Evidence of identity and residency: licence and registration

If you need to complete a transaction or do business with the Motor Vehicle Registry (MVR), you must be an MVR customer.

To become an MVR customer, you must provide evidence of your identity and Northern Territory (NT) residency.

Read below to find out what you need to do.

When to apply or reapply to become an MVR customer

You will need to apply if you:

  • are a first time customer
  • it's been five or more years since you last used the service
  • need to transfer your interstate licence or vehicle registration to the NT.

You must reapply to be a customer if your driver licence has been:

  • disqualified for a period of time, or
  • expired for five or more years.

How to apply or reapply

You must go to an MVR office and provide three documents to establish your identity. This can be either:

  • one category A document and two category B documents or
  • two category A documents and one category B document.

Check the following

  • Your signature must be on at least one of the three documents.
  • Your name on your category A and B documents must match.
    • If not, you must provide evidence of an official name change - this can be a change of name certificate.
  • Your date of birth must appear on a category A document.
  • Your NT residential address is shown on any of your identity documents.
    • If not, you must provide evidence of NT residency - these are documents that identify you and your NT residential address.

See the list of documents below.

All documents must also be:

  • original - no photocopies
  • current and not expired - unless otherwise stated
  • in English - if not, it must be translated by either the:
    • Department of Home Affairs or
    • an accredited translator at the Interpreter and Translator Service NT.

Once you have met all evidence of identity and NT residency requirements, if required, MVR will take your photo to complete your application process.

Documents to be verified

Some documents must be verified by the Australian Government's Document Verification Service (DVS). To find out more, go to the Australian Government’s ID Match website.

You must provide your consent for your documents to go through the DVS.

If you don't provide consent, you will need to provide another type of document.

If the documents can’t be verified, MVR can’t enrol you as a customer.

Documents that must be verified include:

  • all category A documents - except for a current Australian driver's licence
  • Medicare card.

Documents for individuals

Below are lists of documents you can use as evidence.

You can present any of the following:

  • Australian birth certificate with the registration and certificate number*
  • Australian citizenship papers
  • Australian passport - current or expired up to two years
  • overseas passport - current or expired up to two years
  • Department of Home Affairs travel document - valid up to five years after issue
  • Department of Home Affairs certificate of evidence of resident status including:
    • Permanent Resident Evidence ImmiCard
    • Evidence of Immigration Status ImmiCard
  • valid Australian driver licence**.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

*Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can get their birth certificate using one of the following:

  • born in the NT after 1969 - you can access your birth certificate through the Births, Deaths and Marriages office
  • born in the NT before 1969 - if you don't have a birth certificate, you may be recorded in the Aboriginal Population Records available from the Births Deaths and Marriages office. This record can be used as a Category A document.

**A current Australian licence can meet all evidence of identity requirements if it is transferred to the NT for an NT driver licence. If you're not applying to transfer your Australian licence to the NT, you can present the Australian licence as a category B document. As a category B document, the Australian licence must be current or expired no longer than two years.

You can present any of the following:

  • Australia Post Keypass identity card
  • concession card issued by the Australian Government including:
    • Medicare card
    • Department of Veterans' Affairs Concession card / Centrelink Pensioner Concession card
  • NT Concession card
  • NT Seniors card
  • credit or debit card with signature and embossed name
  • student identity document with a photo or signature issued by an Australian educational institution
  • Australian issued security guard/crowd controller licence with photo
  • Australian issued firearm licence with photo
  • Australian Defence Force identity card (excluding civilians)
  • NT issued Evidence of Age card
  • Australian Road Agency issued proof of age card
  • Australian driver licence - current or expired up to two years
  • overseas driver licence - current or expired up to two years
  • NT Government employee identity card
  • NT Work Zone Traffic Management Identity card
  • NT Working with Children Clearance (Ochre Card)
  • current Larrakia Nation identity card
  • East Arnhem Regional Council identity card
  • Tangentyere Council identity card
  • WUNA / Holdaccess identity card.

If you can't provide evidence of your NT residential address

If evidence of your NT residential address is not shown on the documents listed in category A or B, you must also present a fourth document that proves you are an NT resident.

See below for a list of other documents you can submit to demonstrate your NT residency.

If evidence of your current NT residential address is not shown on at least one of the documents listed in category A or B, you must submit one of the following:

  • Medicare record identifying your residential address - this can be a printout from your MyGov account
  • residential document identifying you and your residential address such as:
    • contract of purchase
    • current lease or rental document
    • receipt from an accommodation house or caravan park
  • current council rate notice identifying you and your residential address
  • utility or services account identifying you and your residential address dated within the last three months such as:
    • electricity
    • water
    • phone - landline only
  • formal NT Government correspondence identifying you and your residential address dated within the last 12 months
  • formal Australian Government correspondence identifying you and your residential address dated within the last 12 months
  • Australian Taxation Office assessment from the last or current financial year identifying you and your residential address
  • document from an Australian educational institution identifying you and your residential address
  • bank statement or other document from a financial institution identifying you and your residential address dated at least four weeks from the current date and no older than three months from the current date (must be accompanied by corresponding bank card)
  • completed parental or guardian evidence of residency verification form PDF (454.6 KB) dated within the last three months.

If you can't provide any of these documents, call the MVR on 1300 654 628.

Find out how to change your personal details on your driver licence or registration.

In extremely rare situations, a person may be genuinely unable to provide the required category A and B documents for enrolment.

A person is not genuinely unable if they are inconvenienced by the delay, difficulty or expense of getting the necessary documents from the relevant authority.

If you're genuinely unable to provide the required category A and B documents, you should contact MVR to discuss your particular circumstance.

You can contact MVR by:

Documents for body corporate or incorporated associations

Below are lists of documents that body corporates (companies) or incorporated associations (associations) can use as evidence.

To enrol a company or an association, its director or public officer must to go to an MVR office.

They must provide all of the following:

  • evidence of their identity - this can be either:
    • their driver licence
    • one category A document
    • or category B document with a photo
  • a letter of authority to act as a representative on behalf of the company or association - if applicable
  • current copy of the company extract from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) - if applicable
    • must include the list of directors behind the company
  • certificate of incorporation from the relevant issuing authority - if applicable
    • must provide a list (on letterhead) of appointed office bearers or public officers
  • proof of garage/operating address in the NT.

If there is a change of director or public officer in your company or association, you must advise MVR by providing the requirements mentioned above.

A representative or agent is anyone who conducts business on behalf of a company or an association.

To register a vehicle on its behalf, representatives or agents must go to an MVR office.

They must provide all of the following:

  • evidence of identity
  • proof of garage/operating address in the NT
  • written authority to act on behalf of the company or association.

You can use any of the following as proof of garage or operating address:

  • land title certificate of land ownership for the premises
  • lease agreement, written authorisation from land owner, or rent book showing address of the property
  • taxation assessment notice in relation to the premises
  • council rate notice
  • utility (power, water and sewerage) accounts relating to the premises.

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