SA ID Validator
Validate and extract information from a South African ID number
digits entered
Reading a South African ID number
A South African ID number is not a random string - it is a structured 13-digit code where each group of digits encodes a specific fact about the holder, and the final digit is a checksum that proves the whole number is internally consistent. That structure is why a quick validation can catch a mistyped number before it ever reaches a database.
What each digit means
| Digits | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1–6 | Date of birth in YYMMDD format |
| 7–10 | Gender sequence: 0000–4999 female, 5000–9999 male |
| 11 | Citizenship: 0 for a citizen, 1 for a permanent resident |
| 12 | Historically a race classifier; now obsolete, usually 8 or 9 |
| 13 | A check digit calculated with the Luhn algorithm |
The date of birth has a catch
Because the year is only two digits, an ID alone cannot tell you the century: a "98" could mean 1898, 1998 or 2098. Systems usually resolve this with context (an ID applicant is not 125 years old), and this validator surfaces the date so you can sanity-check it against what you expect.
How the check digit works
The last digit is generated by the Luhn algorithm, the same checksum used on bank cards. It does not prove a person exists - only that the digits hang together correctly, which is enough to catch the vast majority of typos and transposed numbers:
Luhn check (simplified):
1. Starting from the right, double every second digit.
2. If a doubled result is more than 9, subtract 9.
3. Add up all the digits.
4. A valid number's total is an exact multiple of 10.A note on privacy and POPIA
An ID number is sensitive personal information under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). This tool runs entirely in your browser - the number you type is never transmitted to or stored on any server. Validating shapes and checksums is fine, but only the Department of Home Affairs can confirm that an ID actually belongs to a real, living person, so never rely on a checksum alone for identity verification.