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How to send a copy of your ID safely
By Himanshu Ranjan · Updated 8 November 2026
Confirm the request is real and that a copy is truly needed, then send the smallest, cleanest file you can: strip location and camera data from the photo, mark it with who it is for, and use a channel that fits, such as an encrypted AirDrop transfer or a password-protected file with the password sent separately.
Step zero: is this request real and necessary?
A scan of a passport or licence contains your full name, date of birth, document number and photo. In the wrong hands that is enough to start an identity theft attempt, so the safest copy is the one you never send. Verify who is asking by contacting the organization through a number or address you found yourself, not one given in the request.
Ask what the recipient needs. A landlord may need to see the licence, not keep a copy. A bank may accept an in-branch check. If a copy is required, ask how it will be stored and how long it will be kept. The FTC's business guidance says organizations should keep only what they need and destroy it when they no longer do, so the question is fair.
Why plain attachments are the weak spot
An email attachment stays in your sent folder, the recipient's inbox and any backups of either. The FBI has also warned that free online conversion sites can scrape personal data, including identity numbers, from uploaded documents, so avoid pushing an ID through a random web tool to resize or merge it. Do that step locally.
Prepare the copy before sending
If you photographed the ID with a phone, the image can carry location and camera details. Remove them first. Then make the scan do only its job.
FileDial's Convert › Make uploadable produces a JPG that any upload form accepts, keeps the date and removes location. Use Privacy › Remove all metadata if you want everything gone. To mark the copy for one recipient, use Share › Client proof…, which makes a 1600 px JPG with a tiled watermark and metadata removed. Type the recipient and purpose into the watermark text so the copy cannot be reused elsewhere without showing where it came from. For a PDF scan, Compress › Email-safe (under 20 MB) keeps it small enough to send.
- Select the scan or photo in Finder.
- Run Privacy › Remove all metadata, or Convert › Make uploadable for a form.
- If you can, run Share › Client proof… with a watermark naming the recipient and the date.
- Check the result card and open the new copy before sending.
Choose the channel
AirDrop is one of the better options for a person next to you: Apple's guide says transfers are encrypted and the recipient can accept or decline each one. For remote recipients, a password-protected archive adds a layer: use Protect › Add password… and choose the stronger AES-256 option, which needs 7-Zip or The Unarchiver to open (the standard ZipCrypto option opens in Finder but is weaker). Send the password by a different channel, such as a phone call or text message.
If the recipient's own secure upload portal exists, use it and skip email entirely. Never post an ID scan in a chat group or public link.
After sending
Delete the temporary copies you made, empty the Trash, and keep a note of who received the document and why. If a copy is ever misused, that record helps you act quickly. If you suspect a leak, contact the issuing agency for a replacement and consider a credit freeze; the FTC's identity theft site at identitytheft.gov is the place to start in the US.
Mistakes to avoid with ID copies
The riskiest habit is sending an ID by an unverified route: a link in a message, an email that looks like it came from a landlord, or a form on a site you reached from an advert. Fraudsters ask for ID precisely because it is the raw material of identity theft. Verify the requester through a phone number or address you found independently before you send anything.
A second mistake is sending more than is needed. If the recipient only needs proof of age, a full passport scan with the number visible is more than necessary, though you should not alter a document a legal check requires without asking. Ask what fields they need and whether a masked copy is acceptable. Use a proper redaction method rather than a drawn rectangle, because a shape placed over a photo is easy to move in some editors; the guide on redacting a PDF properly explains the principle for PDFs.
Third, people leave copies everywhere: the original photo in the library, the edited copy on the desktop, the attachment in sent mail, the file in Downloads. After sending, delete the working copies and empty the Trash, and remember that cloud photo libraries may sync the original to other devices.
Fourth, sharing in a group chat or a public link. A shared link may be forwarded, and a group chat has more readers than you intended. Send to one verified recipient through one channel, and tell them how long to keep the copy. On a Mac, Preview can show you what a photo reveals, and Quick Actions can convert or mark up a file, but removing location and watermarking per recipient is where a dedicated tool earns its place.
Questions
Is it safe to email a picture of my passport?
It is risky. Email was not designed as a vault, and copies persist in your sent folder, the recipient's inbox and both backups. Prefer the recipient's secure portal, or an encrypted file with the password sent through a different channel, and strip hidden photo details before attaching anything.
Should I black out part of my ID?
Only if the recipient does not need those fields, and only after asking. Covering irrelevant numbers can reduce what leaks, but a legal or financial check may require the full document unaltered. Use a real redaction method, not a rectangle drawn on top, which can sometimes be moved or removed.
Does a watermark stop someone from using my ID?
No, a watermark does not prevent misuse. What it does is label the copy with its purpose and recipient, which makes casual reuse harder to pass off and helps you trace where a leaked copy came from. It works best alongside metadata removal and a secure channel.
Can I use my phone's share sheet instead?
Yes for AirDrop between nearby devices, where Apple says transfers are encrypted and the recipient accepts each one. For messaging apps, check whether the app encrypts end to end and whether chats back up to the cloud, since each backup is another copy of the scan.