Google Tests Government ID Profile Verification
Google is testing a new way to verify a Business Profile by uploading a photo of a government ID, and Conqueror Capital suggests getting the basics ready now so any verification method goes smoothly. Search Engine Roundtable reported the test on October 20, 2026, from a screenshot posted on the Local Search Forum.
AT A GLANCE
By Conqueror Capital · Published
The short answer: The ID upload is a test and is not in Google's help documents yet. Google says it decides which verification methods you get, based on your business type, public information, region and hours. You cannot pick the ID option, so prepare for any method: the right person, a phone and email that work, and a location you can prove.
WHAT WAS SEEN
Search Engine Roundtable reported that Google is testing verification by uploading a photo of your government ID, in addition to phone or text, email, live video call and mail.1 The screen in the screenshot reads "Submit an Identity Verification", asks for a photo of a government ID, and says the ID is only used for verification and won't be shown publicly.1
The report notes that the option is not listed in Google's help document yet.1 Like any test, it may change, spread or disappear.
THE METHODS GOOGLE LISTS TODAY
Google's help page says verification methods are automatically determined by Google and can't be changed, and that the options depend on your business type, public info, region or business hours. In some cases you may need more than one method.2 The methods it lists are:
- Phone or text: you need to answer the business phone or receive texts. Google says automated phone menus (IVR) won't get the code.2
- Email: you need access to the address shown on the verification screen.2
- Live video call: only during your business hours, from the business, showing your location and ownership.2
- Mail, and for eligible businesses, a recorded video.2
If video is not offered or does not suit you, our guide on verifying without video walks through the other routes.
WHAT TO PREPARE NOW
- Decide who verifies. The person doing it should be the owner or someone authorized to act for the business, with their own access to the profile.
- Check the phone line. If calls go to a menu or an answering service, plan how a code call will reach a person.
- Check the email. Make sure the address on the profile goes to an inbox someone reads.
- Match the real world. Your name, address and hours on the profile should match your signage and website, so any reviewer sees one consistent business.
- Keep proof together. Signage photos, a utility bill or a business licence in one folder make video and appeal steps faster.
If you are asked for an ID, upload it only on Google's own Business Profile screens, never through a link in an unexpected email or text.
FOR MULTI-LOCATION AND ENTERPRISE BUSINESSES
Google offers bulk verification for businesses with 10 or more locations of the same business.3 Its help page says that when an individual user account is verified, all eligible profiles in the account that no one else has claimed are verified, and in a business group, verifying the main owner verifies all eligible profiles in the group.3 Google also warns that profiles in the account must accurately reflect the size of the business, and that you may need to provide evidence if the chain size differs.3
For a mid-size business with fewer than 10 sites, each location is still verified on its own. Keep one list of every location, who manages it and how it was verified, so a stuck verification at one site does not hold up the rest. Our multi-location Business Profile guide covers the setup.
FAQ
Does Google ask for a government ID to verify a Business Profile?
Google is testing it. Search Engine Roundtable reported on October 20, 2026 that some owners see an option to upload a photo of a government ID, alongside phone, email, video call and mail.
Can I choose which verification method Google gives me?
No. Google says verification methods are automatically determined and can't be changed. They depend on your business type, public information, region and business hours.
Is my ID shown on my Google listing?
According to the screen in the reported test, the ID is only used for verification and won't be shown publicly.
How do businesses with many locations verify?
Google offers bulk verification for businesses with 10 or more locations of the same business. Verifying the account or the business group's main owner verifies its eligible profiles.
SOURCES
- Search Engine Roundtable, Google Business Profiles Verification With Government ID (October 20, 2026).
- Google Business Profile Help, Verify your business on Google.
- Google Business Profile Help, Verify Business Profiles in bulk.
Platforms change often. Check the sources for the current version before acting.
KEEP READING
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