Drag a box over each detail the recipient has agreed it does not need; the tool fills it with texture from the surrounding card and burns it into the JPG or PDF you download, all in your browser. The OAIC says that when a real estate agent copies a document with a government-related identifier, such as a licence or Medicare number, it must generally blank that number out.
Cover a detail in four steps
- Open a photo, scan or PDF of the document. Crop and Rotate first if it sits at an angle.
- Blur is already selected: drag a box over each detail you are leaving out. Draw as many as you need.
- Look at every side and page for the same number printed twice. A misplaced box comes off with the × at its corner.
- Download a JPG or PDF and open it to check. The file you chose is left as it was.
The numbers Australian law treats differently
The OAIC calls a number like your Medicare number, Centrelink customer reference number, driver licence number or birth certificate number a government-related identifier, and lists the passport number with them when it explains ID scanning. A real estate agent may collect one when reasonably necessary, but generally must not use or disclose it, and must generally blank it out when it copies the document. Your tax file number has stricter rules of its own that bind every agent.
In practice:
| Document | Number you might cover | Also check |
|---|---|---|
| Australian passport | Passport number | The two machine-readable lines at the bottom of the photo page |
| Driver licence | Licence number, and the card number (top right on a NSW card) | Both sides of the card |
| Medicare card | Medicare number | Any other page you scan with the card |
Service NSW notes that a licence number on its own cannot pass a Document Verification Service check; it is the licence number and card number together that make a NSW card worth replacing after a breach.
Leave what the check needs
Some requests need the very numbers you would like to hide. An identity check through the Document Verification Service compares the details you give, with your consent, against the issuer’s record. A Victorian rental application can ask for up to two identity documents, such as a licence or Medicare card. Ask which details the recipient will actually use before you cover anything; a copy with a required field hidden can be refused.
Why the box cannot be lifted
Ordinary blur and pixelation keep traces of what was underneath. Here the box is filled with a texture made from the surrounding paper and painted into the exported pixels. The downloaded file has no layer to remove and no original text beneath it; a PDF comes out as one image per page, so selectable text, form fields and digital signatures are dropped too.
The protection covers only the area you boxed. Your original still shows everything, so keep it locked, and add a watermark with the recipient’s name or compress the copy for a portal if needed.
Common questions
Can a real estate agent ask me to send my licence without blanking the number?
The OAIC says an agent may collect a government-related identifier such as a licence number when it is reasonably necessary, but must generally blank it out when it uses or discloses the document, including by copying it. Ask which details the agent needs before you send.
Should I hide my Medicare number on a rental application?
Ask first. Victoria lists a Medicare card among the identity documents an agent may request, and the OAIC treats the Medicare number as a government-related identifier, so a copy with the number covered may be enough when the card only needs to show your name.
Does the redaction survive in the PDF?
Yes. The PDF holds an image of each page with the box painted into its pixels, so there is no text layer underneath to recover. Selectable text, form fields and signatures from the original are not kept.
Can I undo a box after downloading?
No. The downloaded copy has no layer to remove. Delete a box with its × before you download, and keep your original, which the tool never changes.
