Skip to main content
Cashfree Secure ID supports verification of key government-issued identity and ownership proofs, known as Officially Valid Documents (OVDs). These include Voter ID, Driving Licence, Vehicle Registration Certificate (RC), and Passport. By integrating these verifications, businesses can securely authenticate user identities, confirm address details, validate vehicle ownership, and comply with regulatory requirements. This helps reduce fraud, streamline onboarding, and improve trust across industries such as banking, fintech, lending, insurance, travel, and logistics. Explore individual OVD verification guides:

Use cases

Here are some common use cases for each OVD verification type across different industries:
DocumentSectorUse cases
Voter IDBanking and FintechVerify customer identity and address when opening new accounts or applying for loans.
Travel and HospitalityUsed as an alternative to Aadhaar to verify customer identity and address.
Driving Licence (DL)Ride-hailing, Car Rental, Gig PlatformsVerify that drivers are licensed.
Banking and InsuranceUsed in KYC processes, particularly for auto insurance, where licence status and driving history are crucial for risk assessment.
Vehicle Registration Certificate (RC)Financial InstitutionsUsed for insurance and vehicle loans to verify ownership and vehicle details.
Transport and LogisticsConfirm legitimacy of fleet vehicles and ensure compliance with regulations.
PassportAirlines and HotelsIdentity confirmation during booking and check-in.
Banking and Financial InstitutionsHighest level of KYC, especially for non-residents or high-value international transactions.

Best practices

Follow these recommendations to optimise your OVD verification implementation and ensure reliable document authentication:

General verification practices

  • Document quality: For Smart OCR verification, ensure clear, well-lit images without shadows, glare, or distortion for optimal accuracy and data extraction.
  • Format validation: Verify document number formats before making API calls to reduce unnecessary verification attempts and improve success rates.
  • Error handling: Build robust error handling for invalid document numbers, network issues, service unavailability, or temporary government system downtime.
  • Data privacy: Implement appropriate data retention policies and secure storage for verification records following GDPR and local data protection regulations.
  • Batch processing: Use batch verification APIs for multiple records to improve efficiency, reduce processing costs, and optimise API rate limits.
  • Cross-verification: Validate extracted data against user-provided information for additional security layers and fraud prevention.
  • Cache management: Store verification results appropriately while respecting data privacy regulations and implementing proper cache expiry policies.
  • Alternative verification: Maintain backup verification methods when primary document verification fails or provides incomplete data.
  • Fallback mechanisms: Implement alternative identity verification pathways when OVD verification is insufficient for your use case requirements.

Document-specific considerations

  • Voter ID: Monitor for changes in EPIC format or verification requirements from Election Commission updates and regional variations.
  • Driving Licence: Validate licence number format based on state-specific RTO patterns and check licence validity dates for active status.
  • Vehicle RC: Cross-verify vehicle registration details with insurance records and ensure compliance with regional transport authority requirements.
  • Passport: Implement MRZ validation for enhanced security and verify passport validity dates for international travel compliance.

Security and compliance

  • API security: Store API credentials securely using environment variables and implement proper authentication mechanisms for all verification endpoints.
  • Audit trails: Maintain comprehensive verification logs for compliance requirements and regulatory audits with proper data anonymisation.
  • Rate limit management: Implement appropriate throttling and retry mechanisms to handle API rate limits effectively during peak usage.
  • Real-time monitoring: Set up monitoring and alerting for verification success rates, response times, and system availability to ensure service reliability.