Verification Methodology — Guidance | NLA
Guidance & Standards / Verification Methodology

Verification methodology

This guidance explains how verification works, what is checked, and what verification confirms (and does not confirm). The goal is to make license status and scope claims easy to validate for third parties without relying on screenshots or marketing material.

What is checked What is confirmed Verification outputs Common failures
Important: Verification confirms license record details and status as shown on register outputs. It does not validate commercial claims, performance claims, or promises made by a licensee or any private provider.

What verification checks

inputs

Verification checks the license record against published register data. The checks are evidence-based and record-led. The minimum checks are focused on identity, scope, and status.

Minimum checks

  • License number matches a unique register record
  • Legal entity name matches the recorded license holder
  • License family and approved activity headers match published scope
  • Status state is displayed using standard meanings (Active / Suspended / etc.)

Additional signals (where available)

  • Issue date and record timestamps
  • Public notes or restrictions (if published)
  • Historical status transitions (if applicable)
  • Cross-links to applicable standards or circulars

What verification confirms (and does not)

scope

Verification is intentionally narrow: it focuses on the license record. It is not a substitute for due diligence, commercial assessment, or legal advice.

Category Verification confirms Verification does not confirm
Status Whether the license record is Active / Suspended / Revoked / Expired / Under review (as published). Whether the licensee is financially safe or operationally sound.
Identity Legal entity name and license number match a register record. Ownership claims, marketing narratives, or reputation claims.
Scope Approved activity headers as shown on the register entry. “Worldwide authorisation” or implied permissions beyond the headers.
Public record Register-visible details at the time of verification. Private correspondence, invoices, or emails unless separately published.
Why verification is intentionally limited

Verification needs to be deterministic and evidence-based. If verification attempted to score business quality, it would become subjective and unreliable. Public verification is about record truth: status, identity, and approved scope.

Verification flow (high-level)

process

A verification request typically follows this sequence. Third parties will interpret missing or inconsistent steps as a red flag.

1

Input (license number + entity name)

Verifier enters the license number and checks the legal entity name for an exact match against register data.

2

Record match

System returns a unique record if found. If multiple records match, the result is treated as unreliable until clarified.

3

Status + scope display

Status state and approved activity headers are displayed. Third parties compare these to the licensee’s public claims.

4

Decision: confirm or flag

If any mismatch exists (name, number, scope, status), the verifier flags the claim and requests clarification or correction.

Minimum “pass” criteria
  • License number resolves to a unique record.
  • Legal entity name matches the record (no branding-only substitutions).
  • Status is clearly displayed and not ambiguous.
  • Public claims match approved activity headers.

Verification outputs (what should be visible)

outputs

Verification should return a structured output that is clear and consistent with the public register entry. The goal is for the output to be usable by compliance teams without further interpretation.

Output item Minimum expectation Reason
License number Displayed exactly and consistently with the register. Prevents “close-enough” ambiguity.
Legal entity name Full legal name, with trading name optional as secondary. Legal accountability attaches to legal entity, not branding.
Status state Standard status states with plain meaning. Removes interpretation risk.
Approved scope headers Clear list of permitted activities. Blocks scope drift and misleading claims.
Issue date Displayed in a stable format. Supports due diligence timelines.

Common failure patterns (what causes mistrust)

risk

These are the patterns that cause third parties to treat a license claim as unreliable even if a record exists.

Identity mismatch

  • Marketing name used as “legal entity”
  • Spelling differences not corrected
  • License number displayed inconsistently across pages

Scope drift

  • Public claims broader than approved activity headers
  • “Worldwide regulated” language without support
  • Implied permissions not visible on register
Good public wording (simple, compliance-safe)
  • License claim: “Licensed under the NLA framework — status verifiable via NLA Verify license.”
  • Scope statement: “Permitted activities are limited to the approved activity headers shown on the public register entry.”
  • If status isn’t Active: disclose the status state explicitly (e.g., “suspended”, “under review”).