> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.1kosmos.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.1kosmos.com/identity-verification/overview.md).
# Overview
1Kosmos Verify lets you confirm that the person on the other side of the screen is real, present, and exactly who they claim to be — and then keeps that identity reusable for everything that comes next: onboarding, account recovery, step-up authentication, and workforce or customer access.
It combines government-issued document verification, certified live biometrics, non-document data checks, and AML/PEP/sanctions screening into a single configurable workflow. Every verified identity is bound to the user's device and stored as a reusable credential — so you proof the user once and reuse the result whenever you need to be sure.
### What you can do with 1Kosmos Verify
Using 1Kosmos Verify, you can:
* Onboard users from any country with support for thousands of government-issued ID types driver's licenses, passports, national ID cards, and residence permits.
* Run certified live biometric capture with **LiveID** to defeat deepfakes, masks, photo replays, and injection attacks.
* Perform document-free, **Non-Document Verification** by validating user-supplied data against authoritative sources such as AAMVA, the SSA, telco carriers, banking, and email reputation.
* Read and cryptographically validate the chip on NFC-enabled passports and ID cards (ICAO 9303).
* Screen applicants in real time against global sanctions, PEP, and adverse media watchlists for AML and CDD compliance.
* Issue every successfully verified user a portable **Identity Wallet** that stores credentials encrypted on their device and can be reused anywhere 1Kosmos is integrated.
* Configure **Identity Assurance Levels** (IAL1 / IAL2) on a per-flow basis to match the risk of each journey.
* Review applicant cases, override decisions, and tune your workflow from the **1Kosmos Admin Portal**
* Receive verification results in your own systems through REST APIs and webhooks, or drop in pre-built SDKs for web, iOS, and Android.
### How verification works
A 1Kosmos Verify journey is a sequence of **verification steps** assembled into an **Identity Assurance Level**. Each step contributes evidence; the workflow engine combines them into a single decision and a single, reusable verified identity.
A typical journey looks like this:
{% stepper %}
{% step %}
#### Capture
The user is prompted by your application, through a hosted page, embedded SDK, or the BlockID mobile app, to complete the steps you've configured.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
#### Evidence collection
The user presents a document, takes a LiveID selfie, supplies non-document data (SSN, phone, email, banking), or answers a questionnaire, depending on the level.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
#### Validation
1Kosmos extracts data, verifies document authenticity, performs face match against the document portrait, runs liveness and presentation-attack detection, and cross-checks data against authoritative sources.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
#### Risk and compliance checks
The applicant is screened against sanctions, PEP, and adverse media lists, and any risk signals (device, geolocation, document tampering) are evaluated.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
#### Decision
Results are returned to your application as a single pass/fail outcome with full evidence detail. Edge cases route to a reviewer in the Admin Console.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
#### Bind and reuse
On success, the verified identity is sealed to the user's wallet and made available for reuse across every relying party in your environment.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}
### Verification methods
1Kosmos Verify offers a complete library of evidence types. Mix and match them in any Identity Assurance Level.
#### Document verification
Capture a government-issued ID with the camera, parse it with AI/ML-driven OCR and forensics, and check it for forgery, tampering, photo substitution, and template fraud. Extracted data is cross-referenced with issuing authorities such as the **AAMVA** for U.S. driver's licenses and **ICAO** for ePassports, **UIDAI** for Aadhar. Supported documents include driver's licenses, passports, national ID cards, residence permits, and Social Security cards.
#### NFC chip verification
For NFC-enabled documents (most modern passports and many ID cards), 1Kosmos mobile authenticator app reads the chip directly and validates the issuer's digital signature. This is the highest-trust form of document evidence and is required for IAL3-style flows.
#### LiveID - liveness and face match
**LiveID** is 1Kosmos's certified biometric. The user records a selfie; the system analyses image, texture, color, and 3D depth signals to confirm a live human is present, then matches the captured face against the document portrait. LiveID is certified to **iBeta PAD Level 2** under ISO/IEC 30107-3 and is part of 1Kosmos's NIST 800-63-3 IAL2 conformance.
#### Non-Document Verification
Verify identity without asking for a physical ID by validating user-supplied data against authoritative sources. 1Kosmos supports any combination of:
* **SSN verification** against the Social Security Administration.
* **Phone / telco verification** for carrier ownership, line type, and SIM-swap risk.
* **Email verification** for ownership, age, and reputation signals.
* **Banking credential verification** for name and account ownership.
* **Address and KBA** checks against credit-bureau and utility data sources.
You can use Non-Document Verification on its own for lower-friction journeys, or combine it with document verification — for example, falling back to documents if a non-doc check is inconclusive.
#### AML, PEP, and sanctions screening
Screen applicants against global sanctions lists (OFAC, UN, EU, HMT, and others), politically-exposed-persons databases, and adverse media at the moment of verification, and re-screen on an ongoing basis. Hits route to your reviewers as cases inside the Admin Console.
#### Device and risk signals
Every session is fingerprinted for device, IP, geolocation, and behavioral anomalies. Risk signals are surfaced alongside the identity decision so you can route, step up, or block.
## Identity Assurance Levels
In 1Kosmos Verify, a **level** is a named, reusable configuration of verification steps that you assign to a journey (signup, recovery, high-value transaction, etc.). Levels map cleanly to NIST 800-63-3 Identity Assurance Levels:
| Level | Typical use | Evidence |
| -------- | -------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| **IAL1** | Lightweight signups, anonymous access | Email + phone, optional selfie |
| **IAL2** | KYC / AML, employee onboarding, regulated services | Government ID + LiveID + authoritative-source checks |
| **IAL3** | High-assurance: financial, government, healthcare | NFC document read + LiveID + in-person or supervised remote |
## Compliance and certifications
1Kosmos Verify is built to satisfy the regulators and standards bodies that matter:
* **NIST SP 800-63-3** — IAL2 conformant (Kantara-certified Full Service), with capabilities aligned to IAL3.
* **FIDO2 Certified** — standards-based, phishing-resistant authentication paired with verified identity.
* **iBeta PAD Level 2** — independently tested under ISO/IEC 30107-3 with zero false matches in iBeta's biometric trials on iOS and Android.
* **W3C Decentralized Identifiers (DID)** — every wallet credential follows the open W3C DID standard.
* **Privacy frameworks** — GDPR, CCPA, and HIPAA-aligned data handling, with user-held keys and no centralized PII store.
---
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