Verify a South African ID against Home Affairs records
Enter an ID number, add the person's name and find out whether they match Home Affairs records. R39.90 per check, details emailed as a PDF on a match, refunded in full if not.
- Full refund if no match
- PDF by email
- Details not stored
- Stripe secured
How Home Affairs ID verification works
Enter the ID number
Type the 13-digit ID number above. We confirm it is structurally valid first, for free, so you never pay to check a typo.Add the name and pay R39.90
Enter the person's first name and surname as you know them. Sign in or create a free account, confirm your email and pay securely with Stripe.Get the result by email
We check the ID number and name against Home Affairs records, usually within minutes. A match emails you the details as a PDF. No match, or the check cannot be completed? You are refunded in full.
What the report shows
Basic Home Affairs details, released only when the name you entered matches.
- First names and surname as Home Affairs holds them
- Date of birth and age
- Gender and citizenship
- ID issue date, where Home Affairs returns it
- Home Affairs status for the ID number
What it does not show
No photo, address, marital status or criminal, credit or employment record. The PDF is a CheckID summary, not a Department of Home Affairs document, and a match shows the details are consistent with the record, not that the person in front of you is the holder.
When to verify an ID with Home Affairs
The free checker tells you a number is well formed. This tells you whether the name goes with it.
Landlords and agents
Does the name match the ID?
Before you sign a lease or sale, confirm that the name an applicant gave you matches the ID number they supplied.
Employers and recruiters
Check a candidate's details
Compare the name and ID number on a CV or application with Home Affairs records before you make an offer.
Small businesses
Know who you are dealing with
Confirm a customer, contractor or supplier's ID details before you extend credit or give access.
Fraud prevention
Catch borrowed and invented IDs
A structurally valid number can still belong to someone else. A name check shows whether the details you were given go together.
Home Affairs ID verification questions
How do I verify a South African ID number against Home Affairs?
Enter the ID number on this page, then add the person's first name and surname and pay R39.90. CheckID checks them against Home Affairs records through our verification provider, VerifyNow, and emails you the result. You need a signed-in account with a verified email.
What do I get if the name matches?
A PDF by email with the person's first names and surname, date of birth, age, gender, citizenship, ID issue date where available and the Home Affairs status for the number, with the ID number you checked, the date and time of the check and a reference. There is no photo.
What if the name does not match?
You are refunded in full automatically. You see nothing from the Home Affairs record, and we do not say which part of the name did not match. A check that cannot be completed, for example because Home Affairs cannot be reached, is refunded in the same way.
What counts as a match?
The surname must match and at least one of the first names must match, ignoring capital letters, accents, hyphens and a single typo in longer names. Initials on their own do not count. For a female ID number you can also add an optional maiden name, because for some women the record still shows it as the surname.
How long does it take?
Usually a few minutes. The email goes to the verified address on your account as soon as the check completes.
Is CheckID part of Home Affairs?
No. CheckID is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department of Home Affairs. We reach Home Affairs records through VerifyNow, and the PDF is a CheckID summary, not a Department of Home Affairs document.
Is it lawful to check someone's ID?
You must have a lawful reason, such as identity fraud prevention or detection, and you remain responsible under POPIA for how you use and store the result. Before paying you confirm this and acknowledge how the data is handled.
Does CheckID keep the ID number and the report?
The ID number and names are held on your order only until the check finishes, is refunded or expires, then removed. The report details are held in memory to build the email and are not stored, so save the PDF: we cannot send it again. We keep an audit record of your order. See the privacy policy for detail.
Is there a limit on checks?
Yes. To stop the check being used to guess names or ID numbers, the same ID number can be checked three times in 24 hours and one account can run ten checks in 24 hours.
Do you need a subscription?
No. This is a one-off payment per check. The free structural ID checker and the API plans are separate.
Confirm the name behind the ID number
R39.90 per check. Refunded in full if the name does not match.
New to this? Read how to verify a South African ID number, or just validate the number for free.