Q&A: What types of identification does Facebook accept?

Have you ever thought social networking would get this far? To the point that Facebook wants to verify your real identity all the way down to your government and state issued ID, birth certificate, passport, driver’s license, marriage certificate, insurance card, to name a few.

For those who are comfortable with the act of sharing personally identifying information with Facebook for identification purpose–if you are wondering what types of identification Facebook accepts; this FBtutorial.com page was created to educate you on that. If you are a Facebook user, continue reading to know your options.

Q&A: What types of identification does Facebook accept?

Facebook currently has 3 options for user identification verification so as to confirm the authenticity of your profile information. You can confirm your identity with Facebook using 1 of the 3 options listed below.

Option 1 – Facebook Identity Verification

Facebook accepts any government-issued ID that contains your name and date of birth. Examples of the accepted forms of government-issued IDs, include:

• Birth certificate
• Driver’s license
• Passport
• Marriage certificate
• Official name change paperwork
• Personal or vehicle insurance card
• Non-driver’s government ID (ex: disability, SNAP card, national ID card)
• Green card, residence permit or immigration papers
• Voter ID card

Option 2 – Facebook Identity Verification

Information from Facebook Help Center states that — you can provide two different forms of ID from the following list (ex: a bank statement and a library card, but not two bank statements). The names on your IDs must also match, and one of the IDs must include a photo or date of birth that matches the information on your Facebook profile.

Below are some examples of IDs Facebook currently accepts:

• Bank statement
• Bus card
• Check
• Credit card
• Employment verification
• Library card
• Mail
• Magazine subscription stub
• Medical record
• Membership ID (ex: pension card, union membership, work ID, professional ID)
• Paycheck stub
• Permit
• School card
• School record
• Social Security card
• Utility bill
• Yearbook photo (actual scan or photograph of the page in your yearbook)

Option 3 – Facebook Identity Verification

If you don’t have an ID that shows your authentic name as well as your photo or date of birth, Facebook says you can provide two forms of ID from Option 2 above, and then provide a government ID that includes at least a date of birth or photo that matches the information on your profile.

Is it safe to share personal information with Facebook?

Yes, and NO.

• Yes, because Facebook claims they encrypt user’s connection and information on Facebook by default, including IDs you send to them for verification. Facebook also claims they delete users ID information after verification is complete.
• NO, because it may not be safe to share certain personal information with Facebook due to fear of identity theft. In a 2007 BBC Watchdog program, Facebook was shown to be an easy way to collect an individual’s personal information in order to facilitate identity theft. The number one reason users quit Facebook, is due to privacy concerns.

SURVEY: If real identification verification becomes mandatory on Facebook, would you still use the social network?