Australia’s 100-point ID check in Australia asks you to present a combination of identity documents whose assigned point values add up to at least 100. Documents sit in three tiers: 70 points for a primary document such as a passport or full birth certificate, 40 points for a secondary document such as a driver’s licence, and 25 points for supporting documents such as a Medicare card, bank statement, or utility bill. You can only claim one primary document per check, so most people reach the threshold by pairing a 70-point document with either one 40-point document or two 25-point documents from genuinely different sources.
The Three Tiers at a Glance
Every accepted document falls into one of three tiers based on how hard it is to obtain fraudulently. Primary documents are worth 70 points, secondary documents 40 points, and supporting documents 25 points. You combine them until you hit 100 or more. Restrictions stop you from stacking documents of the same type, so the combination has to draw on different parts of your life.
Each verifying organisation publishes its own checklist, and small differences in point values or accepted documents do exist between them. The structure below reflects the framework used by the Australian Border Force and the Australian Federal Police, which is representative of what most banks, employers, and agencies follow.1Australian Border Force. 100 Points of Identification Guidelines
Primary Documents Worth 70 Points
Only one primary document counts per check. Presenting both a passport and a birth certificate does not give you 140 points; you still need to cover the remaining 30 with documents from the lower tiers.1Australian Border Force. 100 Points of Identification Guidelines
The accepted primary documents are:
- An Australian birth certificate (the full certificate, not an extract or a commemorative certificate)
- An Australian citizenship certificate
- A current Australian passport
- An expired Australian passport that was current within the last two years and has not been cancelled
- A current foreign passport or other diplomatic travel document
If you hold any one of these, you are already 70 per cent of the way there.2NSW Health. NSW Health Central Register 100 Point Identification Check
Secondary Documents Worth 40 Points
A single 40-point document paired with a primary document gets you to 110 and finishes the check in two items. Common 40-point documents include an Australian driver’s licence or learner permit with a photograph, a government-issued proof-of-age card, and a Department of Veterans’ Affairs card. Some checklists also place Centrelink cards in this tier.
A current photo on the document strengthens the verification because the person checking your identity can match your face to the record. If you have a driver’s licence, it is usually the fastest way to top up a primary document.
Supporting Documents Worth 25 Points
If you don’t hold a 40-point document, build the remaining points from 25-point items drawn from everyday financial and residential records:
- An Australian Medicare card
- A credit card or account card from a financial institution
- A bank statement showing recent transactions
- A council rates notice for your current address
- A utility bill (electricity, gas, water, or phone) for your current address
- Property lease or mortgage documents for your current address
- A birth certificate extract (distinct from the full certificate, which is a primary document)
Strict duplication rules apply. You cannot claim 25 points for a credit card and another 25 for a debit card from the same bank. Two utility bills of the same type won’t double your score either. Each supporting document has to come from a genuinely different source.
Combinations That Reach 100
Two combinations cover most people:
- One primary document (70) plus one secondary document (40) = 110 points
- One primary document (70) plus two supporting documents from different sources (25 + 25) = 120 points
Working purely from 25-point supporting documents without a primary is not viable under the standard framework, which is why sorting out a passport or full birth certificate is the single most useful step before you start.
When Your Name Doesn’t Match Across Documents
Name discrepancies are one of the most common reasons a check stalls. If you have changed your name through marriage, divorce, or a formal application, add a linking document that connects your former name to your current one.
Accepted linking documents include an Australian marriage certificate issued by a registry office (not a church or celebrant certificate), a change of name certificate, or a decree absolute from a divorce. The marriage certificate has to show both your previous name and the name you adopted.3myID. Verifying a Change in Name – Marriage Certificate
If your name has changed more than once, you may need several linking documents to form an unbroken chain from the name on your oldest document to your current legal name. Gather these before you start the process rather than discovering the gap at a service counter.
When You Can’t Produce Standard Documents
Not everyone has a passport, birth certificate, or driver’s licence readily available. People experiencing homelessness, refugees, older Australians who never obtained certain records, and young people just entering adulthood can all hit this wall. The system accounts for it.
Most banks and government agencies accept alternative verification when you genuinely cannot produce standard documents. Options vary by organisation but commonly include:
- Community identification cards or Indigenous organisation membership cards
- A referee statement from a community leader, police officer, lawyer, recognised Elder, or manager of a crisis accommodation service who can vouch for your identity
- Government correspondence confirming your identity or explaining why standard documents are unavailable
- A self-attestation letter stating your identity, sometimes supported by additional information
The verifying organisation decides how many alternative documents are needed based on a risk assessment. Call ahead before visiting a branch or office so the staff member handling your case can tell you exactly what combination they will accept.
Certifying Copies When You Can’t Present Originals
Most verifying organisations want to see original documents in person. When you can’t, certified copies are the accepted substitute. A certified copy is a photocopy that an authorised person has signed and stamped to confirm it matches the original.4Australian Taxation Office. Copies of Identity Documents for Applicants in Australia
Authorised certifiers include Justices of the Peace, solicitors, barristers, medical practitioners, police officers, judges, ministers of religion authorised to celebrate marriages, and bank or credit union officers with at least five years of continuous service.4Australian Taxation Office. Copies of Identity Documents for Applicants in Australia A Justice of the Peace provides certification as a free community service and can usually be found at local courts, libraries, and community centres. A notary public or solicitor will charge for the same work, commonly in the range of $60 to $110 depending on location and complexity.
Bring both the original document and a clear photocopy. The certifier compares them, then signs and dates the copy with a statement that it is a true and correct copy, along with their name, qualification, and any registration number. Certification cannot be done remotely; the certifier has to physically examine both the original and the copy.5Department of Justice and Community Safety. Certified Copies of Original Documents
Where You Submit and How Long It Takes
In-person submissions at a bank branch or Australia Post outlet are the most common route. The staff member checks your originals, tallies your points on the spot, and tells you immediately whether you have met the threshold.
Some organisations now accept digital submissions through a secure online portal where you upload scanned images of your documents and certifications. Digital channels are becoming more common for employment checks and government applications, though many banks still prefer to see you in person for the initial account opening.
Processing times vary. A bank teller verifying your documents in-branch can often activate your account the same day. Online submissions and employer background checks may take anywhere from a few business days to two weeks while the organisation cross-references your details against government databases. You will normally hear back by email or secure message, either confirming success or asking for more evidence.
Digital ID as a Partial Alternative
The government’s myID app (formerly myGovID) already lets you verify your identity digitally for many Commonwealth services, including tax lodgement and access to myGov. The app checks your identity documents against government records electronically, performing the same verification as a 100-point check without the physical paperwork.
The Digital ID Act 2024 established national accreditation standards for digital identity service providers, covering identity verification levels, privacy safeguards, biometric matching requirements, and security standards. The Australian Government Digital ID System is scheduled to expand to private sector services by December 2026, which would let you use a verified digital identity for things like opening a bank account online.6Digital ID System. Digital ID Act 2024 For now, digital identity supplements rather than replaces the 100-point check, and most private organisations and many state government services still require the traditional document-based process.
Privacy and False Documents
Handing over copies of your passport, birth certificate, and financial records raises reasonable privacy concerns. Australian Privacy Principle 11, enforced by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, requires organisations to take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, loss, and unauthorised access, and to destroy or permanently de-identify identity records once they are no longer needed for a permitted purpose. The main exception is where another law requires the organisation to keep the records, such as anti-money laundering record-keeping obligations. You can ask an organisation what its retention period is and when your records will be purged.7Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. Chapter 11 – APP 11 Security of Personal Information
Providing false or misleading identity documents during a 100-point check is a serious criminal offence under Commonwealth law. The Criminal Code Act 1995 contains provisions targeting the creation, possession, and use of false identity documents, with penalties that can include substantial terms of imprisonment. This is not limited to outright forgery: submitting someone else’s documents as your own, or knowingly using outdated information, can also trigger prosecution.