diff --git a/src/SEBT.Portal.Web/src/features/auth/components/id-proofing/IdProofingForm.test.tsx b/src/SEBT.Portal.Web/src/features/auth/components/id-proofing/IdProofingForm.test.tsx
index 4d9684f4..5319da64 100644
--- a/src/SEBT.Portal.Web/src/features/auth/components/id-proofing/IdProofingForm.test.tsx
+++ b/src/SEBT.Portal.Web/src/features/auth/components/id-proofing/IdProofingForm.test.tsx
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event'
 import { http, HttpResponse } from 'msw'
 import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 
+import { i18n } from '@sebt/design-system/client'
+
+import enCoStepUpProcessing from '@/content/locales/en/co/step-upProcessing.json'
 import enDcValidation from '@/content/locales/en/dc/validation.json'
 import { server } from '@/mocks/server'
 
@@ -1097,6 +1100,102 @@ describe('IdProofingForm', () => {
       })
     })
 
+    it('renders the titled LoadingInterstitial when step-upProcessing copy is present in the locale bundle', async () => {
+      // Forward-compatibility guard: when a state's content sheet ships
+      // step-upProcessing.title/body upstream, the form must pick it up and
+      // render the titled interstitial without any code change. We simulate
+      // that by adding the CO bundle for the duration of this test.
+      i18n.addResourceBundle('en', 'step-upProcessing', enCoStepUpProcessing, true, true)
+      try {
+        let resolveResponse: () => void = () => {}
+        const responsePromise = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+          resolveResponse = resolve
+        })
+
+        server.use(
+          http.post('/api/id-proofing', async () => {
+            await responsePromise
+            return HttpResponse.json({ result: 'matched' })
+          })
+        )
+
+        const user = userEvent.setup()
+        renderWithProviders(
+          <IdProofingForm
+            idOptions={TEST_ID_OPTIONS}
+            contactLink={TEST_CONTACT_LINK}
+          />
+        )
+
+        await user.selectOptions(screen.getByRole('combobox', { name: /month/i }), '03')
+        await user.type(screen.getByRole('textbox', { name: INPUT_LABEL_DAY }), '10')
+        await user.type(screen.getByRole('textbox', { name: INPUT_LABEL_YEAR }), '1990')
+        await user.click(screen.getByRole('radio', { name: LABEL_SSN }))
+        await user.type(await screen.findByRole('textbox', { name: INPUT_LABEL_SSN }), '999999999')
+        await user.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: /continue/i }))
+
+        await waitFor(() => {
+          expect(screen.getByRole('status')).toBeInTheDocument()
+        })
+        expect(screen.getByText(enCoStepUpProcessing.title)).toBeInTheDocument()
+        expect(screen.getByText(enCoStepUpProcessing.body)).toBeInTheDocument()
+
+        resolveResponse()
+        await waitFor(() => {
+          expect(mockPush).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/dashboard')
+        })
+      } finally {
+        i18n.removeResourceBundle('en', 'step-upProcessing')
+      }
+    })
+
+    it('renders a spinner-only status region when step-upProcessing copy is missing from the active locale bundle', async () => {
+      // DC's content sheet currently marks S10 - Step-up Processing rows as
+      // !N/A!, so the step-upProcessing namespace is not registered for DC. If
+      // the form rendered LoadingInterstitial with tProcessing('title') /
+      // tProcessing('body'), i18next would fall back to the literal key names
+      // — DC users would see "body" in a box. The loading state falls back to a
+      // spinner-only status region whenever the copy is missing, regardless of
+      // which state is active.
+      let resolveResponse: () => void = () => {}
+      const responsePromise = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+        resolveResponse = resolve
+      })
+
+      server.use(
+        http.post('/api/id-proofing', async () => {
+          await responsePromise
+          return HttpResponse.json({ result: 'matched' })
+        })
+      )
+
+      const user = userEvent.setup()
+      renderWithProviders(
+        <IdProofingForm
+          idOptions={TEST_ID_OPTIONS}
+          contactLink={TEST_CONTACT_LINK}
+        />
+      )
+
+      await user.selectOptions(screen.getByRole('combobox', { name: /month/i }), '03')
+      await user.type(screen.getByRole('textbox', { name: INPUT_LABEL_DAY }), '10')
+      await user.type(screen.getByRole('textbox', { name: INPUT_LABEL_YEAR }), '1990')
+      await user.click(screen.getByRole('radio', { name: LABEL_SSN }))
+      await user.type(await screen.findByRole('textbox', { name: INPUT_LABEL_SSN }), '999999999')
+      await user.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: /continue/i }))
+
+      await waitFor(() => {
+        expect(screen.getByRole('status')).toBeInTheDocument()
+      })
+      expect(screen.queryByText(/^title$/)).not.toBeInTheDocument()
+      expect(screen.queryByText(/^body$/)).not.toBeInTheDocument()
+
+      resolveResponse()
+      await waitFor(() => {
+        expect(mockPush).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/dashboard')
+      })
+    })
+
     it('restores the form and shows the submit error alert when the mutation throws', async () => {
       // The error path must NOT leave the loading interstitial stuck on screen —
       // the user needs to see the alert above the form so they can retry.
diff --git a/src/SEBT.Portal.Web/src/features/auth/components/id-proofing/IdProofingForm.tsx b/src/SEBT.Portal.Web/src/features/auth/components/id-proofing/IdProofingForm.tsx
index 3395993f..6de1ab1a 100644
--- a/src/SEBT.Portal.Web/src/features/auth/components/id-proofing/IdProofingForm.tsx
+++ b/src/SEBT.Portal.Web/src/features/auth/components/id-proofing/IdProofingForm.tsx
@@ -296,12 +296,36 @@ export function IdProofingForm({ idOptions, contactLink, getDiToken }: IdProofin
   // see the submit button text change to "Continue..." and any eventual outcome
   // (off-boarding navigation or an inline error) reads as "we just got an error
   // after waiting."
+  //
+  // The titled interstitial only renders when the active locale bundle has
+  // step-upProcessing copy. States whose content sheet omits those rows (DC
+  // marks them !N/A!) would otherwise see i18next leak the literal key names
+  // "title"/"body" through the fallback chain — they fall back to a spinner-only
+  // status region. Adding the copy upstream is enough to switch in the titled
+  // interstitial; no code change needed.
   if (isProcessing || submitIdProofing.isPending) {
+    const hasInterstitialCopy =
+      i18n.exists('step-upProcessing:title') && i18n.exists('step-upProcessing:body')
+    if (hasInterstitialCopy) {
+      return (
+        <LoadingInterstitial
+          title={tProcessing('title')}
+          message={tProcessing('body')}
+        />
+      )
+    }
     return (
-      <LoadingInterstitial
-        title={tProcessing('title')}
-        message={tProcessing('body')}
-      />
+      <div
+        className="padding-y-4 text-center"
+        role="status"
+        aria-busy="true"
+        aria-live="polite"
+      >
+        <span
+          className="usa-spinner"
+          aria-hidden="true"
+        />
+      </div>
     )
   }