Where do I find my director ID?

Your director ID is held by the Australian Business Registry Services (ABRS). The quickest way to see it is to log in to ABRS online with your myID. If that doesn’t work for you, you can contact the ABRS.

What a director ID is

A director identification number (director ID) is a unique identifier given to a director who has verified their identity with the ABRS. You need one if you’re a director of a company, registered Australian body, registered foreign company or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation.

A few things about the number itself:

• It has 15 digits. It starts with 036, the 3-digit country code for Australia under ISO 3166, followed by an 11-digit number and a check digit.
• You only ever have one. You keep it even if you change companies, stop being a director, change your name, or move interstate or overseas.
• It is separate from your company’s numbers. Your director ID identifies you as a person. It is not your company’s ACN or ABN. See ABN vs ACN for how those work.

Where to find your director ID

In ABRS online

ABRS online is the ABRS’s secure online service. Once you log in, you can:

• check your director ID number and status, including the date it was issued
• view “Things to do”, “Actions in progress” and “Past activity”
• edit your personal details (not your name or date of birth).

You log in with the myID app on a smart device. myID is the new name for myGovID. The ABRS says it has a new name and look, but you use it the same way.

In your myGov inbox or the post

If you applied on paper, the ABRS says it sends your director ID to the postal address you gave or to your myGov inbox. Check your myGov inbox and your post from around the time you applied.

From your company’s records

When you received your director ID, you had to pass it on 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 did this, they may still have it on file.

By contacting the ABRS

If you don’t have a myID, or you can’t log in, the ABRS says you can contact it to find your director ID number. Its phone lines are open 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, Monday to Friday, unless a different time is listed for your enquiry type. Check the ABRS contact page for the right number to call.

Step by step

1. Get the myID app. Download it from the App Store or Google Play, and set up your myID if you don’t already have one.
2. Go to ABRS online. Open the ABRS online services page and select the login button.
3. Enter your myID email address. A 4-digit code will appear in your browser.
4. Confirm the code in the myID app. Open the app on your smart device and accept the matching code.
5. Check your details. Once logged in, you can see your director ID number, its status and the date it was issued.
6. Pass it on if you need to. If you have been appointed to a new company, give your director ID to the person who keeps that company’s records.

If you can’t set up a myID, or you still can’t find your number, contact the ABRS.

If you never applied

If you never applied, there is nothing to find. You need to apply.

• If you’re already a director and don’t have a director ID, the ABRS says you must apply now.
• If you plan to become a director, you must apply before you’re appointed. You can apply up to 12 months before your appointment.
• It is a criminal offence if you do not apply on time.
• It is free to apply, and you must apply yourself. Your accountant, tax agent or lawyer can’t apply for you.

Our guide on how to apply for a director ID walks you through the online, phone and paper options.

Important things to know

• Director IDs are not public. The ABRS says your director ID will not be searchable by the public for now. It can only be disclosed to you, to someone you give permission to, to certain government bodies, and to courts and tribunals.
• Keep your myID to yourself. The ABRS says not to share your myID with anyone, even family members or co-workers.
• Watch for scams. The ABRS says it will never ask for your bank details, TFN, myID or other personal identification by email or text message, and will never contact you through social media.
• Tell your company when your details change. If you’re a director under the Corporations Act, you must notify your company within 7 days if your personal details change, such as your name or address. The company then needs to notify ASIC within 28 days to avoid late fees. Directors of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations must notify their corporation within 14 days, and the corporation must notify the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC) within 28 days.