Photo identification or photo ID is an

identity document An identity document (also called ID or colloquially as papers) is any documentation, document that may be used to prove a person's identity. If issued in a small, standard credit card size form, it is usually called an identity card (IC, ID c ...

that includes a

photograph A photograph (also known as a photo, image, or picture) is an image created by light falling on a photosensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic image sensor, such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are now create ...

of the holder, usually only their face. The most commonly accepted forms of photo ID are those issued by government authorities, such as driver's licenses, identity cards and

passport A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that contains a person's identity. A person with a passport can travel to and from foreign countries more easily and access consular assistance. A passport certifies the personal ...

s, but special-purpose photo IDs may be also produced, such as internal security or

access control In the fields of physical security and information security, access control (AC) is the selective restriction of access to a place or other resource, while access management describes the process. The act of ''accessing'' may mean consuming ...

cards. Photo identification may be used for face-to-face authentication of identity of a party who either is personally unknown to the person in authority or because that person does not have access to a file, a directory, a registry or an information service that contains or that can render a photograph of somebody on account of that person's name and other personal information.

Types

Some countries – including almost all developed nations – use a single, government-issued type of card as a proof of age or citizenship. The United States, United Kingdom,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, New Zealand, and Ireland do not have such a single type of card. Types of photo ID used in the US include: *

Passport A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that contains a person's identity. A person with a passport can travel to and from foreign countries more easily and access consular assistance. A passport certifies the personal ...

s, or Passport cards * Driver's licenses, or state ID cards for non-drivers, issued by a state's Department of Motor Vehicles * Company-issued ID cards * Native tribal cards Australian photo ID includes: *

s * Australian state and territory issued identity photo cards *

Driving licence in Australia Driver licences in Australia refer to the official permit required for a person to legally drive a motor vehicle in Australia. The issue of driver licences, alongside the regulation and enforcement of road use, are all managed by state and ter ...

* Australia Post Keypass identity card

History

Photo identification cards appear to have been first used at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Scottish-born Canadian photographer William Notman, through his affiliated business, Centennial Photographic Co., which had exclusive photographic concession at the exhibition, introduced a photo identification system that was required for all exhibitors and employees of the exhibition. The innovation was known as a "photographic ticket".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Photo Identification Identity documents

Types

History

See also

References