Country-specific guidance Current

Canada FINTRAC client identification requirements overview

This program's first Canadian guide.

FINTRAC accepts more than one way to verify a client's identity, each with its own conditions. This guide sets out an overview of those methods. It is general information, not legal or compliance advice.

Action plan

1 Know the methods FINTRAC accepts FINTRAC names specific accepted methods -- an ad hoc approach outside these methods doesn't satisfy the requirement.

FINTRAC's guidance sets out several accepted methods for verifying an individual's identity, including the government-issued photo identification method and the credit file method, among others. Use one of these named methods rather than an informal approach that doesn't map to any of them.

  • Choose a verification method from FINTRAC's own named list
  • Don't rely on an informal check that doesn't map to a named method
  • Record which specific method was used for each client

Done when: A named FINTRAC-accepted method has been used and recorded for each client's identity verification

FINTRAC: methods to verify the identity of persons and entities
2 Check a government-issued photo ID is current, not just authentic An authentic document that's expired doesn't satisfy the government-issued photo ID method.

Under the government-issued photo identification method, the document must be authentic, valid, and current, issued by a federal, provincial, or territorial government. FINTRAC's guidance is explicit that a document that has expired at the time of verification does not meet the currency requirement, even if it's genuinely authentic.

  • Confirm the government-issued photo ID is authentic
  • Separately confirm it has not expired at the time of verification
  • Don't accept an expired document even if it's clearly genuine

Done when: The government-issued photo ID used was confirmed both authentic and current, not expired

FINTRAC: methods to verify the identity of persons and entities
3 Understand the credit file method as an alternative Where photo ID isn't practical, a sufficiently established credit file is a recognised alternative.

The credit file method requires valid and current credit file information from a Canadian credit bureau that has existed for at least three years and draws on more than one source. This is a genuine alternative to the photo ID method, not a fallback of last resort, but it has its own specific conditions to meet.

  • Confirm the credit file has existed for at least three years
  • Confirm the credit file draws on more than one source
  • Treat this as a distinct method with its own conditions, not an informal substitute

Done when: Where the credit file method was used, its specific age and multi-source conditions were confirmed