Google Business Profile government ID verification is a test (20 October 2026)
On 20 October 2026 Search Engine Roundtable reported that Google is testing, on some profiles, the option “Submit an Identity Verification”: upload a photo of a government ID. The screen says the ID is only used for verification and won’t be shown publicly. Google’s help page does not list it. Google assigns the method and it cannot be changed, and a verification review can take up to 5 business days. If you see it, upload it only inside the Business Profile flow. Never send us your ID. If you do not see it, you cannot request it. This page was published on 21 October 2026. It is a test, not a published rule. Google decides.
What was reported on 20 October 2026
Search Engine Roundtable published on 20 October 2026 that Google is testing Business Profile verification with a photo of a government ID, in addition to phone or text, email, a live video call, and mail. https://www.seroundtable.com/google-business-profiles-verification-government-id-42329.html
The note attributes the first public report to Digital Jedi, on the Local Search Forum. He wrote that he had seen it about two weeks earlier and asked how Google knows the ID belongs to the business. Google has not answered that question in the sources we checked on 21 October 2026.
The official help page, checked the same 21 October, lists phone or text, email, a live video call, and mail, and it recommends video when the profile is eligible. It does not mention uploading a government ID. https://support.google.com/business/answer/7107242?hl=en
That is why this page labels it a test. It may not appear. It may go away. It is not a method you can demand.
Submit an Identity Verification. Upload a photo of your government ID. Your ID is only used for verification and won't be shown publicly.
On-screen text, as reported by Search Engine Roundtable, 20 October 2026
Verification methods are automatically determined by Google and can’t be changed.
Verify your business on Google
If the option appears
Sign in with the Google account for the profile and open Get verified. If “Submit an Identity Verification” is one of the options, the owner, or whoever Google already treats as a representative, follows the steps on that screen.
Upload the photo there, inside the Google Business Profile flow. Do not send it by email, WhatsApp, a form, or to an agency. Never send us your ID. Rescate does not ask for it and does not upload it for you.
The same help page says that after you complete the steps, the review can take up to 5 business days and that on rare occasions it takes longer. It is not an automatic approval. https://support.google.com/business/answer/7107242?hl=en
The content guidelines do not allow government-issued IDs to be published on the profile. The test screen says it will not be shown publicly. Do not put it in the description, in photos, or in a post. https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177?hl=en
If it does not appear
There is no form to request it. The help page says Google determines the methods and they cannot be changed. What is not on the screen cannot be selected.
Use the method that does appear: phone or text, email, video, a live call, or mail. If the profile is eligible for video, the same page recommends that option.
If none appears, the guide says to try again when Get verified returns and, if it stays empty, to contact support. Do not open another profile to hunt for a different method.
How it relates to video verification
They are different methods. The video is one live take, with no cuts, at least 30 seconds, recorded and submitted from the phone on the profile. The video guide says it must not include ID numbers or private information. https://support.google.com/business/answer/14271705?hl=en
The ID photo, if Google offers it, goes on that other screen. It is not filmed inside the video. If both options are on the list, the help page recommends video when the profile is eligible. The ID test does not replace that recommendation, and it is not documented as a substitute.
If only the ID option appears, you cannot switch it for video. You follow what the profile shows.
Your video must not include: Sensitive info like bank account, tax, or ID numbers. Private info about you or others.
Verify your business with a video recording
If your business is eligible for video verification, we recommend that you use this option.
Verify your business on Google
What the Rescate verification path does
On Rescate you choose “Google will not let me verify”. The file includes the video script for your case and the support letter. You record it and you submit it. We do not promise that Google will verify the profile.
That file also notes this test. It does not ask for the photo. Never send us your ID, on the Kit or on Guided rescue.
The free checker looks at the name, the description, and a post in the browser. It does not review IDs and it is not a Google verdict.
Sources
- Verify your business on Google
- Verify your business with a video recording
- Guidelines for representing your business on Google
- Search Engine Roundtable, 20 October 2026
Frequently asked questions
Is it an official method already?
It is not in the verification help, checked on 21 October 2026. Search Engine Roundtable reported it on 20 October as a test. It may not show up for you.
Which government ID do I upload?
The reported screen says “government ID” and does not name a specific document. Upload only the document Google’s own screen accepts, and only there.
Can I send you the photo so you can upload it?
No. Never send us your ID. Do not send it to a third party either. Upload it only inside Google’s Business Profile flow.
How long does it take, and will I be verified for sure?
The help page says the review can take up to 5 business days and that sometimes it takes longer. There is no deadline that guarantees the result. Google decides.
Continue with
- Video verification, step by step
- Rescate GBP, the verification or appeal path
- Free checker for the name, description, and post
- Google Business Profile suspended: what to do (2026)
Check the name and description free
Get the file: Kit US$49 or Guided rescue US$149
GamaLabs is not affiliated with Google. “Google Business Profile” is used only to describe Google’s product. This is not legal advice. Google decides whether to restore or verify the profile.