.AU : Validation of Natural Persons

This article contains a detailed procedure about how to perform validation of Natural Persons via AuDA.

With the launch of second-level.AU domains on March 24, 2022, private persons will be able to register whatever domain they choose under the.AU name.

Before submitting an application to the Registry systems, AuDA requires all Registrars to check the details of anybody registering for a.au domain "using Reliable and Independent Electronic Data or genuine identity papers."

This form of validation is already included into the usual registration procedure for Australian firms, utilizing the ABN/ACN numbers supplied in the domain registration.

We will need to validate the applicant's data before submitting their orders to the Registry because 2nd level.au domains are available to Natural Persons as well.

Unlike ABN/ACN numbers lookups, these checks are not free.

Important things to keep in mind

• This verification is based on the customer's residential address and a supported form of identification, which will be confirmed against worldwide databases (Equifax) and the Australian government's Document Verification Service.
• Resellers must accept the Appendix for the AU Verification service provided in the Openprovider RCP in order to use this service.
• Resellers should pay special attention to the fact that each customer's voluntary and informed agreement to verify their personal information must be sought (and appropriately tracked). The consent can be documented on paper or electronically (for example, as a checkbox in the order flow), and verification of this consent must be supplied by the Reseller upon our request. 
• After submitting the request, resellers should preserve a copy of the Customer's permission for 6 months.
• Regardless of whether the verification is successful or not, all verification requests are a charged operation:
  Before submitting the information gathered, resellers should double-check them and confirm with the consumer that they are correct.
• Each successful verification has a six-month validity period.
  During the validity term, a validated contact can be used for an infinite number of registrations, owner changes, and renewals.
  The purpose for this restriction is that when a domain is renewed, AuDA requires the Registrar to re-verify the Registrant data; the restriction is in place to prevent the same verification from being used to register and then renew the same domain.
• For the same reason, we highly advise Resellers to urge Registrants to register their .au domains for the maximum permissible time to avoid having to repeat the verification process every year when the name is up for renewal.
• It is possible to double-check the same information.
  Each verification will be handled separately and paid as such.
  This is primarily to allow Resellers to re-verify an existing contact and update its "validated till" date before the original date has elapsed.

How to use it

A validated contact is required to process the following types of .AU operations:

• Registration
• Trade (Owner change)
• Renewal

Our system will check the Contact Handle used as Registrant and confirm its verification status. If the Handle is not validated, or the verification has expired, the order will fail.

Please note that only the Registrant handle needs to be validated.

Resellers can verify existing Contact Handles or create a new one as part of the verification process. This operation can be performed through the API or using the Openprovider RCP.

Supported document types

• Australian Citizenship
• Australian Citizenship by Descent
• Australian Driver's License
  • Expired license cannot be verified.
  • WA extraordinary license cannot be verified.
  • Apostrophes can be used but inverted commas will result in verifications failing.
  • Middle name, if supplied, is not sent for verification.
  • Card Number, if supplied, is sent for verification.
• Australian Passport
• The following types of Australian travel documents can be verified;
  • Passport (including Ordinary, Frequent traveler, Diplomatic, Official and Emergency).
  • Provisional travel documents cannot be verified.

• Australian Visa
• Australian Birth Certificate

The following birth certificates can be verified;

• ACT where the certificate was issued after 01/01/1930 or those where data has been electronically captured
• NSW where the birth occurred after 01/01/1914 or those that have otherwise been electronically captured
• NT birth certificates, including Aboriginal Population Record certificates, where the certificate was issued after
• 01/01/1870 or those that have otherwise been electronically captured
• QLD where the birth was registered after 01/01/1941
• SA where the certificate was issued after 01/01/1944 or those that have otherwise been electronically captured
• TAS where the certificate was issued after 01/01/1970
• VIC birth certificates issued after 01/01/1929 or those that have otherwise been electronically captured
• WA where the certificate was issued on or after 01/01/1841.

The following birth certificates cannot be verified;

• NSW birth records occurring prior to 1952 that contain a district number only
• WA birth certificates issued in the Cocos Islands prior to 1955
• WA birth certificates issued by/in Christmas Island prior to 1 July 1993.

Ensuring a successful address validation

To avoid failed validation requests, Resellers should check that the address supplied is the Registrant's current Residential address (e.g., the one that shows on utility bills) and that all names and addresses are spelt correctly.

The following sources are used to populate the database. As long as the address provided matches the one listed in one of these services, the check should pass without problems:

• Electoral Roll (Historical)
• Credit Bureau Commercial
• Credit Bureau Public Record
• National Tenancy Database
• Equifax Phone Directory
• Phone Directory

Please keep in mind that the address check is not a credit check. To match the Name & Address against the file, just the Credit Header is verified.

In the event that automatic address validation fails, Resellers can contact support and show verification that the address indicated in the validation request is a 1:1 match to the Customer's residential address. A copy of a utility bill or other document validating the address must be submitted, and the address mentioned on it must match the address provided in the Validation request exactly.