How to Fill Out a CIP Form: Fields, ID, and Verification

To fill out a Customer Identification Program form, provide four pieces of information exactly as they appear on your government ID: your full legal name, your date of birth, your residential or business street address, and a taxpayer identification number (for most people, a Social Security number). Then hand over an unexpired government-issued photo ID so the bank can verify what you wrote. Every bank, credit union, and savings association in the United States is required to collect these four items before opening your account, under Section 326 of the USA PATRIOT Act and the implementing rule at 31 CFR 1020.220.¹

The Four Fields You Have to Complete

Federal regulation sets a floor of four data points for an individual account, and the form you receive will ask for each one.² Enter each one carefully. A misspelled name or a transposed digit in a Social Security number can cause the automated verification check to fail, which slows the account opening and sometimes triggers a request for additional documents.

Full Legal Name

Write your name the way it appears on the ID you’ll present. Nicknames don’t belong on this form. If you go by a shortened first name in daily life but your driver’s license shows the full version, use the full version.

Date of Birth

Standard field. Match the ID.

Address

This field has a specific structure. The bank needs a residential or business street address. A P.O. box does not satisfy the requirement. If you don’t have a street address, the regulation allows an APO or FPO box (for military personnel) or the street address of a next of kin or another contact person.¹

If you recently moved and your ID still shows your old address, write your current address on the form and expect the bank to ask for something that confirms it. A utility bill, a lease, or a recent bank statement usually satisfies that request.

Taxpayer Identification Number

For a U.S. person, this is almost always your Social Security number. Sole proprietors and certain other individuals may use an Employer Identification Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number instead. Any of the three qualifies as a taxpayer identification number under the rule.¹

The ID You Bring to Verify What You Wrote

Filling out the form is one half. The bank also has to verify your identity, and for in-person applications it does that by inspecting an unexpired government-issued ID that shows your nationality or residence and bears a photograph or similar safeguard. A driver’s license or U.S. passport are the most common choices. A state ID card, military ID, or passport card can also work, depending on the bank’s written procedures.

The word to watch is “unexpired.” An expired license will almost always be rejected, and you’ll need to bring something else. The bank employee records the document type, its identification number, the place of issuance, and the issuance and expiration dates. A photocopy is not required by the regulation, though some banks make one anyway.

If You’re Applying Online or by Phone

When the bank never sees you or your ID in person, it verifies your identity through non-documentary methods: cross-checking your entries against consumer reporting agency records, public databases, or other sources; contacting you directly; checking references with another financial institution; or requesting a financial statement.¹

This is why online applications sometimes trigger knowledge-based questions about past addresses or old auto loans. If any answer doesn’t line up, the system may ask you to upload a photo of your ID, take a selfie, or answer follow-up questions. Respond promptly. The regulation lets the bank open the account before verification is complete, but many banks restrict access to the account until the check clears.

If You’re Not a U.S. Citizen

The same four fields apply, but the identification number field offers more options. A non-U.S. person can satisfy it with any one of the following: a taxpayer identification number (including an ITIN), a passport number along with the country of issuance, an alien identification card number, or the number and country of issuance of any other government-issued document that shows nationality or residence and bears a photograph.¹

If you haven’t applied for an ITIN yet, you can still open the account using your passport number; the bank records the number and issuing country in its system.

If the Account Is for a Business

For a business account, the form asks about the entity, not a person. The three required data points are the legal name of the entity, its address (a principal place of business, local office, or other physical location), and an identification number, which is typically an Employer Identification Number issued by the IRS.¹

To verify the entity, bring documents like certified articles of incorporation, a government-issued business license, a partnership agreement, or a trust instrument. If the entity is foreign and doesn’t have a U.S.-issued identification number, the bank will accept alternative government-issued documentation certifying that the business exists.

Business applicants have historically also filled out a separate beneficial ownership form under a Customer Due Diligence rule, identifying anyone who owns 25 percent or more of the entity plus the person who controls it. In February 2026, FinCEN issued an order (FIN-2026-R001) granting banks exceptive relief from that requirement at each new account opening.³ Some banks may still collect the information voluntarily. Ask your banker whether the beneficial ownership form is part of the packet before you sit down to fill it out.

If the Account Is for a Minor

The rule still requires the four fields for the child: name, date of birth, address, and identification number. But most minors don’t have a driver’s license or passport, so the regulation lets banks use “reasonable documentary or non-documentary methods” to verify a minor’s identity, which is more flexible than the adult standard.⁴ In practice, that often means a birth certificate, a Social Security card, and verification through the parent or guardian’s own ID. Each bank’s written procedures spell out exactly what they’ll accept, so call ahead if you’re unsure what to bring.

If You Already Have an Account at the Same Bank

Opening a second account at a bank where you’re already a customer generally does not require running the CIP process again. The regulation excludes a person who “has an existing account with the bank” from the definition of “customer,” as long as the bank already has a reasonable belief that it knows your true identity.⁵ The exception also covers loan renewals and certificate-of-deposit rollovers. It does not apply to someone being added as a new co-owner on your existing account; that person is a new customer and fills out the form.

What to Do If Verification Comes Back with a Discrepancy

A failed check often has a mundane cause: a recent name change, a data entry error, or an address that doesn’t yet appear in public records. If the bank contacts you about a mismatch, respond quickly and be ready to supply corrected information or supporting documents. The bank is required to record how any substantive discrepancy was resolved, so a clean paper trail helps you and them.

If verification ultimately fails, the bank’s procedures may include declining to open the account, closing it if it was opened provisionally, and deciding whether to file a Suspicious Activity Report.⁶

Penalties for Putting False Information on the Form

Knowingly making a false statement in a matter within the jurisdiction of a federal agency is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. If the false statement involves domestic or international terrorism, the maximum rises to eight years.⁷ Banks collect CIP data to satisfy a federal mandate, so a fake name, a fabricated Social Security number, or a forged ID on the form falls within this statute. Enter accurate information, match it to your ID, and correct anything you notice before signing.

1
eCFR. 31 CFR 1020.220 – Customer Identification Program Requirements for Banks
2
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Collecting Identifying Information Required Under the Customer Identification Program (CIP) Rule
3
FinCEN.gov. Information on Complying with the Customer Due Diligence (CDD) Final Rule
4
Consumer Compliance Outlook. Agencies Issue Guidance on Youth Savings Program
5
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. FAQs: Final CIP Rule
6
eCFR. 31 CFR 1020.220 – Customer Identification Program Requirements for Banks
7
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 1001 – Statements or Entries Generally