A computer-implemented method for authentication, validation, storage, and third party verification of a user's documents, the computer-implemented method comprising:
- authenticating, by a first computer, a user, wherein authentication requires the user to register with a document service using a computer network, and to provide to the document service personal information of the user, in exchange for which the user receives an unauthenticated code, which the user then presents with a photo identification to an ID station associated with the document service which uploads, by the first computer or a second computer, the unauthenticated code and photo identification at the document service and associates them with the user's personal information, the document service then generating a computerized validation code and sending, by the computer network, the validation code to the user for presentation to the ID station, whereby presentation of the validation code to the ID station causes the document service to generate an authenticated user code, the authenticated user code then being sent to the user;
- associating a document with the authenticated user code;
- transferring, by a third computer, a digital document associated with the authenticated user code from a document source to an electronic vault for the user when requested by the user, wherein the digital document comprises a digital version of the document associated with the authenticated user code;
- verifying, by the second computer, the document by receipt of the authenticated user code with the document source, or by independent data;
- encrypting and securely storing the digital document so that control of sending or viewing the digital document remains with the user;
- storing metadata and encryption data associated with the document at the document service;
- having the document service verify the authentication of the digital document in response to a request by a third party and confirm that the digital document is valid, by the user sending, by the network, the authenticated user code to the document service, the document service sending a computerized hyperlink to the third party, and upon the third party clicking on the computerized hyperlink permission is requested from the user for the document service to allow the digital document or metadata for the document to be viewed by the third party, and upon receiving, by the network, permission from the owner, the digital document or metadata is viewable by the third party.