Identity document Facts for Kids

An identity document is like a special card or paper that proves who you are. It's often called an ID card or citizen card. These documents help show your name, age, and other important details about you. Some countries give out official ID cards to all their citizens.

Many countries ask people visiting from other places to always carry their passport or a national ID card from their home country. This is especially true if they don't have permission to live in that country.

What is an Identity Document?
- How IDs Use Technology
The History of Identity Documents
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What is an Identity Document?

Identity cards usually have a standard size, like a credit card. This size was agreed upon by a group called ISO/IEC 7810 in 1985. Modern ID documents can be "smart cards." These have a tiny computer chip inside that's hard to copy. This technology was standardized in 1988 by ISO/IEC 7816.

How IDs Use Technology

New technologies allow ID cards to hold special information called biometric data. This can include your photo, measurements of your face, hand, or even your iris (the colored part of your eye). It can also include your fingerprints. Many countries now give out electronic ID cards that use these features.

ID cards help officials check important security information about a person. For example, a picture of your head can be scanned into a system. This helps prevent someone from pretending to be you. A scanned photo of your face creates a unique set of numbers that identifies only you.

The History of Identity Documents

The very first law about identity documents was made by King Henry V of England in 1414. It was called the Safe Conducts Act 1414. For about 500 years after that, and before World War I, most people didn't have or need an identity document. They usually weren't required to carry one.