Free South African ID Number Checker
Validate ID numbers instantly — quick and free. POPIA-first with no ID number storage.
Add ID validation into your own app in 5 minutes
Follow the step-by-step tutorial to create your API key, send your first API request, and validate ID numbers in your own app or workflow.
What you will build
You instantly get clean JSON responses in your integration.
Start with a free development key, then use a paid plan in production.
Trusted by Business
Used by South African teams
Operating since 2017, checkid.co.za has 4,600+ monthly active users and has done 815k+ validations.
“We love checkid, it simplifies our work day, it's fast and easy to use. Happy customers!”
“We use CheckID at Limpopo CoLab, University of Limpopo, to verify participants undertaking our various training deliverables. The platform has been reliable and effective in confirming South African ID validity, and over the past six months, we have not experienced any issues with incorrect or problematic IDs, which has significantly strengthened our verification and compliance processes.”
Zero ID data storage
We do not store submitted ID numbers or decoded results on our servers. Browser history can be cleared locally.
POPIA-first design
The service minimises data collection and retention, making it easier for your organisation to meet its POPIA duties.
Strong structural validation
Validates the format and encoding of ID numbers without a Home Affairs lookup.
API & developer docs
REST API with individual and bulk endpoints makes integrating ID validation into your own workflow easy.
Instant responses · Fast and free · No payment required
Run unlimited single web checks for free. Validate the checksum digit, date-of-birth encoding, and citizenship byte against the South African ID specification.
Try the web checker for free, then integrate in 5 minutes with our simple API when you need production workflows.
await fetch(
`https://api.checkid.co.za/.../${id}`,
{ headers: { Authorization: 'Bearer KEY' }}
)Full API docs · 5-min tutorial
ID numbers are processed in memory over TLS and not stored. Single web checks are free without an allowance counter; API usage records contain request counts only, never ID numbers or results.
Why Check ID SA?
checkid.co.za serves 4,600+ monthly active users and has completed 815k+ structural ID validations.
Zero ID Data Storage
ID numbers and decoded results are processed in memory and discarded immediately. No logs, analytics payloads, or databases retain what you validate — supporting POPIA-first workflows.
Structural Validation Only
Catch typos, invalid formats, and checksum errors before they enter your systems. We validate the ID number structure — we do not query Home Affairs or any government database.
Sub-Second Results
Results in under 1 second — fast enough for live forms, tenant screening, HR onboarding, and bulk CSV workflows without slowing your team down.
API & Developer Documentation
REST API with bearer-token auth, bulk validation, and published developer documentation plus a 5-minute integration tutorial.
- Yes. ID numbers are sent over TLS, processed in memory on our servers, and not stored, logged, or retained. Guest free-check counts stay in your browser only. We do not send ID numbers to analytics or error-tracking tools.
- No. CheckID performs structural validation only. We confirm format, checksum, and the information encoded in the number itself. We do not query Home Affairs, credit bureaus, or any database to confirm who an ID belongs to.
- You will see whether the number is structurally valid, plus the encoded birth date, age, gender, and citizenship indicator. We cannot tell you who the ID belongs to or whether Home Affairs issued that number to someone.
- Yes. A free test API key is available for development. Solo + API includes 1,000 single production calls per month; Professional and Business add bulk API access and team features. See the developers guide or our 5-minute integration tutorial.
- Yes. Paid plans are billed monthly and you can cancel through your billing portal at any time. You can also start with Free unlimited single web checks before subscribing.
Who uses CheckID
South African ID numbers encode date of birth, citizenship, and a checksum digit. These industries rely on that data every day.
Property Management
Estate agents and property managers use CheckID to screen tenants and verify buyers before signing leases or transfer documents. Run single or bulk checks directly from the web dashboard.
Learn MoreHealthcare Providers
Hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies verify patient IDs at registration to eliminate manual data-entry errors and meet POPIA Section 19 security requirements. Zero data storage — the ID is validated in memory and never written to disk.
Learn MoreBetting & Gaming
South African licensed betting operators are required by the National Gambling Act to confirm that every account holder is 18 or older before accepting a deposit. CheckID returns date of birth and age from the ID number in under a second.
See How It WorksHR & Recruitment
Before making a job offer, HR teams confirm that the candidate's ID number matches what was submitted on the application. One call to the API returns whether the number is structurally valid, along with date of birth and citizenship status.
Get StartedFinancial Services
Fintech platforms and financial services teams check ID numbers during account opening to catch formatting errors before they cause downstream issues. The check is a single API call and requires no document upload.
Get StartedStart with free single web checks
No credit card required. API access on all paid plans.
Free South African ID validation
Verify South African ID number structure in seconds. Sign in when you want history, API access, or more checks.