· Written and maintained by Nonimo
On a Tasmanian drivers licence, the card number sits on the reverse side. The front has your photo, your name, your date of birth and your licence number, which is a different number altogether. If an online form wants the card number and you can’t spot it, flip the card over.
That number deserves a moment’s thought before any image of your licence leaves your hands. The licence number identifies you as a driver; the card number identifies the piece of plastic in your wallet, and online identity checks often ask for the two together. A copy for a rental, a new job or a ute hire booking rarely needs the card number at all.
The tool above redacts it from a photo or a PDF. Your licence is read in your browser and doesn’t leave your device.
How to redact the card number on your TAS licence
1. Add a photo of the back of the card
Lay the card flat in good light and photograph the back, or open a picture or scan saved earlier. On a phone, the tool goes straight to your camera or your photo library. It accepts JPG, PNG, WEBP, HEIC (what iPhones save by default) and PDF.
The tool recognises the back of a Tasmanian licence, the side that holds the card number. It doesn’t recognise the front yet. You can still load the front and redact what you like with “Redact by hand”, which we come back to below.
2. Tap the Card number chip
Everything starts visible. On the back of a Tasmanian card you’ll see two chips: “Card number” and “Licence number”. Tap “Card number” to put a solid block over it. Add “Licence number” as well if whoever’s asking can manage without it. Tapping a box on the preview switches it on or off, and with “Redact by hand” you can draw a box over anything else you don’t want seen. “Show everything” clears the lot if you want to choose again from scratch.
3. Check the preview and download
Zoom in on the preview and read it edge to edge. When you’re happy, save it as PNG, JPG or PDF. The blocks are merged into the image itself, leaving no text underneath to copy out, and the new file drops what your phone quietly records, such as the device model and location. A watermark is added by default too, and if you’d like it to name the recipient, read how to watermark a Tasmanian licence copy.
Where the card number is on a TAS licence
Service NSW’s identity document examples include a sample of the Tasmanian card. On the front, it calls out the licence number, then your name and date of birth. On the back, the card number is the only detail it highlights. That split is the useful part: a shot of just the front leaves the card number out, and a shot of the back puts it in.
The same page explains why the number is asked for. When you verify an Australian driver licence with a NSW Government service online, it says you need to give both your card number and your licence number. Hand someone both, together with your name and birthday, and you’ve given them the full set an online check runs on.
So the first question when someone asks for your licence is which side they need. Proof of who you are usually sits on the front: photo, name, licence number. If they want the back as well, the card number is the field to redact first.
Victoria also prints it on the back, as our VIC card number guide explains. A NSW card shows it on the front, which our NSW card number page walks through.
Which fields to redact, and what to leave visible
Because the tool reads only the back of a Tasmanian card, the job splits by side. On the back, the two chips handle it. On the front, there are no chips: draw a box over each field you want redacted with “Redact by hand”.
| Field | Side | On a copy you send |
|---|---|---|
| Card number | back | redact it with the Card number chip |
| Licence number | front | use Redact by hand unless the form needs it, and tap its chip on the back |
| Date of birth | front | use Redact by hand, unless it’s asked for |
| Address and signature | wherever they appear | use Redact by hand if nobody needs them |
| Name and photo | front | normally keep these, they prove it’s you |
| Licence class and conditions | card | the tool never redacts them |
Rental applications are the usual destination for licence photos. The OAIC’s tenancy guidance suggests you consider hiding details an agent has no use for before you hand over a copy. It goes further for government identifiers, a driver licence number among them: where the Privacy Act applies, an agent copying your document must generally obscure that number. Hiding it before you send means it never sits in their files at all.
If the application wants a passport too, redact the details on your passport copy the same way: tap the number, birth details and signature to cover them. Agencies wanting a tidier way to deal with applicants’ ID will find more on our page for real estate agents.
If you think your licence details are already in the wrong hands, a redacted copy only protects what you send from here on. Speak to Service Tasmania about your licence, and IDCARE, the national identity and cyber support service, can walk you through what to do next.
For names and ID numbers spread through longer files, Nonimo also has an app for your computer, on Mac and Windows.
Common questions
Where is the card number on a Tasmanian drivers licence?
On the back. Service NSW's identity document examples show a Tasmanian licence with the licence number, name and date of birth on the front, and the card number as the only detail called out on the back. So if a form asks for your card number, turn the card over before you start looking.
Which side of a TAS licence does the tool recognise?
The back, which is where the card number is. There it puts up chips for Card number and Licence number. It doesn't recognise the front of a Tasmanian card yet, so on that side you redact fields with Redact by hand. The watermark goes on either side regardless.
How do I redact my date of birth on the front of a TAS licence?
Choose Redact by hand and draw a box over it, with a finger on a phone or the mouse on a computer. Repeat for your licence number, address or signature if they aren't wanted. Every box can be shifted or removed before you download, so give the preview a careful look first.
Do I need to send the back of my Tasmanian licence at all?
Often you don't. The front carries your photo, name and licence number, which is usually what someone confirming your identity wants to see. The back mainly adds the card number. If a request doesn't mention both sides, it's reasonable to ask whether the front by itself will do before you share more.
Why does my Tasmanian card number matter if the licence number is already showing?
Because online identity checks tend to want both. Service NSW, for example, tells people verifying an Australian driver licence online to give both the card number and the licence number. An image showing the pair side by side, along with your name and birth date, holds more than most recipients need.
Can a Tasmanian real estate agent use my licence number as my file reference?
Generally not, where the Privacy Act applies to the agency. The OAIC says agents generally must not adopt, use or disclose government identifiers like a driver licence number, and that one making a copy of your ID should generally obscure that number. Hiding it yourself beforehand saves them the trouble.
What should I do if my TAS licence details have been exposed?
Contact Service Tasmania and ask what they can offer for your licence. IDCARE, the national identity and cyber support service, also helps people who think their details have been misused, on 1800 595 160 on weekdays. A redacted copy protects what you send from now on, but it can't recall one already out there.
Will redacting the card number hide my licence class or conditions?
No. The tool never redacts the licence class or conditions, since an employer or hire company may genuinely need to see which vehicles you can drive. It hides only the fields you tap, plus whatever you mark with Redact by hand, so you decide exactly what stays readable.