What information should ID cards contain ?

[El Greco]

The privacy vs security issue...

I was short of options so I left out the obvious ones (name, signature) or the less important ones (profession, etc). Feel free to add your ideas, though.

Furthermore: Should ID cards expire, and if yes, after how many years ?

 

[Matabiri]

I'd go for none of the above, I'm afraid. I'm not in favour.

 

[Grammatron]

The privacy vs security issue...

I was short of options so I left out the obvious ones (name, signature) or the less important ones (profession, etc). Feel free to add your ideas, though.

Furthermore: Should ID cards expire, and if yes, after how many years ?

I'm wondering why did you put in Photograph as a choice, how can you have an ID with out one? If you can't do some basic Identifying what is the point of the Identification Card?

Personally I don't see what it needs beyond Name, Address, Features, Photo and Signature.

 

[Tony]

My ideal ID card would be a blank white card.


Question for anyone in the know: In the US, are you legally required to carry your ID (driver's licence) on you at all times, or just while driving?

 

[geni]

If Blunket gets his plans though I am due to become a criminal around 2010. I am not going to carry a national ID card.

 

[El Greco]

Re: Re: What information should ID cards contain ?

I'm wondering why did you put in Photograph as a choice, how can you have an ID with out one? If you can't do some basic Identifying what is the point of the Identification Card?

Because there are already cases of ID cards without photographs. IIRC, IDs for women in Pakistan often do not have photographs.

Besides, there are ideas about replacing photos (which btw are unreliable for identification purposes) with some barcode that matches eg data from iris and can be checked with proper equipment.

 

[aerocontrols]

Question for anyone in the know: In the US, are you legally required to carry your ID (driver's licence) on you at all times, or just while driving?

Just while driving. (not when driving on private property, however - in case you know anyone with enough property to make driving around on it worthwhile)

I wonder if you need a driver's license to move a car from one parking spot to another at a mall? Perhaps yes, because it's a public space?

 

[Jocko]

Just while driving. (not when driving on private property, however - in case you know anyone with enough property to make driving around on it worthwhile)

I wonder if you need a driver's license to move a car from one parking spot to another at a mall? Perhaps yes, because it's a public space?

Actually, you don't even NEED to have it then. If you're asked for identification by a law officer, most states I've lived in won't penalize you if you don't have it on your person.

In Illinois the rule was that if you didn't have it with you, you had to follow the cop to the station where they could verify that you did, indeed, have driving credentials. I think there's a 24-hour limit to producing proof there.

I'm sure it varies from state to state, but back in high school I got pulled over for speeding and that's exactly what happened when I realized I'd left my wallet at home. No harm, no foul (except for the speeding ticket, natch).

 

[belinda]

It used to be that way here too....24hrs to produce at the closest cop shop - but now you can get a on-the-spot fine if you don't have your licence when you are driving. Warning to all aussies out there!

 

[Luke T.]

Re: Re: What information should ID cards contain ?

I'm wondering why did you put in Photograph as a choice, how can you have an ID with out one? If you can't do some basic Identifying what is the point of the Identification Card?

Personally I don't see what it needs beyond Name, Address, Features, Photo and Signature.

I had a driver's license without a photo on it for many years from the state of Connecticut. Since I was in the military and couldn't go home to have my photo taken at DMV when it expired, they just issued me a non-photo license in the mail.

This caused a problem one time when I rented a car. The lady in the booth wouldn't let me leave the lot since they check your driver's license against the renter's name and she couldn't believe it was a real license. When I explained about the military problem, blah, blah, blah, she told me her boyfriend was in the military and his license had a photo. I asked her where he was stationed. She said "Here." I asked where his license was issued. She said "Here." She still didn't get it.

 

[Grammatron]

Re: Re: Re: What information should ID cards contain ?

I had a driver's license without a photo on it for many years from the state of Connecticut. Since I was in the military and couldn't go home to have my photo taken at DMV when it expired, they just issued me a non-photo license in the mail.

This caused a problem one time when I rented a car. The lady in the booth wouldn't let me leave the lot since they check your driver's license against the renter's name and she couldn't believe it was a real license. When I explained about the military problem, blah, blah, blah, she told me her boyfriend was in the military and his license had a photo. I asked her where he was stationed. She said "Here." I asked where his license was issued. She said "Here." She still didn't get it.

I think ID and Driver License are different. Granted it doubles as one and the same in many states, ID is suppose to show who you are while Driver License shows you know how to drive, but that's just my opinion.

PS Couldn't you just show her your military ID along with the license?

 

[Luke T.]

Re: Re: Re: Re: What information should ID cards contain ?

PS Couldn't you just show her your military ID along with the license?

I did. But you have to have a valid driver's license to rent a car. That's where things got stuck. She didn't believe it was a valid license.

 

[iain]

If Blunket gets his plans though I am due to become a criminal around 2010. I am not going to carry a national ID card.

I think you might be OK. The cards, which will do little stop terrorists (ID cards worked so well in Spain, after all) is currently forecast to cost £3billion to implement. Given that this is a large government IT project and, without exception, they always go massively over budget and take longer to implement than planned, I suspect that before it sees the light of day we might get someone in power with the brains to realise that there must be more effective ways of spending a few billion pounds to counter crime and terrorism.

The thing that frustrates me is the general acceptance by much of the public that ID cards will magically reduce crime, fraud and terrorism just because they are ID cards; and therefore anyone opposing ID cards must be in favour of crime, fraud and terrorism

 

[Boo]

If are of age and want to purchase tobacco or alcohol you need a valid ID card with a picture. If you drive, you need to have the Drivers lisence. Most places around here require a picture ID for check or credit card prurchases.

If I already have one or the other then why would I need another ID card?


I don't need or want another way for the gov't to 'register' me.



Boo

 

[Matabiri]

I don't need or want another way for the gov't to 'register' me.

Oh, come on, they don't want to 'register' you, or interfere with your life in any way.

They just want you to wear this little bell around your neck...

 

[Brian the Snail]

Another vote for "none of the above."

 

[epepke]

Just while driving. (not when driving on private property, however - in case you know anyone with enough property to make driving around on it worthwhile)

This might be true in Georgia. (I lived for two years in Atanta, and I have had Georgia.)

In some other states, you aren't required to carry it but are simply required to be able to produce it within 24 hours of being stopped for a violation.

At no other time are you legally required to show an ID to the authorities, to carry, or even to possess an ID. Of course, the cops might hassle you if you don't, but then again, they might hassle you just because they don't like you.

 

[richardm]

I can sort of see that you can force people to have driver's licences - after all, your in a car that already has a unique number plate so you should be able to find a person again if they don't produce documentation later.

One of the things that proponents say when talking about ID cards is "Oh, well, you won't be forced to carry one". I presume this is because otherwise it conjours up visions of the Gestapo demanding "Vere are your Papers?".

But if you're not forced to carry it, what's the point of having it in the first place?

"Right you are, potential miscreant. You can go for now, but if you don't show up at the station within 24 hours with your ID card it'll be the worse for you".

I can see that working...

Anyway, I've always been in the "Blank Card" camp.

 

[Iconoclast]

It used to be that way here too....24hrs to produce at the closest cop shop - but now you can get a on-the-spot fine if you don't have your licence when you are driving. Warning to all aussies out there!

I'm confused Belinda. Back when I got my licence, you needed to have it on you all the time if you were on your L or P licence, but you had to produce it in 24hrs if you had an open licence. Has this all changed in Queensland now? Is it because we're moving to this Australia-wide road rules thing?

 

[Agammamon]

Re: Re: What information should ID cards contain ?

Personally I don't see what it needs beyond Name, Address, Features, Photo and Signature.

Actually, I'd consider an address to be a very bad bit of info to put on the card. Do complete strangers really need to know where you live?

In the US D/L also double as ID. You can be required to show ID in the US, most states have laws allowing that. Right now the Supremes are hearing Hiibel v. Sixth Judicial District Court of Nevada on that very subject.