What is the Document Verification Service?
The document verification service (DVS) is operated by the Attorney General's Department. It is used to check that information on your proof of identity matches the original record. It makes it harder for people to use fake documents and helps protect your identity.
Service Tasmania and the DVS
At Service Tasmania we use the DVS to check your identity documents when you:
- apply for a personal information card
- register for Plates Plus through myServiceTas.
The information you provide is sent to the DVS hub and matched against official documents held by the government agency who issued them. When we check a document through the DVS we receive a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer.
What we do
We only use the DVS to check information if you give us your consent. Information we get from the DVS is only used to provide you with the service you have asked for, like when you apply for a personal information card.
Information we get from the DVS is only kept long enough to provide you with the service you have asked for. It is not used for any other purpose.
We will not share your information with anyone else, unless we must by law, or you tell us it is okay to do so. We make sure our staff know the rules about privacy and security before they use the DVS.
Your personal information is important, and we make sure we protect it. We ensure that we follow all the relevant rules and regulations about keeping your information safe. Government legislation (rules) that we comply with include:
- the Commonwealth’s Identity Verification Service Act 2023
- Tasmania’s Personal Information Protection Act 2004.
You can find out more about the Tasmanian government and personal information protection online.
The Attorney-General's Department
The Attorney-General's Department operates the DVS hub which transfers information between us and the document issuer. The DVS hub doesn't store your personal information and the Attorney-General's Department cannot view or edit any of the personal information passing through the hub.
Document Issuers
Document issuers are the organisations responsible for identity documents like Driver Licences, Passports, and Birth Certificates. For example, Births, Deaths and Marriages are the issuers of Birth Certificates and Marriage Certificates. Document Issuers check that the information you have provided matches their official records and provide us with a simple "yes" or "no" response.
Your rights
You have the right to refuse to consent to the use of the DVS. If you do decline to consent, you may need to verify your identity another way. This may not be as fast or secure.
Where you can make a complaint
You can make a complaint if you are not happy with how we collect, use or share your information when we use the DVS to check your proof of identity. To make a complaint you can:
- complete our online form, or
- email ask@service.tas.gov.au
You can make a complaint to the ombudsman if you are not happy with our response. You can:
- send them an email, or
- give them a call on 1800 001 170
Want to know more about the DVS?
You can get more information about the DVS from IDMatch.