> 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/verification-methods/database-verification.md).

# Database Verification

***

### Overview

A document scan tells you the ID looks real. A database verification tells you the ID **is** real - that an authoritative source agrees the document number, name, and DOB belong together.

1Kosmos integrates directly with the issuing authorities. No third-party data brokers; no aggregated, stale snapshots.

### Available databases

| Database         | Region | What it validates                                                                      | Latency |
| ---------------- | ------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------- |
| **AAMVA**        | US     | Driver's license / state ID against the issuing state DMV record                       | <2 s    |
| **eCBSV / SSA**  | US     | SSN matched to first name, last name, and DOB                                          | <3 s    |
| **DMV barcode**  | US     | PDF417 barcode on a US DL cross-referenced against the visual zone                     | inline  |
| **MRZ checksum** | Global | ICAO 9303 MRZ check digits — passports, ICAO-compliant national IDs, residence permits | inline  |

### AAMVA

When the user enrolls a US driver's license or state ID card, 1Kosmos sends the extracted fields to the **American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA)**. AAMVA routes the request to the issuing state's DMV and returns a match/mismatch verdict per field.

A passing AAMVA response means the issuing state agrees the document is genuine and the holder details match. This is the database check that takes a session from "looks authentic" to NIST 800-63-3 STRONG evidence.

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

#### User completes DL scan

The scan and selfie are accepted by the document analyzer.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Result is verified by AAMVA

Once your driver's license or ID card and selfie photo are accepted, your information is automatically verified through the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA). This step confirms that the ID is authentic and that the information matches records from the issuing state's DMV.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Inspect details

The user (and you) can open **Show Details** on the result tile to see which fields matched.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

### eCBSV / SSA SSN verification

For US SSN enrollment, 1Kosmos can run an eCBSV (electronic Consent Based SSN Verification) check the SSA's authoritative API for confirming an SSN matches a name and DOB.

eCBSV requires explicit user consent, captured during the SSN enrollment flow.

### Document checksums and barcodes

For every supported document, 1Kosmos runs inline checks that don't require an external API call:

* **PDF417 barcode** on US driver's licenses parsed, decoded, and cross-checked against the visual OCR. Any mismatch is flagged.
* **MRZ check digits** on passports and ICAO 9303-compliant documents recomputed and compared. A bad checksum is an immediate document-authenticity failure.

### When a database check fails

A `fail` from AAMVA or eCBSV is usually one of three things:

1. **Data entry mismatch** — the user mistyped a field, or the OCR misread an unusual character. Allow a retry.
2. **Document fraud** — the document number genuinely doesn't exist in the issuer's records. Route to manual review or hard-fail.
3. **Stale data** — the user moved recently and the DMV record hasn't propagated. Allow a re-attempt with corrected data or route to manual review.

You can tune your flow's `retryCount` to control how many database-fail retries are allowed in a session before it terminates.


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.1kosmos.com/identity-verification/verification-methods/database-verification.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.