A good ID card program answers basic questions about how and why ID cards are used in your business, school or organization. When creating an ID card program, ask yourself if it can answer “who,” “what,” “where,” “when,” and “why” questions about your ID cards. A basic ID card policy should cover the following:

THE PURPOSE OF THE ID CARD

Outline the general purpose of the ID card and its functions. If you are issuing multiple types of cards with varying privileges, consider creating a specific “Purpose” section for each level of privilege and/or type of card to explain its specific uses to holders.

CARD CREATION AND HOW TO OBTAIN A CARD

Basic information on how employees, students and other future cardholders will obtain their cards. If they must pay for the card, mention it here. List the hours and location of the ID card issuance center, and what, if anything, the potential cardholder must bring.

HOW AND WHY CARDS ARE USED

Explain card uses in detail and when and where cards are used, and what, if any, cardholders should expect when using the card normally.

DIFFERENT TYPES OR CLASSES OF CARDS

If you will be issuing more than one type of card (say for students, teachers, etc) with varying levels of user privileges, list those here. Briefly explain the visual differences between the cards, and the varying permissions that each card has.

PROCEDURES FOR LOST AND STOLEN CARDS

List information for what cardholders need to do if their card is lost or stolen. Must they pay for a replacement? Do they need to bring any special information to the ID card office? This type of information goes here.

RULES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF CARD HOLDERS

List rules for responsible card use, if any. Make clear any cardholder responsibilities and list examples of how cards may be taken away or disabled due to irresponsible use.

MULTIPURPOSE ID CARD PROGRAMS

If your organization will be issuing multipurpose cards (like cards enabled for access control or for use as payment in cafeterias, parking structures, on-site shops, etc), it’s important to specify the rules and terms that cardholders must agree to. When creating an ID card program for a multipurpose ID card, be sure to explicitly state how the multiple functions work and any pertinent information that cardholders need to use their cards. This information can be included in the overall ID policy, or elaborated upon in a separate section.