Local businesses warned over digital ID non-compliance

…after bank refuses to accept new form of identification

Attorney General (AG) Anil Nandlall on Thursday warned that the Police force will be directed to ensure compliance if businesses continue to refuse to accept the Government’s newly implemented Digital Identity Card as a valid form of identification.
His comments come amid reports that at least one Private Sector business has declined to recognise the card for transactions, raising concerns about adherence to the Digital Identity Card Act of 2023.
“This is the first complaint I have not received any reports of such non-compliance. If there continues to be non-compliance, then the Police force will have to be informed and be directed to ensure that the law is complied with,” Nandlall stressed.
Nandlall emphasised that the legislation clearly establishes the legal standing of the card.
“The law says that the card is a sufficient and lawful form of identification to conduct any business, both in person and online, that requires the use of a form of identification. And it applies within territorial Guyana to both the Public sector and to private entities. It has an extraterritorial effect as well in relation to countries with which Guyana may, at least at some stage, execute some type of agreement. So, the agency or entity that refuses to use the card is violating the Act,” Nandlall said.
“In the Act itself there are consequences of a penal nature that flow when there is noncompliance with any provisions of the Act, in particular this provision of the Act. Because this is the pivotal provision in the law that activates the legal character of the card as a form of national identification.”
Part III of the Digital Identity Card Act of 2023 states that the card “shall be an official document, sufficient and necessary to lawfully identify the person in doing any business with a public body or Private Sector entity, whether in person or online, within Guyana or in any country that has a reciprocal agreement with Guyana for the use of such a card.”
The legislation, passed in the National Assembly in August 2023, provides for the consolidation of biometric data for citizens aged fourteen and older, as well as eligible non-citizens, including Caribbean Community nationals and other foreign workers approved to work in Guyana.

Full effect on March 31, 2026
Prime Minister Brigadier, (retired) Mark Phillips recently announced that the commencement order bringing the act into full operation took effect on March 31, 2026. The move marks a significant step in the Government’s digital transformation agenda.
The Digital Identity Card initiative is intended to modernise identification processes, improve efficiency, and enhance access to services. Authorities say it will streamline transactions, reduce fraud, and strengthen service delivery across sectors such as healthcare, finance, and public administration. The system is also supported by integrated security features and phased data protection measures aimed at safeguarding personal information.
Before the introduction of the Digital ID, the most widely accepted forms of identification for Guyanese citizens have been the national identification card issued by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for voting or the use of Guyanese passports. Some businesses accept the use of the driver’s licence which is issued by the Guyana Revenue Authority. though some banks and businesses still do not accept this as a form of ID.
With the digital identity card now legally recognised as a universal form of identification, the Government has signalled that compliance by both public and private entities is not optional but mandatory under the law.