Canadian · Validation
ORCID iD validator & check character calculator.
Verify a 16-character ORCID iD's real check character, or enter just the first 15 digits to have the correct final character computed for you. Everything runs in your browser: nothing you type is transmitted anywhere.
Inputs
Result
Enter an ORCID iD and press Validate.
How the ORCID check character works
An ORCID iD is 16 characters, normally shown as four hyphenated groups of four. The first 15 are digits and the last is a check character, calculated with ISO/IEC 7064 MOD 11-2 as published in ORCID's "Structure of the ORCID Identifier" article. Start with a total of 0; for each of the 15 digits, add the digit to the total and double the result. Take the total modulo 11, subtract it from 12, and take that modulo 11 again. A result of 10 is written as the letter X.
ORCID's documented example iD, 0000-0002-1825-0097, ends in 7, which is exactly what the algorithm gives for its first 15 digits. Because the check is MOD 11-2, any single mistyped character and most swaps of two neighbouring characters are caught.
What a passing checksum does and doesn’t tell you
A valid check character only proves the 16 characters are internally consistent. It does not confirm the iD was ever registered or who it belongs to; look it up at orcid.org for that. This tool runs entirely in your browser: nothing you type is transmitted, stored, or logged.