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Issues verifying my phone number

We check your phone number and other personal information with public and proprietary records and send you a one-time code to verify that the phone number belongs to you.

What phone number can I use?

The phone number that you use to verify must be based in the United States. We are most likely to successfully verify your phone number if you enter your primary number that you use most often.

Login.gov accepts:

  • Home numbers
  • Cell or mobile numbers
  • Landline numbers

We do not accept:

  • International numbers and numbers in some U.S. territories
  • Google Voice or similar VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) numbers
  • Premium rate (toll) numbers
  • You can try to verify a prepaid cell phone, but most cannot be matched to records

I got an error that Login.gov could not match me to this number

Check that your phone number is entered correctly and you are using an accepted type of phone number.

If your phone number is correct, turn off call forwarding while you are verifying your identity (you can turn call forwarding back on when you are done). Try another number that is associated with your name.

In some cases, you may be able to verify your address by mail. You will have to wait 5 to 10 days to receive a letter in the mail and then follow the instructions to enter the verification code.

If you do not have the option to verify by mail, you must verify your phone number to successfully verify your identity with Login.gov. If you don’t have another phone number to try, contact the agency you are trying to access to find out what you can do instead.

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