Different Types of ID Cards

There are numerous methods of identifying an individual and various types of ID cards that are used for this purpose. In a nutshell, and identity document is simply something that proves its bearers identity. Identity documents range from driver's licenses to visas and credit cards.

Today there are numerous methods and different varieties of identity documents and ID cards. With technologies such as biometrics, holographic images, special overlamination processes, and more widely available, ID cards are becoming increasingly effective for users and makers alike.

In the , there are several common types of identity documents and ID cards. From birth certificates to child ID cards, the varieties of ways we can identify each other are numerous.

Birth certificates

Birth certificates are the singly most important identity document you can have, and indeed preclude any other type of document. In order to get a visa, passport, credit card, ID card, or driver's license, you have to have a birth certificate.

Social Security ID cards

The second most important form of identification, a social security card is needed for virtually any purpose that requires verification and identification of an individual, especially in regards to employment and in many other areas.

Passports

Passports are another essential form of identity document. Without a passport, it is illegal to travel to other countries. A passport also works in lieu of a license or birth certificate if the need arise, and serves as one of the most secure and widely accepted forms of identification.

Driver's licenses

Driver's licenses are necessary not only for driving, but for many other purposes as well. Applying for a job or a credit card, going to a bar or club, retrieving money from your bank account; there are numerous small and larger reasons for having a driver's license, and it is almost universally accepted as the primary form of ID card in the US.

Other ID cards

While there has been no official system of identification in the

and no national ID card, they are available for those without driver's licenses, such as young children or those under age fifteen.

Schools and universities also provide ID cards to students, but these are almost universally used for on-campus purposes and activities.

Many employers and industries issue identity cards to their employees for higher security and information integrity. There has been recent speculation that a national ID card system may be implemented in the in the near future, and that this national ID card system will include the use of biometric technologies.