3: API cross-references government databases

The verification API connects to official government databases and authoritative data sources to validate the ID number. Multiple database checks happen simultaneously to build a complete verification picture.

Step 4: Additional validation layers are applied

Beyond basic database matching, advanced verification systems apply additional fraud detection layers. These include:

• Sanctions and watchlist screening: Checks if the ID number or associated individual appears on OFAC sanctions lists, United Nations Security Council lists, or other government watchlists that restrict business relationships.
• Politically exposed persons (PEP) screening: Identifies whether the individual holds or has held prominent public positions, requiring enhanced due diligence under anti-money laundering regulations.
• Adverse media monitoring: Scans news sources and public records for negative information associated with the person, such as fraud convictions, financial crimes, or ongoing legal proceedings.

These layered checks work together to catch sophisticated fraud schemes that might slip through a single verification method. The reality is that piecing together different verification services creates operational complexity and leaves security gaps where fraudsters can slip through.

Solutions like Signzy eliminate this risk by providing all verification layers through a single integration point.

Step 5: You receive a verification response

The API returns a verification result to your system, typically within seconds. The response includes whether the ID number is valid, the confidence level of the match, and any red flags detected during the process.

This response integrates directly into your workflow. Valid verifications allow the application to proceed automatically, while flagged cases route to your compliance team for manual review. You maintain complete audit trails showing exactly what was verified and when.

How can Signzy APIs automate your ID checks?

Signzy provides an end-to-end identity verification infrastructure that handles government ID validation across 180+ countries. Our platform integrates database checks, document verification, and fraud detection into a single API that fits directly into your existing workflow.

🔒 Comprehensive fraud detection: Go beyond basic database matching with built-in sanctions screening, PEP monitoring, adverse media checks, and AI-powered document forensics that catch synthetic identities and forged documents.

🌍 Global coverage, local compliance: Handle verification requirements across different jurisdictions without rebuilding your stack, with automatic updates that keep you compliant with growing KYC and AML regulations.

🔗 Single integration point: Eliminate the complexity of managing multiple verification vendors, access database checks, biometric authentication, and document validation through one unified API.

Schedule a demo to see how Signzy integrates into your workflow and starts verifying customers in real-time.