· Written and maintained by Nonimo
On a Western Australian drivers licence, the card number is printed on the back. The front carries your licence number. Transport WA explains that every WA card has both, and that the card number is unique to that card: it changes each time a new one is made.
A Document Verification Service check needs both numbers together, so a photo of both sides hands a stranger the full set. When a property manager, an employer on the mines or a hire company wants a copy, the card number is usually the first thing to redact.
The tool above opens a photo or PDF of the card right in your browser, and nothing leaves your device. It has no WA template, so it reads the card as a general licence and asks you to check its boxes before you download.
How to redact the card number on a WA licence
1. Load one side of the card
Photograph the back, where the card number lives, or the front, or choose a file from your phone or laptop: JPG, PNG, WEBP, HEIC and PDF all load. Each side is its own copy, so do them one after the other.
2. Tap Licence number and Date of birth
Every field starts visible, and on a WA card you’ll see “Choose what to redact, then check it before you download” rather than a matched template. On the front, chips come up for Photo, Licence number, Date of birth and Expiry date. The back has no separate Card number chip: the Licence number chip redacts the card number there, and Date of birth appears as well.
Tapping Licence number and Date of birth redacted the licence number, the card number and the date of birth on every WA sample we tested. Name, address and signature get no chip on a WA card. To redact one, click its box on the preview, or choose “Redact by hand” and drag across it (on a phone, drag a finger).
3. Check the preview, then download
Look over the preview and redact anything still showing by hand. Then pick PNG, JPG or PDF. The redaction is flattened into the picture, with no hidden text underneath, and the saved file holds no metadata. A watermark is on by default as well, and if you’d like the copy to name who it’s for, see our guide to watermarking a WA licence copy.
What’s on each side of a WA licence
Transport WA’s page on driver’s licence cards puts your name and residential address, expiry date, date of birth, highest classes, signature and photo on the front, and its identity security page adds the licence number on that side. The back holds the card number, your WA issue date, a description of your classes, any conditions and a space for a change of address label, with the expiry date and date of birth printed again.
Service NSW’s document examples for verifying your identity agree: its WA sample shows name, licence number and birth date up front, and just the card number on the reverse. So before you photograph the back, ask whether it’s needed at all: often the front is enough to show who you are. Victoria also keeps the number on the back, and you can see where Victoria prints it. New South Wales is the odd one out, with the card number top right on the front of a NSW licence. South Australia keeps it on the back as well (our SA card number guide), while the ACT prints it on the front (our ACT guide), Queensland cards can have it on either side (our QLD guide), and Northern Territory cards issued since November 2020 carry it on the back (our NT guide). Tasmania prints it on the back too (our TAS guide). For all eight states and territories in one table, see where the card number sits on each state’s licence.
| Field | Side | On a copy you send |
|---|---|---|
| Name and photo | front | usually leave these, they show it’s you |
| Licence number | front | redact unless the form asks for it |
| Card number | back | redact it |
| Date of birth | front and back | redact it on both sides unless it’s needed |
| Address and signature | front | redact them by hand if they aren’t needed |
| Expiry date | front and back | your call, often fine to show |
| Classes and conditions | front and back | the tool never redacts them |
Before your licence copy goes anywhere
Renting is where a lot of copies end up. In a bulletin on data security in real estate, WA Consumer Protection reminds property managers that verifying an applicant’s identity isn’t a requirement, and that they should collect only necessary information and get rid of it when they’re done. Under the OAIC’s tenancy guidance, an agency covered by the Privacy Act that copies an ID document must generally blank out a government identifier such as a driver licence number.
Agencies working through stacks of applications can see how Nonimo fits on our page for real estate agents. If the same application wants your passport too, watermark the passport copy so it names the one application it’s for. Before you attach it, take a minute to mask the passport number, birth details and machine-readable lines; the tool runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded. If the application asks for a Medicare card instead, mark the Medicare card copy with who it’s for and the month.
If your details were already caught in a data breach, a redacted copy won’t undo that: Transport WA’s fixes are a fresh card, with a fresh card number, or a DoTDirect block on DVS checks. Our guide to personal identifiers has more on the two numbers a licence now carries. And before you ask a chatbot to read the card for you, check what AI tools keep from a photo you upload.
Need names and ID numbers out of a whole document? The Nonimo app handles that on your Mac or Windows computer.
Common questions
Where is the card number on a WA drivers licence?
On the back. Transport WA says every WA licence card carries two numbers: the licence number on the front and a unique card number printed on the back. Service NSW's sample of the WA card shows the same split, so a photo of the front alone won't show the card number.
Is the card number the same as my licence number?
No. The licence number generally stays with you: Transport WA only issues a new one to a proven victim of identity fraud. The card number belongs to the piece of plastic, and Transport WA says it changes every time a new licence card is produced.
Why do banks and phone companies ask for the card number?
Transport WA says a WA licence needs both numbers to pass the Australian Government's Document Verification Service check, which banks, financial service providers and telcos use to confirm a licence is genuine. A copy showing both, plus your name and birth date, holds what that check looks for.
Does renewing my WA licence give me a new card number?
Yes. Transport WA says renewing or replacing the licence changes the card number, so the old card can't pass a DVS check. A replacement card costs $33.30 at the time of writing ($16.65 for pensioners and seniors), ordered through DoTDirect or at a DTMI service centre or regional agent.
What else is printed on the back of a WA licence?
Transport WA lists the issue date, a description of your highest classes, any conditions, a space for a change of address label, and your expiry date and date of birth repeated from the front. That repeat is easy to miss: redacting only the card number on the back still leaves your birth date showing.
Can I stop someone using my WA licence for an identity check?
You can add a licence block in DoTDirect, under Protect your identity on the Driver's licence page. Transport WA says that while it's on, DVS checks using your licence are declined, and your right to drive isn't affected. Lift it for a while when a bank needs to verify you, or use another ID.
Does a property manager in WA need my licence card number?
Usually not. WA Consumer Protection says property managers aren't required to verify a rental applicant's identity, should only ask for necessary information, and should destroy or de-identify it once it's no longer needed. If an agent wants to see your licence, a copy with the card number redacted usually answers the question.
Can I show a digital WA licence instead of the card?
Not for now. According to the WA Government, the ServiceWA digital wallet should carry a digital driver licence by the end of 2027, depending on how a trial from mid-2027 goes, and using it will be optional. Until then you photograph the plastic card, so its back still needs checking.