The 100-point ID check, and how to reach 100 from a standing start

Primary documents establish that a person exists: an Australian full birth certificate, an Australian or foreign passport, an Australian citizenship certificate, or a certificate of evidence of immigration status. These are typically worth 70 points, and you can normally only use one.

Secondary documents with a photo and signature — most commonly an Australian driver licence, but also some government employee cards and student identification — are typically worth 40 points.

Secondary documents without a photo link a name to an address or an account: a Medicare card, a bank or credit card, a utility bill or council rates notice in your name, an electoral roll entry, a Centrelink card, or a security guard or crowd controller licence. These are usually worth 25 points each, with a limit on how many of the same type you can use.

Weightings are not legislated uniformly. A bank, a state licensing authority and an employer may all use slightly different tables, so a document worth 25 points in one place may count differently in another. Always check the specific list of the organisation asking.

The order matters, and it is always the same: get a primary document first. Everything else is downstream.

If you were born in Australia and have no birth certificate, apply to the Births, Deaths and Marriages registry in the state where you were born. Registries have alternative identity processes for applicants who cannot meet the standard requirements — ask specifically, because it is not always advertised.

If you are a new arrival, your passport is your primary document and it does most of the work. Banks give new migrants latitude within a window after arrival, and a Medicare card, a bank card and a tenancy agreement accumulate quickly.

Once you hold a primary document, the fastest route to 100 is: primary (70) plus one secondary (25 or 40). A Medicare card is the easiest secondary to obtain if you are eligible for it, and a bank account card is the next.

For anyone genuinely stuck — no documents, no fixed address, no support — legal aid and community legal centres do this work regularly and know which registry processes accept alternative evidence.

Digital ID — the government identity system, with myID as the government-provided app — lets you verify your identity once and reuse it, rather than presenting documents repeatedly. It is voluntary.

Verification strengths are tiered. Basic requires one document. Standard requires two Australian identity documents plus a face verification check, and is the level most government services need. Strong adds a further check.

The practical benefit is that a Standard-strength myID links most myGov services instantly, without needing a linking code from each agency, and is accepted by a growing number of private-sector services.

The Digital ID Act 2024 established an accreditation scheme and regulator for the broader system, including private-sector identity providers. Participation remains voluntary and organisations cannot compel you to use it as the only route.

Identity documents are the raw material of fraud, and Australian identity crime has grown steadily. Treat photographs of your licence and passport as you would treat cash.

Never send images of identity documents through unencrypted email or messaging apps, and be sceptical of rental application platforms and job applications that request them upfront. A legitimate employer needs identity documents after an offer, not before an interview.

If documents are compromised, contact IDCARE on 1800 595 160 for a free response plan, and place a free ban on your credit file with Equifax, Experian and illion. Most states will reissue a driver licence with a new number where identity theft is established — ask for a fraud reissue rather than a routine replacement.

Check what a document actually needs to prove. Many organisations ask for a full licence image when they only need to confirm a name and date of birth, and several state licensing apps now generate a redacted or verifiable digital version for exactly this purpose.