South Africa ID number validator
How the ID number format works
- Format
- 13 digits
- Example
- 8001015009087
Things to watch for
- 13 digits ending in a standard Luhn check digit
- The first 6 digits encode a date of birth — we validate format and checksum only and never store what you enter
- Checksum only — does not confirm the number is actually issued to anyone or currently valid
^[0-9]{13}$A South African ID number is the 13-digit identifier the Department of Home Affairs assigns to every citizen and permanent resident, printed on the green ID book or smart ID card and used for everything from opening a bank account to registering a SIM card. Unlike a purely random string, its digits carry structure: the first 6 encode a date of birth, the next 4 are a gender-indicating sequence number, a further digit marks citizenship status, one more digit follows, and the number ends with a standard Luhn check digit.
Because that final digit is calculated from everything before it, a single mistyped digit almost always breaks the Luhn check — which is what makes validating it useful for catching a typo before a form submission gets rejected.
How this validator works
This tool confirms the input is 13 digits and runs the standard Luhn algorithm against the final digit, entirely in your browser. Since the number encodes a date of birth and gender, it’s worth being explicit: nothing you enter is stored, logged, or sent to a server — the check happens locally and disappears the moment you navigate away.
What a pass doesn’t tell you
A passing Luhn check confirms the 13 digits are internally consistent — not that the number was actually issued to anyone, or that it’s currently valid. Only the Department of Home Affairs can confirm a specific ID number is genuinely on record.
Scope: this page covers South African ID number format and checksum validation only — not identity or citizenship verification.
Content last reviewed 2026-07-22.
ID number FAQ
What do the digits in a South African ID number mean?
The first 6 digits are a date of birth (YYMMDD). The next 4 form a sequence number where 0000-4999 indicates female and 5000-9999 indicates male. The following digit indicates citizenship (0 for citizen, 1 for permanent resident), another digit follows, and the number ends with a Luhn check digit.
Is it safe to check my ID number with this tool?
Yes — the validation runs entirely in your browser. Your ID number, and the date of birth or gender it encodes, is never transmitted to a server or stored anywhere.
Does a valid Luhn checksum mean my ID number is genuine?
No. It only confirms the 13 digits are mathematically consistent with each other. Confirming that a specific ID number was actually issued and is currently valid requires the Department of Home Affairs.