# Redact Passport and ID Document Copies

> KYC files, real-estate transactions, and notarial copies often retain ID scans. Redact non-essential identifiers in seconds.

**Try it:** https://www.redact-pdf.ai/sign-up
**See pricing:** https://www.redact-pdf.ai/pricing

## What's on an ID

A passport or national ID typically shows: name, date of birth, place of birth, ID/passport number, nationality, sex, signature, photo, MRZ (machine-readable zone), and sometimes parents' names or biometric data. KYC retention often requires keeping only specific fields.

## Why partial redaction of IDs

- KYC archives where only ID number and validity are needed
- Real-estate files where only the buyer name is relevant
- Notarial copies retained for proof-of-identity only
- GDPR data-minimization for long-term archives

## OCR-first approach for IDs

Most ID copies are scanned. Our OCR extracts text including the MRZ, then runs PII detection across all fields. The photo itself is not auto-detected (use Studio manual masks for the face).

## How it works

1. **Upload the ID scan(s)** — JPG, PNG, or PDF — single or batch.
2. **Enable Person, Date, Address, Organization** — Covers most ID text fields.
3. **Studio manual mask for the photo** — Click and drag a mask over the photo area in a few seconds.
4. **Download** — Rasterized output with permanent redactions.

## For KYC and AML workflows

Long-term retention of full ID scans creates breach liability. Bulk-redacting historical KYC archives to keep only required fields reduces both risk and storage footprint.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does it redact the photo on the ID?

Not automatically — the photo is an image, not text. Use Studio to draw a manual mask in 2–3 seconds.

### What about the MRZ (machine-readable zone)?

MRZ is OCR'd and parsed as text. Names, numbers, and dates within it are detected.

### Can I keep the ID number visible while masking everything else?

Yes — in Studio, remove the mask over the ID number field. The result is a single-field-visible copy.

## Related guides

- https://www.redact-pdf.ai/redact/names-from-pdf.md
- https://www.redact-pdf.ai/redact/dates-from-pdf.md
- https://www.redact-pdf.ai/redact/property-deeds.md
- https://www.redact-pdf.ai/redact/marriage-certificates.md

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Primary keyword: redact passport copy PDF
Audience: notary, real-estate, finance, legal

Built on Microsoft Azure infrastructure (SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, HIPAA-eligible) with Swiss / EU data residency. Documents are never used to train AI models.