An increasingly common way to enhance safety on school grounds, especially for high schools, middle schools and elementary schools, is the use of visitor ID badges. These temporary badges are printed on the spot and given to any visitor who wishes to enter the school. With a visitor badging system in place, anyone who steps foot in the school must first register in the reception area. Visitor badges are either printed on paper or on PVC cards using an ID card printer. Typically the badge will include the visitor’s name and often his or her picture, which is taken digitally on the spot and imported into the card design. Many systems even enable the user to scan an existing form of ID from the visitor, with the card information and photo automatically importing into a database as well as the new visitor ID.

When every visitor is required to wear a badge, it becomes obvious who does and does not belong on school grounds. If someone is spotted wandering the school without a badge, they are a potential threat and should be reported to the appropriate personnel. Students, teachers and staff can all feel an added sense of security knowing that all visitors must first register before freely roaming the facilities.

Some visitor badge systems even offer schools the ability to perform background checks at the point of entry. For these systems, when a visitor hands over his or her existing ID, usually a driver’s license, the information can be run against a database of sexual offenders and other criminal lists. The visitor must first clear this background check before gaining entry to the school.

If you need help setting up a visitor ID badge system for your school, contact AlphaCard today!