The USdoesn't have one government identity authority behind onboarding checks, unlike many countries covered elsewhere in this series. Instead, a handful of purpose-built systems do the heavy lifting. Two matter most: AAMVA's Driver's License Data Verification service and the Social Security Administration's electronic Consent-Based SSN Verification service.
AAMVA and the Driver's License Data Verification (DLDV) service
The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators runs AAMVAnet, a secure network connecting motor vehicle agencies across all 50 states, DC, and Canadian provinces. DLDV runs over that network and does one job.
When a business submits data from a driver's licence or state ID, DLDV checks it against the issuing state's own DMV record. It returns a flag for each field, telling you whether it matches.
This is a real-time data match. It's not the same as confirming the physical card itself is genuine. DLDV won't catch a counterfeit that happens to carry correct-looking data, or a genuine card with altered printed details. That's why DLDV usually gets paired with separate document authentication.
SSA's electronic Consent Based SSN Verification (eCBSV) service
eCBSV exists because of one specific fraud pattern: synthetic identity fraud. That's when someone combines a real Social Security number with a made-up name and date of birth, then uses that fake identity to open accounts that pass normal checks.
Section 215 of the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act of 2018 told the SSA to build a service letting permitted entities, mainly financial institutions and their service providers, check whether a name, date of birth, and SSN combination actually matches SSA's records.
eCBSV launched in June 2020. A few things set it apart:
- Consent can be given electronically. Unlike the older CBSV service, which needs a wet-ink signature.
- The response is simple. A yes or no match, with detail on which element didn't match if relevant.
- Access runs two ways. Institutions register directly with the SSA as permitted entities, or go through a registered third-party service provider.
Why you need both, and why neither is enough alone
DLDV confirms document-level data matches a state DMV record. eCBSV confirms a name, date of birth, and SSN combination matches SSA's record. Neither one, on its own, confirms:
- That the physical document is authentic and unaltered.
- That the person completing onboarding is actually who those verified data points belong to.
That's the gap the other system is built to close. It's why many US onboarding flows for higher-risk relationships run all three layers together: DLDV-style document data checks, SSN verification through eCBSV, and separate biometric or document-authenticity checks.
How MemberCheck fits
Once a US customer's identity data has been verified through services like AAMVA's DLDV and the SSA's eCBSV, MemberCheck handles the next stage: PEP, sanctions, and adverse media screening. MemberCheck doesn't verify driver's licences or SSNs itself. It's the screening layer that follows.
