# ial

Source: https://startwithidentity.com/glossary/ial/
Last updated: 2026-08-29
License: content by Start with Identity. Cite the source URL.

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NIST 800-63A levels describing identity proofing strength. IAL1: self-asserted. IAL2: remote or in-person verification with evidence. IAL3: in-person verification by a trained agent.

IAL is about proofing, not login: it answers "how sure are we this account belongs to a real, specific person" rather than "how strongly did they authenticate". Conflating it with AAL is the common mistake, and it produces systems with hardware keys protecting accounts that were opened with an unverified email. Regulated onboarding, benefits programs, and anything with fraud exposure need both levels stated separately.

See also: [AAL](https://startwithidentity.com/glossary/aal/), [NIST 800-63](https://startwithidentity.com/glossary/nist-800-63/), [identity verification](https://startwithidentity.com/glossary/idv/), [identity verification vendors](https://startwithidentity.com/vendors/identity-verification/)