About digital identities
A digital identity is a way to prove your identity in a safe and secure way when accessing services or completing transactions online or in-person. A digital identity removes the need to prove your identity through face-to-face interactions and by using physical identity documents.
When you can use NSW Digital ID
For the pilot program use of your NSW Digital ID will be limited. The first place you can use your NSW Digital ID is when you link your toll account to claim the toll relief rebate online. More transactions will be enabled with the NSW Digital ID as the program progresses.
NSW Digital ID and myID
myID (previously known as myGovID) is handled by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). It can be used to verify your identity for access to Australian Government services as well as some non-government services. This means you don’t have to be verified individually by each government entity. These services include Centrelink, Tax, Medicare, National Disability Insurance Scheme and Australian Business Number.
A NSW Digital ID will allow you to prove your identity for NSW state government services. These services will include things like claiming toll road rebates.
Information you need to set up your NSW Digital ID
To set up your NSW Digital ID you need a MyServiceNSW Account, a NSW Driver Licence or Photo Card, plus 2 other identity documents. Face verification will be used for the NSW Digital ID, which requires you to take a selfie to match against your existing photo on a government issued document. The selfie is not stored by Service NSW and will be discarded as soon as the face verification is completed. To prevent fraud, we'll also check your identity against the Australian Death Check service.
Access your NSW Digital ID
Once you have created your NSW Digital ID you can find it in your MyServiceNSW Account using a web browser.
- Log in to your MyServiceNSW Account.
- Go to Manage.
- Go to Settings.
- Select NSW Digital ID.
Note: your NSW Digital ID is not created or accessed with the Service NSW app. To create your NSW Digital ID, select the 'Create your NSW Digital ID' button on this page. Alternatively, head to your MyServiceNSW Account using a web browser and follow the steps above.
How your data is protected
The NSW Digital ID is protected by the highest levels of security and privacy. When sharing your identity, no identity documents get exchanged, only minimal personal information to prove your eligibility to receive the service.
Access to personal information
Your NSW Digital ID will only transmit your proof of identity and not your actual identity documents. Your details can’t be viewed or shared by anyone else, including the NSW Government.
Face verification
When you take a selfie of yourself during the face verification process, the image will undergo one-to-one matching. This means your selfie gets compared to your reference photo, such as your driver licence photo or Photo Card photo. As soon as the check is completed, the scan is deleted. The image is not kept on file, which means that one-to-many face matching – such as crowd surveillance – will not be possible.
If face verification did not work
The face verification process can be affected by poor lighting and by some browser settings. There are help guidelines when you get to this step in creating your NSW Digital ID. The help guidelines contain tips for getting the face verification right. If you continue to have a problem with face verification you may need to update the reference photo on your NSW Driver Licence or Photo Card. Call 13 77 88 or visit a Service NSW Centre for help.
NSW Digital ID on lost phones or devices
Your MyServiceNSW Account is protected by multi-factor authentication (MFA). Your NSW Digital ID can only be accessed in your MyServiceNSW Account, so no one else can gain access. Make sure you also have a pin code lock/face ID set up on your mobile phone to protect your other applications and data.
Creating your NSW Digital ID
Create your NSW Digital ID with myServiceNSW Account
Create your NSW Digital ID and have it ready for when more NSW Government transactions are enabled for Digital ID.
Create your NSW Digital ID when you apply for the toll relief rebate
Create and use your NSW Digital ID when linking your toll account. Create your ID once, and verify yourself for future claims with one click.