When it comes to applying for a bank account, job, or just about anything else that requires identity verification, it’s important to understand how proof of address works. While it may seem simple, it’s not always easy to find a solid proof of address, so knowing what counts as proof of address is important.
What’s more, if you want to verify someone’s address, you need to leverage the right tools. The good news is that this guide covers everything you need to know about acceptable proof of address. Whether you want to discover some examples for future reference or you want to verify someone’s identity, you’ve come to the right place.
Read on to learn more below.
Why Proof of Address Is Important
Proof of address is important because it’s necessary to verify someone’s identity. It’s also crucial for security purposes to ensure that someone is who they claim to be, especially with the increase in scammers who may try and steal your identity.
Proof of address is also required to purchase some things, open a bank account, and open lines of credit. Therefore, it’s a good idea to know how to prove your address and how to verify someone else’s.
What Are Examples of Acceptable Proof of Address?
When it comes to proof of address, it’s important to understand the acceptable types of proof of address. Whether you’re applying for a job or trying to verify someone’s identity, knowing what to look for is essential. Learn about the most common types of proof of address below.
1. Government-Issued ID
The most common example of proof of address is a government issued ID. This form of verification is by far the most common option around, and you’ll find that it’s a reliable one when you need to verify someone’s identity. Government-issued IDs tend to be someone’s driver’s license, but most states have IDs for people who don’t drive a vehicle.
That said, a government-issued ID can also be a passport or any other type of identification that’s issued by the federal government. In most cases, a government-issued ID is a strong enough form of ID to verify someone’s identity, although additional verification methods may be necessary.
2. Current and Official Documents With Your Full Name and Address on Them
Another way for someone to verify their address is to leverage any current documents that they have. These are documents that have someone’s name and current address listed in a professional way. Some examples include a utility bill, credit card statement, or even a bank account.
Depending on why proof of address is necessary, it’s important to focus on choosing the right documents for the best results.
3. Social Security Card
Proof of address doesn’t always need to have someone’s address listed on it. In fact, a Social Security number (SSN) verification can reveal someone’s address, work history, and even their past addresses.
While it’s not exactly an ID that has someone’s address listed on it, you’ll find that a SSN tends to be better at verifying someone’s identity than a lot of other options out there.
How to Verify Proof of Address
When it comes to verifying proof of address, you can’t go wrong with a tool like CheckPeople.com. If you want to verify someone’s address, you can simply enter their address into the reverse address lookup portion of the tool. In doing so, you’ll be able to determine if that address really belongs to them.
In fact, this works well if you think that someone is trying to lie to you or pass off an address as theirs when it’s really not. That said, you can also verify someone’s proof of address by running a comprehensive background check on them.
You can also accomplish this by running a specific SSN verification on someone. So you do have some options, but if you want to prove a catfish’s identity or do so in an unofficial way, CheckPeople is the best choice.
Our Final Thoughts on Proof of Address
When it comes to proof of address, there are a few key things that you need to know. Typically, it helps to know what counts as proof of someone’s address. While this can be a government issued ID, a SSN or utility bill can also serve as proof of address depending on the situation.
What’s more, it helps to know how to verify someone’s address. This ensures that you don’t fall victim to any scams and that nobody can lie to you about their address.