Find out how to prove your identity for a product or service, such as a driver licence.
There is a different process for body corporates
When you need to prove your identity
You'll need to provide proof of identity to apply for:
- a South Australian driver’s licence or boat licence
- transferring an interstate or overseas licence
- a change of name
- registration of a vehicle or vessel for the first time
- a proof of age card
- boat code agent or examiner.
What you'll need
To prove your identity you need to provide 3 original evidence of identity documents.
Proof of identity can be in the form of either:
These documents together must show:
- full name
- date of birth
- signature
- current South Australian residential address. Evidence of an interstate residential address can only be accepted if:
- you are completing a recreational boating transaction
- you live interstate and want to garage a vehicle in South Australia.
- evidence of change of name if:
- there has been a change of name since the identity documents were issued
- your name differs between documents.
Documents that list middle names as an initial will need to be supported by another acceptable primary document which shows what the initial stands for.
Photocopies, certified extracts of original documents and commemorative certificates, that don't include a registration number, will not be accepted.
If documents are not in English, a translation from an approved Australia based translator will be accepted.
If there are genuine reasons for being unable to provide the required documents, you may be able to present an alternative document or complete a non-standard evidence of identity verification form. Inconvenience or expense are not satisfactory reasons for exemption. Contact Service SA for additional information.
Primary documents
All primary evidence of identity documents must be in hard copy/physical format or presented with a hard copy/physical document:
- Australian passport that is current or expired up to 3 years
- New Zealand passport that is current
- Australian full birth certificate issued by Births, Deaths and Marriages
- Overseas passport plus an Australian visa plus a visa grant notice that are current
- Overseas passport plus an electronic travel authority that are current
- UK passport plus a United Kingdom Ministry of Defence Status Certificate - travel to Australia that are current
- USA passport plus a letter under the US Status of Forces Agreement that are current
- Australian Government ImmiCards that are current or expired, issued by the Department of Home Affairs:
- Evidence of Immigration Status
- Australian Migration Status
- Permanent Resident Evidence
- Residence Determination
- Australian naturalisation or citizenship document (various)
- Document for Travel to Australia issued by the Department of Home Affairs
- Certificate of Identity or a United Nations Convention Travel Document (Titre de Voyage) issued by the Australian Passport Office (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade)
- Photograph and/or signature stored on the Registrar of Motor Vehicles’ database
- South Australian proof of age card issued after 9 October 2006
- South Australian police officer identity card
- Federal police officer identiy card
- Interstate photo driver’s licence or learner’s permit that is current.
Secondary documents
Secondary evidence of identity documents may be presented either in hard copy/physical or digital format. Electronic statements accessed through your account on an app on your device ( - eg mobile phone or tablet) and internet-printed statements are acceptable:
- New Zealand passport expired (no limit) where the Australian visa can't be verified
- Medicare card that is current and shows your name (may include other persons’ names and your name does not need to be the primary name)
- Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card that is current and shows your name (may include other persons’ names and your name does not need to be the primary name)
- Centrelink Health Care Card that is current and shows your name (may include other persons’ names and your name does not need to be the primary name)
- Department of Veterans’ Affairs entitlement card that is current and shows your name (may include other persons’ names and your name does not need to be the primary name)
- Interstate proof of age card issued by an interstate government authority within the previous 10 years
- Employee photo identity card issued by a state, territory or Australian government agency within the previous 5 years
- Credit, debit or account card from a bank, building society or credit union that is current and shows your embossed or printed name and signature
- Account statement or a letter from a bank, building society or credit union on the institution’s letterhead or with the institution’s stamp up to 12 months old
- Letter from the Australian Taxation Office (which includes your tax file number) or Centrelink or Medicare on the institution’s letterhead or with the institution’s stamp, up to 12 months old
- Australia Post issued Keypass ID Card that is current
- Phone, internet, gas, electricity or water bill on the institution’s letterhead or with the institution’s stamp, up to 12 months old
- Council rates or land valuation notice up to 12 months old
- Contract of sale, lease arrangement or rental receipt for your place of residence up to 2 years old
- Australian Defence Force photo identity card excluding civilian staff and family
- Defence Housing Agreement that is current
- Evidence of enrolment to vote from the Australian Electoral Commission up to 2 years old
- Australian Taxation Office tax assessment that is for the previous or current financial year
- Student identity document from an Australian educational institution with photograph and/or signature that is current or expired up to 12 months
- Certificate or statement of enrolment from an educational institution up to 12 months old
- Letter signed by the principal, deputy principal or head of school, or a person with authority to sign for the principal, deputy principal or head of school of a recognised educational institution, on the institution’s letterhead, up to 12 months old
- School report, certificate of accomplishment or enrolment issued by a secondary school in South Australia up to 6 months old
- Occupational licence issued by SafeWork SA or Consumer and Business Services showing your photograph
- Armed services discharge document up to 12 months old
- Australian-issued security guard or crowd controller licence showing your photograph
- Australian-issued firearms licence showing your photograph
- Aviation Security Identification Card (ASIC) or Maritime Security Identification Card (MSIC) issued after September 2018.
Change of name evidence of identity
All change of name evidence of identity documents must be in hard copy/physical format or presented with a hard copy/physical document.
You will need to complete an advice of change of name/address (76.8 KB PDF) and provide full evidence of identity that links your former and current name, as well as one of the following documents:
- birth certificate issued by Births, Deaths and Marriages showing name at birth and the new name
- marriage certificate issued by Births, Deaths and Marriages
- change of name certificate issued by Births, Deaths and Marriages
- divorce papers Decree Nisi or Absolute issued by an Australian Court, indicating the name being reverted to
- adoption paper issued by an Australian Court
- Australian Government ImmiCard issued by the Department of Home Affairs indicating the previous name on the back of the card.
mySAGOV account assistance
- You will need to verbally provide the identity document number from one of the below documents so that we can verify it using our Document Verification System.
- a current Medicare card showing your name (may include other persons' names and your name does not need to be the primary name)
- an Australian Births, Deaths and Marriages office issued full birth certificate showing parental details
- a current Australian passport or one that has expired within the previous three years
- a current Australian visa (with a foreign passport and accompanied by a visa grant notice) or an electronic travel authority (with a foreign passport)
- a current New Zealand passport (where the Australian visa cannot be verified)
- marriage certificate issued by an Australian Births, Deaths and Marriages office
- Australian Citizenship Certificate, Certificate of Naturalisation, Declaratory Certificate of Australian Citizenship, Evidentiary Certificate of Australian Citizenship, Citizenship by Descent extracts (formerly Registration of Citizenship by Descent)
- an Australian Government ImmiCard (current or expired) (Evidence of Immigration Status or Australian Migration Status or Permanent Resident Evidence or Residence Determination) issued by the Department of Home Affairs
- document for travel to Australia issued by the Department of Home Affairs
What you need to do next
Once you have all your documents together, you must attend a Service SA centre in person.
