· Written and maintained by Nonimo
On a Northern Territory drivers licence, the card number is on the back of the card. Your licence number is on the front. The NT Government’s guide to the licence design describes the card number as unique to each card, and only the newest one can be verified.
That’s why it’s worth hiding. Paired with the details on the front, the card number completes the set an online identity check asks for. A photo of both sides, sent to a Darwin property manager or an Alice Springs car hire desk, hands over the lot.
The tool on this page reads a photo or PDF of a current NT card in your browser, and it doesn’t leave your device. It recognises both sides of the card issued since November 2020, so the card number gets its own chip.
How to redact the card number on your NT licence
1. Load the back of the card, then the front
Photograph the back, or choose a photo or scan you already have: JPG, PNG, WEBP, HEIC and PDF all open. Add the front too if it is needed. On a computer, “Add the back (optional)” puts both sides in one PDF.
2. Tap Card number, then whatever else they don’t need
Nothing is redacted when the card first loads. On the back, tap “Card number”, and the chips for “Date of birth” and “Expiry date” appear there too if you’d like those gone. On the front you’ll see “Family name”, “Given names”, “Licence number”, “Address”, “Date of birth”, “Expiry date”, “Photo” and “Signature”. Tap a box on the preview to hide or show it again.
Your licence classes and condition codes are never redacted. Missed something? “Redact by hand” lets you drag a box across it.
3. Check every box, then download
Look over the preview at full size. “Show everything” lifts every box and “Redact again” puts them back. Then save as PNG, JPG or PDF. The boxes are burned into the pixels and the file carries no camera model or location. Want the copy to name who it’s for instead? Our guide to watermarking an NT licence copy covers that.
Where the card number is on an NT licence
The current design dates from November 2020, when the NT Government aligned the layout with international standards. The front holds your photo, surname, given names, licence number, licence class, residential address, signature strip, date of birth and expiry date. An L or P sits next to your class if you’re a learner or on your Ps.
The back is mostly a table. It lists every licence class with a vehicle icon, the expiry date of each class you hold, any provisional expiry date and your condition codes, then the card number. According to the NT Government, a line appears in any column that doesn’t apply to you, and the conditions column is shaded yellow for a learner class and red for a provisional one.
The NT Government’s page lists the card number with the back-of-card details without naming a corner, so read across the back once before you photograph it. The tool is built around the design issued since November 2020; on an older card, check the preview closely and use Redact by hand for anything it missed.
Which fields to redact, and what to leave visible
An employer checking you can drive a ute on a cattle station cares about your class and conditions. A real estate agent mostly wants to know you are who you say. Neither usually needs your card number.
| Field | Side | On a copy you send |
|---|---|---|
| Card number | back | redact it |
| Licence number | front | redact it, unless a form wants the number itself |
| Date of birth | front, and back if shown | redact it if age isn’t the question |
| Address | front | redact it if they already have it |
| Signature | front | redact it, it’s rarely needed on a copy |
| Name and photo | front | keep them, that’s how the agent knows it’s you |
| Expiry date | front, and back if shown | often fine to leave |
| Classes and condition codes | front and back | the tool never redacts them |
A rental application is a common reason to send a licence copy. NT Consumer Affairs’ list of approved information and documents for rental applications names a driver’s licence as one of several primary documents to verify identity, and notes that photo ID is ideal but not mandatory. The OAIC’s tenancy guidance goes further: an agency covered by the Privacy Act should generally blank out a government identifier, such as a licence number, on any copy it keeps. Property managers can read what Nonimo offers real estate agents.
If the same application wants a passport as well, our passport watermark guide shows how to mark that copy for one use, and our guide to redacting a passport copy shows how to cover its number, date of birth and signature.
Lost the card, or think your details have been exposed? Territory Services lets you request a replacement online with your MVR Customer ID and licence number. The new card comes with a new card number, which means the old one can no longer pass a verification check. Keep the receipt as evidence until the card turns up in the mail.
And for whole documents, not just your licence, the Nonimo app redacts names and ID numbers on your Mac or Windows computer.
Common questions
Where is the card number on an NT drivers licence?
On the back. The NT Government's page on the licence design lists the card number among the back-of-card details, alongside the table of licence classes, expiry dates and condition codes. The front carries your licence number instead, so a photo of the front alone leaves the card number out. If a form asks for it, turn the card over.
My NT licence is older than November 2020. Does any of this change?
It can. The NT Government changed the design in November 2020, and the tool reads that current design, front and back. An older card is read without a design template, so check the preview: in our tests the tool still found and redacted the card number, licence number and date of birth on it, and Redact by hand lets you drag a box over anything left showing.
What is the card number on an NT licence actually used for?
Verifying your identity. The NT Government says it's a unique number used when your licence is presented as an identity credential, and that only the most recently issued card number can be checked through the Commonwealth Document Verification Service. Your licence number, name and date of birth plus that card number are the set such a check looks at.
I lost my licence and got a replacement. Is my old card number still valid?
Not for identity checks. The NT Government says a new card number is assigned every time a replacement card is issued, and only the latest one is verifiable through the Document Verification Service. If an old photo of your previous card turns up somewhere, its card number won't match your current record. Check the number on the card in your wallet before you give it to anyone.
What do the yellow and red columns on the back of my licence mean?
They flag learner and provisional classes. The NT Government says the condition codes column is shaded yellow for a learner class and red for a provisional one. The tool never redacts licence classes or conditions, because they show what you're allowed to drive, which is often the reason someone wants a copy in the first place.
Does a Darwin real estate agent need my licence card number?
Usually not. NT Consumer Affairs lists a driver's licence as one approved primary document to verify identity, and tells agents to ask only for what helps them decide who to rent to. The OAIC adds that an agency covered by the Privacy Act should generally obscure a licence number on any ID copy it makes.
How do I redact my address on the front of an NT licence?
Load a photo of the front and tap the Address chip. The front of a current NT card also brings up chips for Family name, Given names, Licence number, Date of birth, Expiry date, Photo and Signature. If anything is still showing that you'd rather hide, choose Redact by hand and drag a box over it before you download.
How do I replace a lost NT licence online?
Through Territory Services, using your MVR Customer ID and your licence number. Keep the receipt as evidence until the new card arrives in the mail. The replacement comes with a new card number, and the NT Government says only the latest card number can be verified, so photos of the old card stop matching your record.