Your Director ID: A Golden Key to Stronger Company Records
Why every Australian company director should apply, securely record their number and prepare for ASIC’s 2027 changes
Information current as at 10 August 2026.
A director identification number is no longer simply another item on a director’s compliance checklist. It is becoming an increasingly important part of Australia’s company registration system.
Like a hallmark stamped into gold, your director ID is designed to establish a reliable link between you and the companies you direct. It stays with you permanently—even if you change your name, move interstate or overseas, change companies or stop being a director.
With the Australian Government now expanding how director IDs will be used within ASIC’s companies register, every director should check that they have applied, securely recorded their number and kept their personal and company information up to date.
Key Takeaways
- A director identification number, or director ID, is a unique 15-digit number that a director keeps for life.
- Intending directors must generally apply before being appointed.
- If you are already a director without a director ID, you should act immediately.
- You must apply personally—your accountant or registered agent cannot apply on your behalf.
- Once issued, record your director ID in a secure company record system and provide it to the record-holder of each company you direct.
- Do not apply for another number if you lose it. Retrieve your existing director ID through ABRS.
- Failing to comply can result in fines, imprisonment for certain offences and, under new laws, disqualification from managing corporations.
- From 1 July 2027, companies will be required to provide their directors’ IDs to ASIC through company reporting processes.
What is a director identification number?
A director identification number is a unique 15-digit identifier issued to a person who has verified their identity with Australian Business Registry Services, or ABRS.
It is:
- free to apply for;
- issued to an individual, not to a company;
- retained by that person for life; and
- intended to help prevent false or fraudulent director identities.
You only need one director ID, regardless of how many Australian companies you direct.
ABRS explains that a director ID is a unique identifier that directors “will keep forever” and that it helps prevent the use of false or fraudulent identities.
Why are director IDs important?
Director IDs were introduced to improve the integrity of Australia’s business registers and make it more difficult for people to use false identities.
Reliable director information can help regulators, administrators and other authorised users:
- identify the same person across different companies;
- reduce identity fraud and registry misuse;
- trace relationships between directors and companies;
- improve the accuracy of company records; and
- detect and respond to unlawful activity, including illegal phoenix activity.
Illegal phoenix activity commonly involves transferring a company’s assets into another entity before abandoning the original company with unpaid creditors, employee entitlements or tax debts. A permanent identifier makes it more difficult for a person to obscure their involvement in multiple corporate entities by changing personal details or using variations of their name.
The importance of accurate business registers was reinforced by Assistant Minister Dr Andrew Leigh, who said:
“These registers are the backbone of trust in our corporate system.”
Who needs a director ID?
Generally you need a director ID if you are a director—or an alternate director acting in that capacity—of:
- an Australian company;
- a registered Australian body;
- a registered foreign company;
- an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation;
- a corporate trustee, including a company acting as trustee of a self-managed superannuation fund; or
- a charity or not-for-profit registered as one of the relevant corporate entity types.
You generally do not need a director ID merely because you are:
- a sole trader;
- a partner in a partnership;
- a company secretary who is not also a director;
- an employee with “director” in your job title but not legally appointed as a company director; or
- an external administrator or registered liquidator who is not acting as a director.
You should check the official ABRS guidance if you are unsure whether your role or entity type is covered.
When must you apply for a director ID?
If you intend to become a director, you must generally obtain your director ID before your appointment. You may apply up to 12 months before becoming a director.
If you are already a director but do not have a director ID, the historical transition deadlines have passed. You should apply immediately and consider obtaining professional guidance about the overdue obligation.
It is a criminal offence not to apply on time.
Where circumstances have genuinely prevented an application, the Registrar has a discretionary power to grant an extension. An extension is not automatic, and ABRS states that a request should generally be made before the person applies for their director ID.
How do you apply?
You must apply for your own director ID because the process requires you to verify your identity. An accountant, solicitor, company secretary or registered ASIC agent can explain the process, but cannot submit the application for you.
The fastest application method is generally online.
Applying online
To apply online, you will ordinarily need:
- A Digital ID, such as myID, with at least Standard identity strength.
- Personal information and identity documents required by ABRS.
- Access to ABRS online to complete the application.
It is important not to confuse myID with myGov:
- myID is a Digital ID app used to prove your identity when accessing participating online government services.
- myGov is an account used to access government services and receive messages in your myGov Inbox.
The former myGovID app was renamed myID. Older articles and instructions referring to myGovID should therefore be updated.
Identity verification guidance.
People who cannot obtain an appropriate Digital ID, or who live outside Australia and cannot apply online, should follow the alternative ABRS instructions. Overseas applicants may need to submit a designated paper form with certified identity documents.
Your director ID has arrived—what should you do next?
Receiving the number is only half the job. The next step is to record it correctly and protect it.
ABRS says:
“Once you’ve received your director ID, keep it safe until you need to use it.”
Treat your director ID like an important corporate key: it needs to be accessible to authorised people, but it should not be left lying around where anyone can pick it up.
Director ID record-keeping checklist
Once your number is issued:
- Download the confirmation document.
If you applied online, log in to ABRS and download the PDF containing your director ID details. - Store it securely.
Keep it with your secure company records, approved business software or another controlled record-keeping system. - Provide it to each company’s record-holder.
This may be the company secretary, another director, an authorised agent or another person responsible for maintaining the company records. - Check it has been recorded against the correct director.
This is particularly important if you direct more than one company. - Restrict access.
Avoid putting the number in a public document, an unprotected spreadsheet or a widely accessible shared drive. - Keep your details current.
Update your personal details with ABRS and ensure the relevant company details are also kept current with ASIC.
ABRS recommends keeping the number with your company records, business software or a secure record system.
Directors of entities governed by the Corporations Act should provide their director ID to each company’s record-holder. Directors of corporations governed by the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act must provide it to the relevant corporation record-holder within 14 days of receiving it.
What if you lose your director ID?
Do not apply for a new one.
Each person should have only one director ID. Applying for an additional number can itself be an offence.
Depending on how you originally applied, you may be able to recover your number by:
- logging in to ABRS online using myID;
- downloading your director ID details from ABRS;
- searching your myGov Inbox for the original notification;
- locating the letter sent to your postal address; or
- contacting ABRS to request another copy of the notification.
What are the penalties for not having a director ID?
Director ID requirements are legal obligations, not optional administrative preferences.
Under the Corporations Act 2001, offences include:
- failing to have a director ID when required;
- failing to apply when directed by the Registrar;
- applying for more than one director ID; and
- misrepresenting a director ID.
The maximum fine for failing to have a director ID when required is 60 penalty units. From 1 July 2026, one Commonwealth penalty unit is $364, making 60 penalty units equal to a maximum fine of $21,840 for an offence committed on or after that date.
This is a maximum statutory penalty, not an automatic fine. The consequences in an individual case depend on matters including the relevant offence, when the conduct occurred, the enforcement action taken and any court decision.
Applying for additional director IDs or misrepresenting a director ID can attract imprisonment of up to one year.
Disqualification is now another potential consequence
New laws that commenced on 1 July 2026 give ASIC the power, in specified circumstances, to disqualify a person from managing corporations for up to three years where ASIC reasonably believes the person has failed to comply with a requirement to apply for a director ID.
ASIC must follow the statutory process, including giving the person an opportunity to be heard, and must be satisfied that disqualification is justified. Nevertheless, the reform reinforces the seriousness of director ID compliance.
What changes from 1 July 2027?
The role of director IDs will expand significantly from 1 July 2027.
Companies will be required to provide their directors’ IDs to ASIC through company reporting processes. ASIC says this will include:
- registering a company;
- notifying ASIC of a director’s appointment or changes to director details; and
- responding to relevant annual review processes.
For directors already appointed when the reforms commence, transitional rules will determine when the company must lodge the number. ASIC has advised that further operational guidance will be released before commencement.
Over time, the companies register will display whether a company has provided director IDs for its directors. This is intended to:
- reduce fraud and identity misuse;
- improve the accuracy of company records;
- make directors easier to identify; and
- improve the quality and usability of registry information.
Will your director ID become public?
Director ID numbers are not currently searchable by the public.
ASIC has said that the companies register will progressively display whether a company has supplied director IDs for its directors. That does not mean the actual 15-digit number will automatically be displayed publicly.
ABRS currently states that the law does not authorise it to disclose a director ID to the public without the director’s consent. Future disclosure arrangements may be subject to further consultation and legislative settings.
Privacy and identity-protection guidance.
Prepare now: a five-minute director ID health check
Before the 2027 changes arrive, company directors and record-holders should check that:
- every current director has a director ID;
- each director’s number is recorded securely;
- the names and personal details held by ABRS are correct;
- all current directors are correctly listed with ASIC;
- ASIC company names, addresses and officeholder details are current; and
- the company has a clear process for collecting and securely recording the director ID of every new director.
A few minutes spent checking these details now could be worth its weight in gold when the expanded ASIC reporting requirements commence.
Need help getting your company records ready?
While DJ Grigg Financial cannot apply for a director ID on your behalf, we can help you:
- understand whether the requirement applies to you;
- review the director information in your company records;
- identify inconsistencies between your records and ASIC information;
- establish a secure record-keeping process; and
- prepare for the director ID reporting changes commencing on 1 July 2027.
If you are already a director and do not have a director ID—or you are unsure whether your company records are complete—now is the time to act.
Contact DJ Grigg Financial today to ensure your director records are accurate, secure and ready for the next stage of Australia’s company register reforms.
Disclaimer: This article provides general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Director ID requirements and penalties may change. Seek professional advice about your circumstances and consult the latest ABRS and ASIC guidance.