How do I apply for a director ID?

A director ID is a unique 15-digit number that confirms your identity as a director. You apply for it through the Australian Business Registry Services (ABRS). It is free, you only ever need one, and you keep it for life.

Who needs a director ID

You need a director ID if you’re an eligible officer of:

• a company, registered Australian body or registered foreign company under the Corporations Act 2001, or
• an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation registered under the CATSI Act.

An eligible officer is a person appointed as a director, or an alternate director who is acting in that capacity.

To be a director under the Corporations Act, you must be an individual who is at least 18 years old and not disqualified from managing corporations, unless ASIC or a court has given permission for the appointment.

Sole traders and partners who don’t run their business through a company don’t act as company directors. If you’re still deciding on a structure, see sole trader vs company.

When you must apply

Your situation	When to apply
You plan to become a director of a Corporations Act company	Before you’re appointed
You’re already a director and don’t have a director ID	Now
You become a CATSI Act director from 1 November 2022	Before you’re appointed

You can apply up to 12 months before you’re appointed. The ABRS says it is a criminal offence if you do not apply on time.

ASIC also says directors must apply for a director ID before a company is registered. If you’re setting up a new company, get your director ID first.

Before you start

Set up your myID

The fastest way to apply is online. To do this you need a myID (a Digital ID app, previously called myGovID) with at least a Standard identity strength. A Strong identity strength also works.

To reach Standard identity strength, myID asks you to verify at least 2 of these Australian identity documents:

• a current passport, or one that expired within the last 3 years
• a driver’s licence or learner’s permit
• a birth certificate
• a citizenship certificate
• a Medicare card
• a visa (using a foreign passport)
• an ImmiCard.

Gather the details the ABRS will ask for

What you need depends on your myID identity strength.

If you have a Strong myID, you need one of:

• your individual tax file number (TFN)
• your residential address as held by the ATO.

If you have a Standard myID, you need:

• your residential address as held by the ATO
• your TFN (optional, but it helps speed up the process)
• information from 2 of these documents: bank account details the ATO holds, an ATO notice of assessment, APRA super fund account details, a dividend statement, a Centrelink payment summary or a PAYG payment summary.

Step by step

Apply online

1. Download the myID app from the App Store or Google Play and set up your myID to at least Standard identity strength.
2. Open ABRS online in Google Chrome or Firefox. The ABRS recommends these browsers.
3. Log in with your myID. Enter your myID email address. A 4-digit code will appear in your browser.
4. Enter the code in the myID app on your smart device.
5. Answer the verification questions. These are based on information the ATO holds about you.
6. Select the option to apply for a director ID, then read and confirm the declarations.
7. Record your director ID. The ABRS says it should appear on screen once your application is complete.

If you get an error, the ABRS suggests it may be a browser or connection problem. Try logging out, refreshing your browser, or using Chrome or Firefox.

Apply by phone

If you can’t set up a myID with at least Standard identity strength, you can phone the ABRS. To apply by phone you need:

• your individual Australian TFN (optional, but it may speed up the process)
• your residential address as held by the ATO
• answers to 2 questions based on details the ABRS knows about you
• 2 Australian identity documents: one primary and one secondary.

Use the ABRS contact page to find the right number. Phone lines are open 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, Monday to Friday, unless a different time is listed.

Apply on paper

If you live in Australia, phone the ABRS first. If it can’t issue your director ID over the phone, it will send you a paper application. You’ll need certified copies of either:

• one primary and 2 secondary identity documents, or
• 2 primary and one secondary identity document.

If you live outside Australia and can set up a myID with at least Standard identity strength, you need to apply online. Only use the paper application if you can’t get a myID. You’ll need certified copies of either one primary and one secondary identity document, or 2 primary identity documents.

Don’t send original documents. The ABRS says copies of certified documents or originals you mail in won’t be returned. Once a paper application is processed, the ABRS sends your director ID to the postal address you gave or to your myGov inbox.

After you get your director ID

Give your director ID to your company’s record-holder. This could be your company secretary, another director, a contact person or an authorised agent of the company. If you’re later appointed to other companies, give it to the people who keep their records too.

If you lose track of it, see where to find your director ID.

Important things to know

• It’s free. The ABRS says it is free to apply for a director ID.
• Nobody can apply for you. Your accountant, tax agent or lawyer can’t apply on your behalf, because the process verifies your own identity.
• You only ever get one. You keep the same director ID even if you change companies, stop being a director, change your name or move interstate or overseas.
• Applying late is an offence. ASIC is responsible for enforcing director ID offences under the Corporations Act.
• A director ID is not an ABN or ACN. It identifies you as a person, not your business. See ABN vs ACN and how to get an ABN.
• Being a director brings personal responsibilities. Talk to your accountant or lawyer about your duties before you accept an appointment.