Identity validation

Identity validation is the first stage in NIST’s process of confirming that the claimant is the same person as the owner of the user account by evaluating “identity evidence.” With enough pieces of evidence, you can say with some certainty that a person is who they say they are. To achieve IAL2 designation, a system needs to collect between 1–3 documents and validate them with the issuing source.

Document verification is a system where a user uploads a photograph of an official document (e.g., a driver’s licence), and the validity of the document is verified through another system. If the document is verified through a system created by the vendor (e.g., that checks for accurate layout and font use, reasonable issuance dates, etc.), it is considered by NIST to be only “weak” evidence and thus does not contribute toward identity validation in the literal sense. That said, it can still be a useful feature of your system to have.

Only by checking with the department of motor vehicles that issued the driver’s license can it achieve an evidence strength high enough for use in identity validation at IAL2 standards.

Note: While a tax form could be used in document verification, using that same form to determine program eligibility is not a part of identity proofing.