Identity verification is a required step to confirm your identity when opening an ABLE account. This process is required by federal law.
Information You Will Be Asked to Provide
To complete verification, you will usually need to provide:
- Your full legal name. Please be sure your name matches your official records and contains only letters (apostrophes are allowed).
- Your home address (P.O. Boxes are not allowed but can be added as a mailing address later on).
- Your date of birth.
- Your Social Security Number (SSN) or Tax Identification Number (TIN).
- Your phone number.
For accurate identity verification, you may also be asked to provide:
- A clear photo of your government-issued ID such as:
- Driver’s License
- ID Card
- U.S. Passport
- Residency Permit Card
- Temporary Visa
- A selfie so the system can confirm the ID belongs to you.
If your photos are clear and your information is valid, your identity verification will pass.
Authorized Legal Representatives (ALR)
If you are opening an account as an Authorized Legal Representative (ALR) — parent, guardian, Representative Payee, etc. — you will enter your own information first. The account beneficiary’s information will be collected afterward.
Why Identity Checks and Extra Documents are Required
Identity checks are not meant to make things harder. They exist because:
- Federal law requires them
- ABLE programs must follow “know your customer” and anti‑money‑laundering rules.
- That means we must reasonably confirm who is opening and using the account.
- They protect the account owner and ALR
- Strong identity checks help prevent someone else from opening or controlling an account in your name.
- They reduce fraud and help make sure withdrawals go to the right person or bank.
- They prevent reporting and tax errors
- Correct names, SSNs, and addresses are needed for tax forms and for coordination with agencies like Social Security or Medicaid.
When we ask for extra documents, it usually means something in the records did not match, not that you did anything wrong.
If Identity Verification Does Not Pass
If the information you provided cannot be verified, you will see a screen that says, “There was an issue verifying your identity.”
What You Need to Do
Please wait 2 business days for your identity to go through a manual review. Most cases are resolved with this review and do not require any further action on your part. Once a review is performed and your information is verified you will receive an email notifying you that you can now access your account.
If the review determines that your information still cannot be verified, we will contact you to provide additional documentation.