e-GGRT Login Error: "MISMATCH"

Error you may see:

What does this error mean?

You entered your e-GGRT Username, were sent to Login.gov, and signed in successfully — but the Login.gov account you used is not the one connected to the username you entered. Your Login.gov account is working fine. It simply isn't the Login.gov account e-GGRT expects for that username.

Why does this happen?

Each e-GGRT Username (aka CDX User ID) is connected to a Login.gov account once, and that connection can never be changed or undone.

Most often, this error means the original Login.gov account no longer exists — you lost access to it and had to create a replacement. When the original Login.gov account goes away, the connection breaks permanently, and the e-GGRT Username it was attached to can no longer be used.

This is EPA's Central Data Exchange (CDX) policy, from the CDX FAQ page:

Q: What happens if I delete or lose access to the Login.gov account that is associated with my CDX account?

A: Although Login.gov recommends deleting an account if the authentication method(s) is/are lost for any reason, CDX will not offer a means to relink the account due to security implications. Revocation or loss of a Login.gov account will render the associated CDX account defunct, and retrieval of the account's submission history (Copy of Records) will require submitting a notarized request on company letterhead via paper mail to EPA with proper certification of authorization.

I created a new Login.gov account with the same email address. Isn't that the same account?

No — this is a common misunderstanding behind this error.

A Login.gov account is not identified by its email address. If you deleted a Login.gov account and created a new one using the exact same email address, it is a different account as far as CDX and e-GGRT are concerned. The connection to your e-GGRT Username was to the original account, and reusing the email address does not restore it.

So you can sign in to Login.gov without any trouble, use the email address you have always used, and still receive this error.

How do I tell whether this is my situation?

Ask yourself one question: since you last successfully used e-GGRT, have you deleted and recreated your Login.gov account, or been told to create a new one?

If you're not sure, try signing in to CDX directly at https://cdx.epa.gov/:

• If CDX also fails, that confirms the original Login.gov connection is broken.
• If CDX signs you in normally, something else may be going on — submit a ticket and tell us that CDX works but e-GGRT returns the MISMATCH error.

What if my original Login.gov account is gone?

Then that e-GGRT Username cannot be recovered, and you will need a new CDX/e-GGRT account. There are two ways to create one.

If you also use other EPA programs that require a CDX account — CEDRI or TRIMEweb, for example — start at CDX. Go to https://cdx.epa.gov/, choose Register with CDX, and add the program services you need.

You will not find e-GGRT among those program services, and you shouldn't go looking for it. e-GGRT is never added from inside CDX. Instead, once your new CDX account exists, go to the e-GGRT login page, enter your new username, and click NEXT. e-GGRT will recognize you as a CDX user and run a shorter, one-time registration that adds the e-GGRT Program Service for you. See How Do I Add e-GGRT to My Existing CDX Account?

If e-GGRT is the only EPA program you use, you can register entirely from e-GGRT: go to https://ghgreporting.epa.gov/ghg/login.do and click CREATE ACCOUNT. That process creates your CDX account and connects it to e-GGRT in one pass.

Either route gets you there, but we'd rather you start in CDX when other EPA programs are involved, so your new account is set up for all of them at once.

When you reach the step that connects your new account to Login.gov, choose "Sign in" and use the Login.gov account you have now. You do not need to create yet another one.

What if I'm certain I never lost my Login.gov account?

Then your browser may be holding on to a previous Login.gov sign-in, or you may have a second Login.gov account you've forgotten about. Try this:

1. Clear your browser history and cookies.
2. Close every open window of that browser, and make sure no other browser sessions are open.
3. Open a new browser session and go to https://ghgreporting.epa.gov/ghg/login.do. If you can, use a different browser than the one you started with.
4. Enter your e-GGRT Username and click NEXT.
5. At Login.gov, enter the email address and password of the account you originally connected to this username. Leave the "Remember this browser" checkbox unchecked.

If you still get the error, you are almost certainly authenticating with a different Login.gov account than the one connected to your username. Contact Login.gov — they can help you work out which accounts you have. The Help Desk cannot see your Login.gov accounts.

How do I avoid this in the future?

Protect your Login.gov account, because losing it means losing the e-GGRT Username attached to it.

The most important step is to set up two or more authentication methods on your Login.gov account. If you lose access to your primary method — most often a lost or replaced phone — a second method is what gets you back in. Without one, Login.gov cannot restore your access, and CDX cannot relink your e-GGRT Username to a replacement account.

It also helps to use an email address you will always be able to reach, and to add more than one email address and phone number to the account.

For how to set these up, see Protecting Your Login.gov Account.