Document Verification (DVS)

Driver licence verification API

The details on an Australian driver licence are checked against the record held by the road authority that issued it, through the national Document Verification Service. Global Data is an accredited gateway, so the query reaches the issuer rather than a copied dataset.

All eight states and territories, each check routed to the authority that issued the card
An answer in seconds, with a reason and code returned when the details do not match
Run it from the Portal on day one, or from your own system later

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For developers

After the technical detail?

For the technical detail, go to the API documentation. It holds the request and response schema, the integration guides and the error codes for this endpoint.

Request and response schema
Integration guides and error codes

Go to the API docs

Access to live endpoints is granted once your account is approved.

Accredited DVS gateway ISO 27001 certified Data held in Australia

What the check gives you

Confirming a driver licence is genuine and belongs to the person presenting it

Your system sends the details taken from the licence to the road authority of the state or territory that issued it, through the DVS. The authority reports whether they match the record it holds, so a licence that was never issued, or that belongs to someone else, is caught before the customer is onboarded. The record itself is not returned. The answer is, with a reason code when the details do not match.

The licence was issued

The licence number and card number correspond to a card a state or territory road authority has actually issued. An invented number matches nothing.

It belongs to this person

The first name, last name and date of birth are checked against the same record. A genuine licence number presented with someone else's details will not pass.

Why it did not match

A result that is not a match comes back with a message and a code from the issuer, so your team can tell a document that is not recognised from one whose details disagree.

How a check runs

From the details your customer gives you to a recorded answer

Consent is sent with every request. The check is routed to the authority for the state that issued the card.

The middle name is optional and is only checked if you send it. Victorian licences often print an initial where the record holds the full name, so the DVS advises leaving it out.

Reading the result

What each answer means for the customer in front of you

A check returns one of four results. Anything other than a match carries a message and a code explaining why.

Valid

The details agree

The licence is genuine and the details you supplied match the record held by the issuer. The document requirement for this customer is met.

Invalid

A detail does not agree

The document was found but something you supplied differs from the record. A message and code name the problem, so your team can correct an entry rather than decline a customer.

Unknown

The document is not recognised

The issuer cannot identify the document from what was provided. This is the usual result for an invented licence number.

Service error

The DVS could not answer

The issuing authority or the DVS was unavailable. Nothing is concluded about the licence and the check should be run again later.

What it costs

A monthly subscription, drawn down as you run checks

Your subscription is credited to your account each month and each check consumes credits from it. If you go past the included amount, further checks are charged at a per-check rate. The rate depends on the volume you commit to, so the sales team is the fastest way to find where your business lands.

Volume-based pricing
No lock-in contract

How billing works

Subscribe monthly, spend it as credits

The monthly subscription arrives as credits on your account.
Each licence check draws down credits as it runs.
Checks beyond the included credits are billed per check.
Higher monthly volume moves you to a lower rate.

Talk to sales about volume

Related checks

Questions we get asked about the licence check

Should we send the customer's middle name?

Usually not. The middle name is optional and is only checked if you send it. Victorian licences often print an initial where the record holds the full middle name, and an initial will generally fail the match, so the DVS advises leaving the middle name out. That advice holds for every state and territory.

Do we need the card number as well as the licence number?

Yes, both are part of the check. The licence number identifies the licence. The card number identifies the specific piece of plastic and is printed on the card itself. A customer reading you only the licence number will not give you enough to run the check.

Is the customer's consent required?

Yes. The DVS only permits a check where the person has agreed to it. Consent is sent with every request.

What should we do with a result that is not a match?

Read the message and code that come back with it. An invalid result means the document was found but a detail disagrees, which is often a name entered differently from the record or a mistyped number. An unknown result means the issuer cannot identify the document at all. Correct the entry and run it again before you decline anyone.

Can we validate the details before spending a check?

Yes. A preflight option validates the details you have collected without performing the verification, so a malformed date or a missing card number can be caught and corrected in front of the customer.

Do we need a developer to use this?

No. Your team can run licence checks from the Global Data Portal, and send customers a verification link they complete on their own phone. Connecting the check to your onboarding system is how higher-volume customers usually end up running it, but it is not required.

How do we get access?

We confirm that your business is entitled to run document checks and what you intend to use them for, then open the account. A sandbox is available first, where a set of test licence numbers returns each of the possible results so you can build against them before going live.

Getting started

The first step to DVS access is a conversation

We will confirm what your business is entitled to check, what it costs at the volume you expect, and whether the Portal or an integration suits you better.