SA ID number check

What the 13 digits mean

Every South African ID number is built the same way. The Identification Regulations set out what each group of digits stands for.

YYMMDD G SSS C A Z

What each digit of a South African ID number means

Digits	Part	What it shows
1 to 6	Date of birth	Year, month and day of birth (YYMMDD).
7	Gender	0 to 4 for female, 5 to 9 for male.
8 to 10	Serial number	A sequence number for people registered with the same date of birth.
11	Citizenship	0 for a South African citizen, 1 for a non-South African citizen. Refugees' numbers are reported to have 2.
12	Register digit	Usually 8, or 9 when the computer runs out of numbers for that date of birth. It no longer means anything about the person.
13	Control digit	Checks the other twelve digits for typing mistakes.

How the check works

• Date of birth. The number shows the year as two digits, so it doesn’t say which century. We use the most recent date that isn’t in the future, and we also show the date a hundred years earlier when that person could still be alive.
• Gender. Digit 7 is 0 to 4 for female and 5 to 9 for male.
• Citizenship. Digit 11 is 0 for a South African citizen and 1 for a non-South African citizen. The regulations list only these two, but Lawyers for Human Rights reports that refugees’ ID numbers have 2, so we show 2 as a refugee number rather than an error. Any other digit doesn’t match.
• Control digit. The regulations call the last digit a control figure set by the Home Affairs computer. We check it with the Luhn method, the check that published descriptions of the South African ID number use. A typing mistake in any one digit makes it fail.

What this tool can’t do

The tool reads the format only. A number can pass every check and still not be registered, or belong to someone else. Only Home Affairs can confirm an ID number. To get a first ID or replace one, see how to apply for a Smart ID card.

Home Affairs is working on a new identity system. Its draft policy of December 2020 suggested ID numbers that don’t show a person’s date of birth or sex, and a National Identification and Registration Bill was published for comment in 2023/24. Until a new law changes the format, this tool reads the format in the current regulations.

Keep your ID number safe

Your ID number opens doors to grants, bank accounts and loans in your name. Share it only with organisations you have chosen to deal with, such as your bank or an official government office, and never with someone who phones, messages or emails you first. Read our guide to avoiding scams.