Identity documents in the United States
Encyclopedia
There is no true national identity card in the United States of America, in the sense that there is no federal agency with nationwide jurisdiction that directly issues such cards to all American citizens for mandatory regular use. All legislative attempts to create one have failed due to tenacious opposition from liberal
and conservative
politicians alike, who regard the national identity card as the mark of a totalitarian society.
At present, the only national identity card is the passport card
which is issued to U.S. citizens only upon voluntary application. Although its main purpose is for land and sea travel within North America, under the REAL ID Act
the passport card will also be accepted for domestic air travel. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has indicated that the U.S. Passport Card may be used in the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 (form)
process. The passport card is considered a “List A” document that may be presented by newly hired employees during the employment eligibility verification process to show work authorized status. “List A” documents are those used by employees to prove both identity and work authorization when completing the Form I-9. The passport card can be used as a valid proof of citizenship and proof of identity both inside and outside the United States. Most people, however, use state issued driver's licenses as identity cards.
is the initial identification document issued to parents shortly after the birth of their child. This document is issued by the individual states but is the first document establishing U.S. citizenship.
upon the request of a baby's parents. The parents customarily file such a request soon after birth to ensure issuance of a Social Security number
(sometimes referred to as SSN, SS#, or simply social). Then the parents can report the baby to the Internal Revenue Service
as a dependent, which will reduce the amount of federal income tax
they have to pay.
The SSN was originally intended to ensure accurate reporting of payroll contributions so that an employee's Social Security
benefits could be adjusted accordingly, and then the employee could claim their benefits upon retirement. Because their original purpose was so limited, Social Security cards were not designed with the rigorous security measures normally expected of identity documents. They did not (and still do not) have a photograph of the bearer or a physical description.
In the absence of a national identity card, the Social Security number has become the de facto
national identifier for tax
and credit
purposes. In turn, the epidemic of identity theft
in the U.S. since the 1990s has led to various proposals for a national identity card.
Many organization
s, universities
and corporation
s historically used SSNs to uniquely identify their customer or student populations, but have since yielded to public demand that the SSN be reserved to government and credit purposes. Instead, they assign their own unique numbers to persons at first contact and request SSNs only when absolutely necessary. Also, several states have passed laws that require such institutions to assign their own identifier numbers to individuals, and prohibit them from using the SSN as a primary key.
The Armed Forces of the United States replaced the service number
(sometimes erroneously called Serial Number) with the SSN in 1974 to identify servicemembers. Recently, some services such as the U.S. Coast Guard are ceasing to use the SSN and now make use of an Employee I.D. Number (or EMPLID).
On June 1, 2011 the DOD removed SSNs from ID cards, and replaced it with a 10-digit DOD Identification Number. http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=63409
, which must be carried at all times when operating a vehicle in most states, and in most states presented to law enforcement officers upon request (while one is driving the vehicle). Driver licensing authorities also make photo based identification cards available for those who do not have driver's licenses.
48 states have a Department of Motor Vehicles
(or an equivalent agency of the state government) which issues and manages driver's licenses and identification cards. The states of Hawaii
and Kentucky
delegate driver licensing to county governments (along with vehicle registration).
Driver's licenses issued in any state are recognized as valid identity documents in all other states under a variety of legal principles like comity
and the Full Faith and Credit Clause
of the United States Constitution. Many countries also recognize American licenses as valid identity documents.
In addition, when a person engages in bad driving in another state or country, there are often Traffic Violations Reciprocity
agreements in place to ensure that bad drivers are appropriately punished for their out-of-state offenses.
Besides state agencies, federal agencies also accept driver's licenses as proof of identity for many purposes, such as boarding an airliner
.
The driver's license is often requested by private businesses to verify identity, especially in combination with the use of a credit card or the purchase of alcoholic beverage
s or cigarettes. Auto insurance companies usually request driver's license numbers from drivers seeking insurance for their vehicles. The companies have real-time access to driving records and can immediately access a person's record to assess the risk of insuring them.
Although most American adults carry their driver's license at all times when they are outside their homes, there is no legal requirement that they must be carrying their license when not operating a vehicle. However, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that states are permitted to require people to say their name when a police officer
asks them. See Stop and Identify statutes
. Furthermore, in some states, like California
, failure to produce an identification document upon citation for any traffic infraction (such as riding a bicycle on the wrong side of a street) is sufficient justification for full custodial arrest.
In 2005, the U.S. Congress passed a controversial bill known as the REAL ID Act
that will transform the state-issued driver's license into what many contend will be a de facto national identification card (though still not a true one since it will still be issued by the state governments and not the federal government). The transformation will be carried out by giving the Department of Homeland Security
the power to regulate the design and content of all state driver's licenses, and to require that all of the underlying state databases be linked into a single national database. However, not all U.S citizens drive a car. Critics charge that DHS will be given carte blanche to dictate the content of driver's licenses and to directly manage information about all Americans.
s are issued by the U.S. Department of State. Applications for passports are most often filed at United States Postal Service
offices or local county or municipal clerk's offices. For many years, passports were not required for US citizens to re-enter from countries near the United States (including Canada
, Mexico
, Bermuda
, and most Caribbean
and Central American nations.) In light of this, and given the country's immense size and the great distances which the average citizen lives from an international border, passport possession in the United States had remained relatively low. Indeed, most Americans normally did not obtain passports or carry them regularly unless traveling abroad, and as of 2006, only 60 million (20% of Americans) had passports. As of 2011, approximately 37% of Americans have Passports or Passport cards.
However, in response to recommendations in the 9/11 Commission Report
, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security now requires proof of citizenship for people entering the United States from neighboring countries. This requirement is known as the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
, and was implemented in stages:
or CAC) is issued to Active Duty
and Selected Reserve
service members, DOD employees, and some contractors. Adult dependents of service members, retired service members, and members of the Inactive Ready Reserve receive a different kind of military ID that does not contain the smart card
cryptographic chip that the Common Access Card has.
A DOD identification card number usually matches the holder's Social Security Number. But, on June 1, 2011, the DOD began phasing out use of the SSN to protect service members' identities.http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=63409 It was replaced with a 10-digit DOD ID Number and a 12-digit Benefits ID Number.
often carries a large number of documents issued by many different public and private entities.
The U.S. Federal government issues the following types of identity documents:
Other documents that are evidence of an individual's identity:
Other examples of documents involving personal identity include:
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
and conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
politicians alike, who regard the national identity card as the mark of a totalitarian society.
At present, the only national identity card is the passport card
Passport card
The passport card is an alternative to a passport produced in the United States to meet the documentary requirements of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. The U.S. Passport Card is a wallet-size travel document, issued to U.S...
which is issued to U.S. citizens only upon voluntary application. Although its main purpose is for land and sea travel within North America, under the REAL ID Act
REAL ID Act
The REAL ID Act of 2005, , was an Act of Congress that modified U.S. federal law pertaining to security, authentication, and issuance procedures standards for the state driver's licenses and identification cards, as well as various immigration issues pertaining to terrorism.The law set forth...
the passport card will also be accepted for domestic air travel. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has indicated that the U.S. Passport Card may be used in the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 (form)
I-9 (form)
The Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 is a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services form. It is used by an employer to verify an employee's identity and to establish that the worker is eligible to accept employment in the United States....
process. The passport card is considered a “List A” document that may be presented by newly hired employees during the employment eligibility verification process to show work authorized status. “List A” documents are those used by employees to prove both identity and work authorization when completing the Form I-9. The passport card can be used as a valid proof of citizenship and proof of identity both inside and outside the United States. Most people, however, use state issued driver's licenses as identity cards.
Birth certificate
The birth certificateBirth certificate
A birth certificate is a vital record that documents the birth of a child. The term "birth certificate" can refer to either the original document certifying the circumstances of the birth or to a certified copy of or representation of the ensuing registration of that birth...
is the initial identification document issued to parents shortly after the birth of their child. This document is issued by the individual states but is the first document establishing U.S. citizenship.
Social Security card
This document is usually issued by the Social Security AdministrationSocial Security Administration
The United States Social Security Administration is an independent agency of the United States federal government that administers Social Security, a social insurance program consisting of retirement, disability, and survivors' benefits...
upon the request of a baby's parents. The parents customarily file such a request soon after birth to ensure issuance of a Social Security number
Social Security number
In the United States, a Social Security number is a nine-digit number issued to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and temporary residents under section 205 of the Social Security Act, codified as . The number is issued to an individual by the Social Security Administration, an independent...
(sometimes referred to as SSN, SS#, or simply social). Then the parents can report the baby to the Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
as a dependent, which will reduce the amount of federal income tax
Income tax
An income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate...
they have to pay.
The SSN was originally intended to ensure accurate reporting of payroll contributions so that an employee's Social Security
Social Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
benefits could be adjusted accordingly, and then the employee could claim their benefits upon retirement. Because their original purpose was so limited, Social Security cards were not designed with the rigorous security measures normally expected of identity documents. They did not (and still do not) have a photograph of the bearer or a physical description.
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
national identifier for tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
and credit
Credit (finance)
Credit is the trust which allows one party to provide resources to another party where that second party does not reimburse the first party immediately , but instead arranges either to repay or return those resources at a later date. The resources provided may be financial Credit is the trust...
purposes. In turn, the epidemic of identity theft
Identity theft
Identity theft is a form of stealing another person's identity in which someone pretends to be someone else by assuming that person's identity, typically in order to access resources or obtain credit and other benefits in that person's name...
in the U.S. since the 1990s has led to various proposals for a national identity card.
Many organization
Organization
An organization is a social group which distributes tasks for a collective goal. The word itself is derived from the Greek word organon, itself derived from the better-known word ergon - as we know `organ` - and it means a compartment for a particular job.There are a variety of legal types of...
s, universities
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
and corporation
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
s historically used SSNs to uniquely identify their customer or student populations, but have since yielded to public demand that the SSN be reserved to government and credit purposes. Instead, they assign their own unique numbers to persons at first contact and request SSNs only when absolutely necessary. Also, several states have passed laws that require such institutions to assign their own identifier numbers to individuals, and prohibit them from using the SSN as a primary key.
The Armed Forces of the United States replaced the service number
Service number
A service number is an identification code used to identify a person within a large group. Service numbers are most often associated with the military; however, they may be used in civilian term as well...
(sometimes erroneously called Serial Number) with the SSN in 1974 to identify servicemembers. Recently, some services such as the U.S. Coast Guard are ceasing to use the SSN and now make use of an Employee I.D. Number (or EMPLID).
On June 1, 2011 the DOD removed SSNs from ID cards, and replaced it with a 10-digit DOD Identification Number. http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=63409
Driver's license
Due to its commonality, the de facto official identification card for adults in all states and territories is the driver's licenseDriver's license
A driver's license/licence , or driving licence is an official document which states that a person may operate a motorized vehicle, such as a motorcycle, car, truck or a bus, on a public roadway. Most U.S...
, which must be carried at all times when operating a vehicle in most states, and in most states presented to law enforcement officers upon request (while one is driving the vehicle). Driver licensing authorities also make photo based identification cards available for those who do not have driver's licenses.
48 states have a Department of Motor Vehicles
Department of Motor Vehicles
In the United States of America, a Department of Motor Vehicles is a state-level government agency that administers vehicle registration and driver licensing. Similar departments exist in Canada...
(or an equivalent agency of the state government) which issues and manages driver's licenses and identification cards. The states of Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
delegate driver licensing to county governments (along with vehicle registration).
Driver's licenses issued in any state are recognized as valid identity documents in all other states under a variety of legal principles like comity
Comity
In law, comity specifically refers to legal reciprocity—the principle that one jurisdiction will extend certain courtesies to other nations , particularly by recognizing the validity and effect of their executive, legislative, and judicial acts...
and the Full Faith and Credit Clause
Full Faith and Credit Clause
The Full Faith and Credit Clause is the familiar name used to refer to Article IV, Section 1 of the United States Constitution, which addresses the duties that states within the United States have to respect the "public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state." According to...
of the United States Constitution. Many countries also recognize American licenses as valid identity documents.
In addition, when a person engages in bad driving in another state or country, there are often Traffic Violations Reciprocity
Traffic Violations Reciprocity
Under traffic violations reciprocity agreements, non-resident drivers are treated like residents when they are stopped for a traffic offense that occurs in another jurisdiction. They also ensure that punishments such as "points" on one's license and the ensuring increase in insurance premiums...
agreements in place to ensure that bad drivers are appropriately punished for their out-of-state offenses.
Besides state agencies, federal agencies also accept driver's licenses as proof of identity for many purposes, such as boarding an airliner
Airliner
An airliner is a large fixed-wing aircraft for transporting passengers and cargo. Such aircraft are operated by airlines. Although the definition of an airliner can vary from country to country, an airliner is typically defined as an aircraft intended for carrying multiple passengers in commercial...
.
The driver's license is often requested by private businesses to verify identity, especially in combination with the use of a credit card or the purchase of alcoholic beverage
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
s or cigarettes. Auto insurance companies usually request driver's license numbers from drivers seeking insurance for their vehicles. The companies have real-time access to driving records and can immediately access a person's record to assess the risk of insuring them.
Although most American adults carry their driver's license at all times when they are outside their homes, there is no legal requirement that they must be carrying their license when not operating a vehicle. However, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that states are permitted to require people to say their name when a police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
asks them. See Stop and Identify statutes
Stop and Identify statutes
“Stop and identify” statutes are laws in the United States that allow police to detain persons reasonably suspected of involvement in a crime and require persons so detained to identify themselves to the police....
. Furthermore, in some states, like California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, failure to produce an identification document upon citation for any traffic infraction (such as riding a bicycle on the wrong side of a street) is sufficient justification for full custodial arrest.
In 2005, the U.S. Congress passed a controversial bill known as the REAL ID Act
REAL ID Act
The REAL ID Act of 2005, , was an Act of Congress that modified U.S. federal law pertaining to security, authentication, and issuance procedures standards for the state driver's licenses and identification cards, as well as various immigration issues pertaining to terrorism.The law set forth...
that will transform the state-issued driver's license into what many contend will be a de facto national identification card (though still not a true one since it will still be issued by the state governments and not the federal government). The transformation will be carried out by giving the Department of Homeland Security
United States Department of Homeland Security
The United States Department of Homeland Security is a cabinet department of the United States federal government, created in response to the September 11 attacks, and with the primary responsibilities of protecting the territory of the United States and protectorates from and responding to...
the power to regulate the design and content of all state driver's licenses, and to require that all of the underlying state databases be linked into a single national database. However, not all U.S citizens drive a car. Critics charge that DHS will be given carte blanche to dictate the content of driver's licenses and to directly manage information about all Americans.
Passport
United States passportUnited States passport
United States passports are passports issued to citizens and non-citizen nationals of the United States of America. They are issued exclusively by the U.S. Department of State. Besides issuing passports , also limited use passport cards are issued by the same organization subject to the same...
s are issued by the U.S. Department of State. Applications for passports are most often filed at United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
offices or local county or municipal clerk's offices. For many years, passports were not required for US citizens to re-enter from countries near the United States (including Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
, and most Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and Central American nations.) In light of this, and given the country's immense size and the great distances which the average citizen lives from an international border, passport possession in the United States had remained relatively low. Indeed, most Americans normally did not obtain passports or carry them regularly unless traveling abroad, and as of 2006, only 60 million (20% of Americans) had passports. As of 2011, approximately 37% of Americans have Passports or Passport cards.
However, in response to recommendations in the 9/11 Commission Report
9/11 Commission Report
The 9/11 Commission Report, formally named Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, is the official report of the events leading up to the September 11, 2001 attacks...
, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security now requires proof of citizenship for people entering the United States from neighboring countries. This requirement is known as the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is a law of the United States that requires all travelers to show a valid passport or other approved secure document when traveling to the U.S. from areas within the Western Hemisphere. The purpose, according to the U.S. Department of State and U.S...
, and was implemented in stages:
- On January 23, 2007, a passport, U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner's DocumentMerchant Mariner's DocumentCountries with a Merchant Navy or Merchant Marine require identifying credentials for their mariners. The Merchant Mariner's Document or Z-card in the United States, and the Ordinary Seaman's Certificate in the United Kingdom are examples of these credentials.-United Kingdom:An Ordinary Seaman...
, or NEXUSNEXUS (frequent traveller program)NEXUS is a joint Canada-United States program designed to let pre-approved, low-risk travelers cross the US-Canada border quickly. Members of the program can avoid long waits at border entry points by using self-serve kiosks at airports, reserved lanes at land crossings, or by phoning border...
card became mandatory when re-entering from those locations when traveling by air, with a few exceptions. - On 31 January 2008, officers at land and sea ports of entry stopped taking oral declarations of citizenship from travelers; all individuals entering the U.S. are now required to present documentary proof of identity and citizenship.
- Beginning 1 July 2009, people entering the United States by land or sea must present a passportPassportA passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
, passport cardPassport cardThe passport card is an alternative to a passport produced in the United States to meet the documentary requirements of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. The U.S. Passport Card is a wallet-size travel document, issued to U.S...
, or other document proving citizenship or permanent resident status.
Department of Defense Identification Card
Members of the Military and employees of the Department of Defense receive identity documents based on their status. A Geneva Conventions Identification Card (called a Common Access CardCommon Access Card
The Common Access Card is a United States Department of Defense smart card issued as standard identification for active-duty military personnel, reserve personnel, civilian employees, other non-DoD government employees, state employees of the National Guard, and eligible contractor personnel.The...
or CAC) is issued to Active Duty
Active Duty
ActiveDuty.com is a pornography company based in North Carolina, United States, that specializes in the production of pornographic movies featuring gay, straight and bi military men engaging in solo and gay sex acts...
and Selected Reserve
Selected Reserve
Selected Reserve is a term that describes both the members of a U.S. military Ready Reserve unit that are enrolled in the Ready Reserve program and the reserve unit that they are attached to...
service members, DOD employees, and some contractors. Adult dependents of service members, retired service members, and members of the Inactive Ready Reserve receive a different kind of military ID that does not contain the smart card
Smart card
A smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit card , is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits. A smart card or microprocessor cards contain volatile memory and microprocessor components. The card is made of plastic, generally polyvinyl chloride, but sometimes acrylonitrile...
cryptographic chip that the Common Access Card has.
A DOD identification card number usually matches the holder's Social Security Number. But, on June 1, 2011, the DOD began phasing out use of the SSN to protect service members' identities.http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=63409 It was replaced with a 10-digit DOD ID Number and a 12-digit Benefits ID Number.
Other specialized cards
In the absence of a national identity card, the typical adult in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
often carries a large number of documents issued by many different public and private entities.
The U.S. Federal government issues the following types of identity documents:
- Certificate of U.S. Citizenship
- Certificate of Naturalization
- Immigration and travel-related documents issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration ServicesUnited States Citizenship and Immigration ServicesUnited States Citizenship and Immigration Services is a component of the United States Department of Homeland Security . It performs many administrative functions formerly carried out by the legacy United States Immigration and Naturalization Service , which was part of the Department of Justice...
to non-U.S. citizens. - Passport
- The passport cardPassport cardThe passport card is an alternative to a passport produced in the United States to meet the documentary requirements of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. The U.S. Passport Card is a wallet-size travel document, issued to U.S...
is a new travel document available to U.S. citizensUnited States nationality lawArticle I, section 8, clause 4 of the United States Constitution expressly gives the United States Congress the power to establish a uniform rule of naturalization. The Immigration and Naturalization Act sets forth the legal requirements for the acquisition of, and divestiture from, citizenship of...
for land and sea travel to CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, and various CaribbeanCaribbeanThe Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
destinations. - NEXUSNEXUS (frequent traveller program)NEXUS is a joint Canada-United States program designed to let pre-approved, low-risk travelers cross the US-Canada border quickly. Members of the program can avoid long waits at border entry points by using self-serve kiosks at airports, reserved lanes at land crossings, or by phoning border...
card for travel between the United States and Canada. - SENTRISecure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid InspectionThe Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection provides expedited U.S. Customs and Border Protection processing, at the U.S.-Mexico border, of pre-approved travelers, considered low-risk...
card for travel between the United States and Mexico. - The Transportation Worker Identification Credential, a new biometric security identification credential to be phased in by April 15, 2009, issued by the Transportation Security AdministrationTransportation Security AdministrationThe Transportation Security Administration is an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that exercises authority over the safety and security of the traveling public in the United States....
. - The Merchant Mariner's DocumentMerchant Mariner's DocumentCountries with a Merchant Navy or Merchant Marine require identifying credentials for their mariners. The Merchant Mariner's Document or Z-card in the United States, and the Ordinary Seaman's Certificate in the United Kingdom are examples of these credentials.-United Kingdom:An Ordinary Seaman...
, issued by the U.S. Coast Guard. - Cards that prove participation in the MedicaidMedicaidMedicaid is the United States health program for certain people and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the state and federal governments, and is managed by the states. People served by Medicaid are U.S. citizens or legal permanent...
and MedicareMedicare (United States)Medicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over; to those who are under 65 and are permanently physically disabled or who have a congenital physical disability; or to those who meet other...
programs.
Other documents that are evidence of an individual's identity:
- Airport Identification (SIDA Badges)
- State/territory driver's license (see above)
- ID card issued by federal, state, or local government agencies or entities, provided it contains a photograph or information such as name, date of birth, gender, height, eye color and address
- School ID card with photograph
- Voter's registration card
- Native AmericanNative Americans in the United StatesNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribal document
Other examples of documents involving personal identity include:
- Credit cardCredit cardA credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...
s and debit cardDebit cardA debit card is a plastic card that provides the cardholder electronic access to his or her bank account/s at a financial institution...
s - Internal identification card issued by one's employer, universityUniversityA university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
or schoolSchoolA school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools... - Proof of professional certification (for members of regulated professionProfessionA profession is a vocation founded upon specialized educational training, the purpose of which is to supply disinterested counsel and service to others, for a direct and definite compensation, wholly apart from expectation of other business gain....
s) - Proof of automobile insurance card (when driving)
- Health insuranceHealth insuranceHealth insurance is insurance against the risk of incurring medical expenses among individuals. By estimating the overall risk of health care expenses among a targeted group, an insurer can develop a routine finance structure, such as a monthly premium or payroll tax, to ensure that money is...
card issued by a private health insurance company, by MedicareMedicare (United States)Medicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over; to those who are under 65 and are permanently physically disabled or who have a congenital physical disability; or to those who meet other...
, or by a state public health insurance agency - LibraryLibraryIn a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
cards - Membership cards issued by private clubClubA club is an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities; there are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious clubs, and so forth.- History...
s (social, athletic, educational, alumni, etc.) - Membership cards (called loyalty cards) issued by private companies (supermarketSupermarketA supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
s, warehouse clubWarehouse clubA warehouse club is a retail store, usually selling a wide variety of merchandise, in which customers are required to buy large, wholesale quantities of the store's products, which makes these clubs attractive to both bargain hunters and small business owners. The clubs are able to keep prices low...
stores, etc.) - Membership cards issued by professional organizations
- Membership cards issued by private associations
- Access documents issued by private or governmental organizations, such as a press pass, or a stage pass
- License documents issued by government organizations authorizing privileges other than driving, such as an amateur radioAmateur radioAmateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
license or concealed firearm permit