Database verification
Also known as: Database check · Issuing-source verification · Authoritative-source validation · Attribute validation
Confirming a person's data by cross-checking it against an authoritative or issuing-source database — not just reading the document, but verifying that the data exists and matches at the source.
Legal basis
NIST SP 800-63A — Identity Proofing (validation against authoritative source)
Reading a document proves what is printed on it; database verification proves that the data exists and matches at the source. It is the difference between accepting a Social Security number because its format is valid and confirming, against an authoritative record, that the number is issued, in good standing and belongs to that person with that date of birth. NIST SP 800-63A calls this validating identity evidence against the issuing source or an authoritative source.
In the US this rests on services such as the SSA's eCBSV, the Treasury's account-verification service and issuing-source checks run with a permissible purpose and consent. It is a strong signal because it is hard to forge — a fraudster may fabricate a convincing document, but does not control the issuing database — and it complements biometrics: one confirms the data is real, the other that the person presenting it is the holder.
Frequently asked questions
What is database verification?
It is confirming a person's data by cross-checking it against an authoritative or issuing-source database, instead of only reading the document. It proves the data exists and matches at the source — something a forged document cannot guarantee — and complements biometric verification.