Canadian · Validation
BC PHN validator.
Check the format and Mod 11 check digit of a British Columbia Personal Health Number (PHN). Format and checksum only: it cannot tell you whether a number was issued or who it belongs to. Everything runs in your browser.
Inputs
Result
Enter a BC PHN and press Validate.
How the BC PHN check digit works
A British Columbia Personal Health Number (PHN) is 10 digits. The first digit is always 9 and the 10th is a Mod 11 check digit. It is usually written 4-3-3, for example 9698 658 215.
- Ignore the first digit. Multiply digits 2 to 9 by the weights 2, 4, 8, 5, 10, 9, 7, 3.
- Divide each product by 11 and keep the remainder.
- Add the remainders and take the total mod 11.
- Subtract that from 11. The result must equal the 10th digit. A result of 10 or 11 can never match a single digit, so those numbers are invalid.
Worked example from the standard, 9698658215: remainders 1, 3, 9, 8, 6, 6, 3, 3 sum to 39; 39 mod 11 = 6; 11 − 6 = 5, which matches the last digit.
Sources
- BC Ministry of Health, Conformance Standards Volume 4B: Application Enforced Rules – Client Registry, v3.3, section 1.3 (archived copy).
- python-stdnum
stdnum/ca/bc_phn.py, which uses the same weights and first-digit rule. It accepts a computed value of 0 where the official text says 10 or 11 are invalid; this tool follows the official text.
What a passing check does and doesn’t tell you
This tool checks format and checksum only. A number that passes is internally consistent; it does not confirm the PHN was ever issued, belongs to anyone, or that the person is eligible for BC health coverage. There is no lookup. Runs entirely in your browser: nothing you type is transmitted, stored, or logged.