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What is a CRN
A CRN is 9 numbers and ends with a letter. For example, 123 456 789A.
We give you a CRN when you prove your identity with us. It helps us identify your Centrelink record.
Your CRN stays the same for all Centrelink payments and services. We don’t delete your CRN, even if you stop getting a payment from us. This means you’ll have one if you got a payment from us as a child.
You need your CRN when you do any of these:
- claim for Centrelink payments and services
- want to link Centrelink to your myGov account
- record or update your information with us.
How to know if you have a CRN
You’ll have a CRN if you’ve:
- proven your identity with us in the past
- ever got a Centrelink payment or service.
Where you can find your CRN
You’ll find your CRN on letters we’ve sent you or on your concession card, if you have one.
If you can’t find it or don’t know if you have one, you’ll need to prove your identity with us. Follow the steps to get a CRN and we’ll check our records.
How to get a CRN
You only need a CRN if you want to claim Centrelink payments or services.
The quickest way to get a CRN is with myGov. To start you need a myGov account. If you don’t have one, you can find out how to create one on the myGov website. When you’ve created your myGov account, follow these steps to prove your identity online and get a CRN.
- Sign in to myGov.
- Select Link Centrelink from the Link a service menu.
- Select No to Do you have or know your CRN, followed by Next.
- Select Get started on either Digital ID or Centrelink identity verification.
If you need additional help with this, we have guides for how to:
- link Centrelink to myGov using your Digital ID
- link Centrelink to myGov using Centrelink identity verification.
When you’ve got your CRN, you can start your claim for a Centrelink payment using your Centrelink online account through myGov.
Before you submit a claim for some payments, you may need to meet some more identity requirements. This could include bringing acceptable photo identity documents to a service centre or uploading a document in your Centrelink online account or the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app. We’ll let you know if you need to do this.
You can also use your Digital ID to prove your identity, so that you don’t need to visit a service centre.
If you can’t get a CRN online, you can call us to prove your identity over the phone. We can then give you a CRN and the information you need to claim a payment.
For your privacy and security select My account, then Sign out when you’ve finished using your myGov account.