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Identity Verification (KYC)
KYC — Know Your Customer — is the process of confirming a person's identity before they can participate in a regulated service. On Notarise It©, KYC ensures that the person signing a document is who they claim to be, which is a legal requirement under the Notary Public Act 2023 (Nigeria). Notarise It© uses Dojah for secure, real-time identity checks.
Your identity details form part of the legal record
The identity information you submit during verification is recorded in the session audit trail and referenced in the notarial certificate. These are legal documents that may be relied upon in court proceedings, regulatory inquiries, or third-party verification of a notarised document. Submit only accurate, current information that genuinely belongs to you. Providing false identity information is a criminal offence under Nigerian law.
Is KYC required?
Yes. Identity verification is a requirement for participating in a notarisation session as a client or witness. It is a legal obligation under the Notary Public Act 2023 — a notary public must be satisfied as to the identity of the person before them before performing any notarial act. Complete your verification well before the session to avoid delays on the day.
Your notary can see your verification status at any time. In exceptional circumstances — such as a verified outage with the identity provider — a notary may exercise their professional discretion to admit you without a completed digital KYC check and verify your identity manually on camera instead. This is the notary's decision alone; it cannot be requested or assumed. If they do so, their reason is recorded in the session audit trail and becomes part of the notarisation record.
Verification methods
You choose how you want to verify your identity. The recommended methods use Dojah to check your details against the relevant government database in real time — results typically come back within seconds.
Recommended (instant)
| Method | What you need |
|---|---|
| NIN | Your 11-digit National Identification Number |
| BVN | Your 11-digit Bank Verification Number |
| Voter's Card | Your INEC Voter Identification Number (VIN), printed on your permanent voter's card |
Other options (instant)
| Method | What you need |
|---|---|
| International Passport | Your passport number and surname as printed on the data page |
| Driver's Licence | Your FRSC licence number |
Fallback
| Method | What you need |
|---|---|
| Document upload | A clear PDF or photo scan of any government-issued ID |
Document upload is not verified instantly. Your notary will review the uploaded document manually during the session. It is only recommended when live verification is unavailable (e.g. an extended Dojah outage).
How to verify your identity
As a client (before booking)
- Go to Account → Verify Identity.
- Select a verification method.
- Enter your ID number (and surname if using a passport).
- Submit — results return within seconds for instant methods.
As a witness (via magic link)
Witnesses are invited by the client or notary and receive a personalised email with a secure portal link. You do not need a Notarise It© account.
- Click the link in your invitation email.
- Choose your preferred verification method.
- Enter your ID number — the portal confirms your name from the government database.
- Optionally complete a liveness check (see below).
Your portal link remains valid until the session date. If it expires, the notary can issue a fresh one.
Liveness check (optional but recommended)
After your ID is verified, the portal encourages you to complete a quick liveness check — a 30-second selfie taken on your phone or webcam camera. This:
- Confirms you are physically present (not a photo or recording)
- Gives the notary higher confidence in your identity
- Typically means you are admitted to the session faster
You can skip this step if you prefer. Your notary may request it separately if they need it before the session.
If your notary requests a liveness check
You will receive an email with the subject "Action needed: Complete liveness verification before your session". Click the link, open the portal, and follow the on-screen selfie prompt. It takes about 30 seconds.
Verification statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Not started | You haven't submitted a verification yet |
| Verified | Identity confirmed — notary sees a verified badge |
| Failed | Verification could not be confirmed — try another method or contact support |
| Liveness ✓ | You passed the optional liveness check |
| Face match ✓ | Your selfie matched the photo in the government database |
| Document uploaded | You uploaded a scan — notary will review manually |
| Waived | The notary waived your KYC requirement (recorded in the audit trail) |
What if my verification fails?
Common reasons for failure:
- The number entered doesn't match the government record (typo, or the record may be on a different database)
- Your NIN has not been synced to the national database yet
- A temporary Dojah outage
What to do:
- Double-check the number and try again.
- Try a different method (e.g. BVN if NIN fails).
- If all instant methods fail, use the document upload fallback and inform your notary.
- If you believe the result is incorrect, raise a complaint via Account → Verify Identity → Report an Issue.
During an extended KYC provider outage your notary may still admit you and verify your identity manually on camera, in accordance with s.6(3) of the Notary Public Act 2023.
Privacy and data retention
- ID numbers are stored as one-way hashes (SHA-256) — the raw number is never retained.
- Uploaded identity documents are permanently deleted once the session is completed, per NDPA 2023 data minimisation requirements.
- Liveness and face-match images are not stored — only the pass/fail result and confidence score.