Quick answer: Login.gov is the government-run sign-in used by Social Security, USAJOBS, TSA PreCheck, and many others. ID.me is a private provider used by the IRS, VA, and some states. Both are free. Create the one the specific agency asks for; many agencies accept either.
Key Takeaways
- Login.gov is government-run; ID.me is a private provider
- Both are free and require ID photos plus a selfie for verification
- Use whichever the specific agency requires
- Prefer an authenticator app over SMS for security
What you need
- An email address and a phone that can receive texts or run an authenticator app
- A driver’s license, state ID, or passport
- Your Social Security number
- A smartphone camera for document photos and a selfie
Setting up Login.gov
- Go to secure.login.gov and create an account with email and password.
- Add a second factor: authentication app, text message, security key, or backup codes.
- When an agency requires identity verification, upload photos of your ID and enter your SSN and phone number. If phone verification fails, you can receive a code by mail.
Setting up ID.me
- Create an account at id.me with email and password and set up multi-factor authentication.
- Choose self-service verification (upload ID and take a selfie) or a video call with an agent if self-service fails.
- Approve sharing your verified identity with the agency.
Troubleshooting
Common failures come from glare on the ID photo, an expired ID, or a name mismatch. Retake photos in good light, and make sure the name matches your SSN record exactly.
Security tips
Use a strong unique password and prefer an authenticator app over SMS. Neither service will ever call you asking for your password or code.
FAQ
Do I need both? Only if the agencies you use require different ones. The IRS, for example, currently offers both.
Is my data safe? Both services encrypt data and are audited; Login.gov is operated by the General Services Administration.
What if I do not have a smartphone? Login.gov offers in-person verification at participating post offices in many areas.
How long verification takes and what slows it down
Creating an account takes about five minutes. Identity verification takes another ten to twenty when it works, and considerably longer when it does not. Three things account for most failures.
Photo quality. The systems reject blurry, cropped, or glare-obscured images of your ID, and each retry adds time. Shoot in bright indirect light, on a dark surface, with all four corners of the card visible and no flash reflection.
Phone verification. Login.gov checks whether your phone number is associated with your name through carrier records. Prepaid phones, numbers on a family plan in someone else’s name, and recently ported numbers frequently fail. The fallback is a verification code by mail, which takes about a week, or for ID.me a video call with an agent, where waits range from minutes to hours depending on the season.
Thin records. Young adults, recent immigrants, and people who recently changed their name may not match automated data sources and are routed to manual review.
The implication is to start well before a deadline rather than the night before a tax filing or benefit application.
Which one you need, and why it changes
Login.gov is operated by the General Services Administration and is used by Social Security, USAJOBS, TSA PreCheck and other trusted traveler programs, and a growing list of agencies. ID.me is a private provider used by the IRS, the VA, and many state unemployment and DMV systems.
Agencies have been migrating between them, and some now accept either. Rather than deciding in advance, go to the agency’s own sign-in page and use whichever buttons it presents. Creating an account you do not need is harmless but wastes the verification effort.
Verification generally carries across agencies within the same provider. Once you are verified with Login.gov, other Login.gov agencies accept that verification without repeating it, which is the main practical advantage of consolidating where possible.
When verification fails
Specific failures have specific fixes. A name mismatch means the name on your ID does not match Social Security records; update SSA first, since every downstream system reads from it. An expired document is rejected by both services, with no exceptions. An address mismatch between your ID and your current address is normal and usually resolved by supplying a supporting document. And if the selfie comparison fails repeatedly, both services offer human alternatives: Login.gov provides in-person verification at participating post offices, and ID.me offers a video call from a computer.
The in-person post office option is underused and is often the fastest path for people whose documents are fine but whose phone or photo situation keeps failing.
Account security after setup
These accounts control access to your tax records, benefits, and government correspondence, which makes them higher-value targets than most logins.
Add at least two authentication methods so a lost phone does not lock you out. An authenticator app plus printed backup codes stored offline is a strong combination. When you replace a phone, move the authenticator app before wiping the old device, which is the most common cause of lockouts.
Keep your email address current, since recovery notices go there. And periodically review which agencies have access: ID.me shows every organization you have shared identity with and allows you to revoke, and Login.gov lists connected accounts.
Privacy, and what each service actually holds
Login.gov is a federal government service; identity data is encrypted and only the attributes an agency needs are shared with it. ID.me is a private company operating under federal identity standards, and it provides a dashboard showing and controlling agency access.
Both use facial comparison for the selfie step, which some people are unwilling to do. The alternatives exist for exactly this reason: Login.gov’s in-person option at a post office involves no selfie, and ID.me’s video call substitutes a live agent for the automated match. Neither service will ever call you asking for your password or a verification code, and any such call is fraud.
Sources
Last updated: August 16, 2026. Written by the InfoBrief Editorial team. We link to official government and company sources and update articles when facts change. See our disclosure.