Verify Your Identity to Receive Unemployment Insurance Benefits
Verifying your identity in person is a required step to receive unemployment insurance benefits. It also helps prevent identity fraud.
You will need to provide acceptable identification documents in person. This is in addition to the identity verification letters related to Frances Online.
You have two options to provide documents to verify your identity:
- Participating USPS Post Offices
- WorkSource Oregon location
Where you choose to verify your identity will not affect your eligibility to receive benefits.
Verify your identity on time to avoid delays
After you complete your initial application for benefits, we usually send you a letter within a few days. The letter will have a due date to verify your identity in person and instructions on how to complete this requirement. You will have 10 business days after the date we send the letter.
We may require you to complete a Reemployment Services Eligibility Assessment, or RESEA. You can do this at WorkSource Oregon at the same time you verify your identity. The due dates for both tasks will be the same.
The letter will also appear in your Frances Online account. Check your mail and Frances Online regularly.
If you miss the due date
If you do not verify your identity by the due date, you will be ineligible for benefits. You must complete this requirement to be eligible again.
If you miss the due date, complete identity verification as soon as possible. The process does not change if you have missed the due date. You also do not need to call customer service. Verify your identity as soon as possible using the instructions below.
USPS Post Office
You can verify your identity at a U.S. Postal Service Post Office near you. Reemployment Services Eligibility Assessments can only be completed at WorkSource Oregon.
You must sign up in Frances Online before you can verify your identity at a Post Office.
- Log in to Frances Online
- Select "I Want To..."
- In the “Verify My Identity” panel, select “Verify My Identity In-Person at a Post Office.”
- Follow the instructions
After signing up, you will have seven days to complete in-person verification at a USPS Post Office. If you do not complete it in time, you can sign up again through the “Verify My Identity In-Person at a Post Office” link in Frances Online.
USPS accepts these forms of identification:
- State-issued driver’s license
- State-issued identification card
- U.S. armed forces or Uniformed Services identification card (requires proof of address)
- U.S. passport (requires proof of address)
USPS has more information about acceptable forms of identification on its website. The sign-up process will provide a list of USPS Post Offices near you where you can verify your identity.
USPS employees will not be able to answer any questions about unemployment insurance.
Services in languages other than English may not be available at a USPS Post Office.
WorkSource Oregon
After applying for benefits, most customers are required to meet with a WorkSource Oregon agent. They will help you develop a plan to find work and accomplish career goals. This meeting is called a Reemployment Services Eligibility Assessment or RESEA. Your one-on-one session can take up to 90 minutes and can be done in person or in a virtual meeting.
You can choose to verify your identity in person during your orientation meeting. The due date to complete both requirements is the same. Completing both tasks at the same time at WorkSource Oregon is the most popular choice.
Use the WorkSource Oregon website to find a WorkSource Oregon center near you. Call to set an appointment for an in-person or online meeting. WorkSource Oregon also operates multiple mobile centers that serve rural areas across the state.
Please review the acceptable identification documents below and bring them to your meeting at WorkSource Oregon.
Important tips:
- If you are not required to have a RESEA meeting, you can still verify your identity at a WorkSource Oregon center.
- If you need help in a language other than English, you can verify your identity with WorkSource Oregon. Call the WorkSource Oregon Language Access Line at 833-685-0845.
- WorkSource Oregon provides free help for people with disabilities.
Acceptable & Unacceptable Identity Documents at WorkSource Oregon
To verify your identity through WorkSource Oregon, you will need to present:
- two primary documents
OR
- one primary and two secondary documents
Please review the acceptable and unacceptable identity document lists and bring the documents with you.
We cannot accept expired or invalid documents. Read the entries on driver’s license and state-issued photo ID for specific exceptions.
Acceptable Documents
Primary Documents
- Driver’s license (or learner's permit) from a U.S. state or territory (We will accept an expired license if it expired in the last 12 months and is intact.)
- Other government-issued photo ID (Must be a permanent document with a photo. Military IDs, temporary or paper documents are not accepted.)
- State-issued photo ID (We will accept expired ID if it expired in the last 12 months and is intact.)
- U.S. passport (Must be signed)
- U.S. passport card
- U.S. Permanent Resident Card (I-551)
- USCIS-issued Employment Authorization Card (I-766) (No employer-issued ID cards)
- Foreign passport
- Veterans Health ID Card
- DHS Trusted Traveler Cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI)
- Canadian driver’s license
- Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550 or N-570)
- National ID card (only if residing outside of the U.S.)
- Federally recognized, Tribal-issued photo ID
Secondary Documents
- Full-color scans and PDFs of the following documents are acceptable as secondary documents
- Social Security Card (Must be signed)
- U.S. Certification of Birth Abroad (FS-545)
- U.S. Certification of Report of Birth (DS-1350)
- U.S. Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS-240)
- U.S. health insurance card
- U.S. birth certificate with official seal (first and last name)
- W-2 form
- 1098 form
- Auto insurance card
- Border crossing card
- Canadian Indian and Northern affairs card
- College or university student photo ID
- College or university transcript
- DOD certificate of discharge (DD214, DD Form 214)
- Auto or home insurance statement
- Letter attesting state residency
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipient certification
- Native American tribal document
- Non SSA-1099 form
- SSA-1099 form
- U.S. or U.S. territory voter registration card or certificate
- U.S. Coast Guard merchant mariner card
- U.S. Citizen Identification Card form (I-197)
- Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Puerto Rico recipient certification
Secondary Documents That Must Not Be Older Than 90 Days
These secondary identification documents must be in color and must display the following:
- Cable or internet bill (showing your account number, full name, and current address)
- Water bill (showing your account number, full name, and current address)
- Phone bill (showing your account number, full name, and current address)
- Gas bill (showing your account number, full name, and current address)
- Electric bill (showing your account number, full name, and current address)
- Bank, loan, or financial institution statement (showing your account number, full name, and current address; issued by the bank)
- Medical bill (showing your account number, full name, and current address)
- Pay stub (showing your full name, employer or company name, current address; must be an actual pay stub not a paycheck)
Unacceptable Identity Documents
You cannot use the following documents for verification:
- Photocopies of original documents attesting state residency
- Expired or invalid documents
- Company employee ID cards
- Digital driver’s licenses or state IDs
- Documents that are temporary
- Documents that are voided
- Forms you fill out yourself
- Letters from banks
- Unemployment documentation
- Unofficial student records
Questions?
If you would like additional help with verifying your identity, there are several options to request help on our Ways to Contact Us page.
Ways to Contact Us