Does your country have ID for its citizens?

[tempest@de]

Having just learned that in the US there is no ID for its citizens, something I did not expect, I assumed every country had some form of ID, It lead me to think if there are more countries that don’t have ID. It also left me with practical questions.

Since mobileread has members from all over the world could you please share how it is in your country.

All Portuguese citizens have ID, we are required by law to carry it and it has to be renewed (every 5 or 10 years). Now if we have a smartphone with the government app idGov it can serve as your ID and you do not need to have the real card with you, provided that the person / institution where you are required to show it has the app installed and can read the QR code form your phone to check in real time your information.

The ID is needed to do a lot of things, here are some that come to mind:
- For the pensioners to receive their pension in cash, or to retrieve money at the bank;
- To retrieve a package in the post office,
- to open a bank account,
- to subscribe to a service (electricity, water, internet, etc),
- to buy a car, boat or any other vehicle that has a registration tag;
- to buy property,
- If you need to go to a public service to deal with some issue, for example to apply for a permit for something;
- to vote;
- to enroll in school or university.

If a country does not have ID how does a person prove that he/she is who they say they are and are not using the information from someone else?

If there is no way to check what stops someone to subscribe to a service and give the company the information from someone else to pay for it? Or someone canceling a service that belongs to another person?

How about at the bank, how do the cashier’s check that the person retrieving money is the owner of the account?

[pwalker8]

There is no such thing as a national ID in the US, but most people have some form of ID, either a driver's license or a government ID card. Pretty much, the only time I need to show ID is when I vote, get pulled over by the police or buy booze at the grocery store.

[McGonigle]

In Denmark we have had since 1968 the CPR number (Civil Registration Number).

You need it to open a bank account, access your health insurance, borrow books from the library, pay tax, receive a salary and so on.

The CPR number consists of ten digits. The first six digits are your date of birth (day, month and year) while the last four digits provide a unique identification number for all citizens in Denmark. The final four numbers also indicate your gender, ending in even numbers for women and odd numbers for men.

It is by law supposedly confidential and sensitive information but in reality everyone uses it as the primary key number to identify you in IT-systems - in fact I tried once to sit an exam in IT security without supplying my CPR number on these grounds, but was told that in that case, I could not take the exam.

Once in a while some of these numbers are suddenly shared by accident, with third parties who are not supposed to have access to this information.

Once, 2 million unencrypted CPR numbers were found on discs in the Chinese Embassy. They were returned by the embassy with the assurances that they had not been read or copied or in any way been compromised (more than was already the case).

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by tempest@de

All Portuguese citizens have ID, we are required by law to carry it and it has to be renewed (every 5 or 10 years). Now if we have a smartphone with the government app idGov it can serve as your ID and you do not need to have the real card with you, provided that the person / institution where you are required to show it has the app installed and can read the QR code form your phone to check in real time your information.

The ID is needed to do a lot of things, here are some that come to mind:
- For the pensioners to receive their pension in cash, or to retrieve money at the bank;
- To retrieve a package in the post office,
- to open a bank account,
- to subscribe to a service (electricity, water, internet, etc),
- to buy a car, boat or any other vehicle that has a registration tag;
- to buy property,
- If you need to go to a public service to deal with some issue, for example to apply for a permit for something;
- to vote;
- to enroll in school or university.

It's mostly the same in Estonia.

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

There is no such thing as a national ID in the US, but most people have some form of ID, either a driver's license or a government ID card. Pretty much, the only time I need to show ID is when I vote, get pulled over by the police or buy booze at the grocery store.

OP,

Although there is no federal (national) ID in the US, the federal government has been pushing states to adopt a common look, feel, and function for driver's licenses and state ID cards. (State ID cards are for those who don't drive but wish to have some form of official ID.) The federal government does issue Social Security cards for those needing them to work. But I don't think any of the states or territories require us to have an ID card, although as pwalker states we need one to vote, drive a vehicle, get a job, etc. So having an ID card(s) is to our advantage. As citizens we are tracked via various state systems and federal systems so we can also be identified through things like birth certificates. A birth certificate is sometimes accepted as proof of who we are, but not always. But as far as having to carry or have official federal paperwork/IDs to prove who we are, that is not a requirement.

Non-citizens are under different rules though. I'm not exactly sure what paperwork they need to have. I think they probably do need a drivers license ID to drive a vehicle, and proof of a valid travel visa or immigration status.

[pdurrant]

Apart from whether there's another National ID scheme, another interesting question is when do you need to use it?

For instance, is it issued as some kind of card that a policeman can require you to produce if they stop you in the street?

There's no universal National ID or ID Card in the UK, and nothing that a policeman can require you to produce on the street.

There are some government IDs that people do have, but their use is limited to the functions for which they were issued. Everyone has an NHS number. Everyone 16 or over has a National Insurance number. There is, of course, a drivers licence if you drive, and a passport if you've applied for one. If you do tax returns on-line, you'll have a government gateway ID for online services.

There was an attempt to introduce a National Identity card back in 2006, but it was scrapped back in 2011 by the incoming coalition government.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

For instance, is it issued as some kind of card that a policeman can require you to produce if they stop you in the street?

In Estonia, it's a physical card and police may ask you to produce it, but you're not required by law to always have it with you. Most people generally carry it with them, though, when going around.

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by tempest@de

Having just learned that in the US there is no ID for its citizens, something I did not expect, I assumed every country had some form of ID, It lead me to think if there are more countries that don’t have ID. It also left me with practical questions.

Since mobileread has members from all over the world could you please share how it is in your country.

All Portuguese citizens have ID, we are required by law to carry it and it has to be renewed (every 5 or 10 years). Now if we have a smartphone with the government app idGov it can serve as your ID and you do not need to have the real card with you, provided that the person / institution where you are required to show it has the app installed and can read the QR code form your phone to check in real time your information.

The ID is needed to do a lot of things, here are some that come to mind:
- For the pensioners to receive their pension in cash, or to retrieve money at the bank;
- To retrieve a package in the post office,
- to open a bank account,
- to subscribe to a service (electricity, water, internet, etc),
- to buy a car, boat or any other vehicle that has a registration tag;
- to buy property,
- If you need to go to a public service to deal with some issue, for example to apply for a permit for something;
- to vote;
- to enroll in school or university.

If a country does not have ID how does a person prove that he/she is who they say they are and are not using the information from someone else?

If there is no way to check what stops someone to subscribe to a service and give the company the information from someone else to pay for it? Or someone canceling a service that belongs to another person?

How about at the bank, how do the cashier’s check that the person retrieving money is the owner of the account?

Similar to Spain in every aspect, I think.

Originally Posted by pdurrant

For instance, is it issued as some kind of card that a policeman can require you to produce if they stop you in the street?
.

Yes, you need the DNI for every official act, and a policeman can require it, yes.

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Apart from whether there's another National ID scheme, another interesting question is when do you need to use it?

For instance, is it issued as some kind of card that a policeman can require you to produce if they stop you in the street? ...

In the US it is up to states to impose those requirements, not the federal government. I think in most states if you are stopped by police for any reason, they do have the right to require you to identify yourself through some verifiable means whether that is an official ID card, birth certificate, or verbally by giving them the official numbers associated with an ID card, for example giving them your drivers license card number or Social Security number, or even giving them your full name and birth date. Whatever means you chose to identify yourself will likely be verified via computer databases. Refusing to properly identify yourself to police can have serious consequences, depending on the policies in place for that law enforcement agency. Each state can set its own rules and policies and quite often law enforcement agencies can add to those rules and policies. This has come to the fore front lately in the US with many demanding reforms to these rules and policies.

I would think that in most states and cities, if you falsely identify yourself to police, you WILL be subject to arrest. There are databases of fingerprints, face recognition, ID card numbers, etc. which law enforcement might have access to, so they can sometimes identify a person in that manner if they so choose. In the US, most states require fingerprints be given by anyone applying for an ID card like a drivers license, so the fingerprint database has quite a large number of people in it. However, each state has their own database which might not be shared with other states or the feds.

To be clear, each state, and often each law enforcement agency, sets its own rules and regulations. With 50 states, numerous territories, and more cities than I can count, that means the answers to your questions are very complex. If you throw a rock in any direction from where you are standing, it might land in a place with different rules and regulations. American law is rather complicated because of that. What applies in one place can be different in another place.

[pdurrant]

In the UK there is no requirement to identify yourself to the police. From the government website:

"Stop and question: police powers
A police officer might stop you and ask:

what your name is
what you’re doing in the area
where you’re going

You don’t have to stop or answer any questions. If you don’t and there’s no other reason to suspect you, then this alone can’t be used as a reason to search or arrest you."

If you're in charge of a motor vehicle you can be required to show your driving licence and car insurance documents, or present them at a police station by the next day.

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

In the UK there is no requirement to identify yourself to the police. From the government website:

"Stop and question: police powers
A police officer might stop you and ask:

what your name is
what you’re doing in the area
where you’re going

You don’t have to stop or answer any questions. If you don’t and there’s no other reason to suspect you, then this alone can’t be used as a reason to search or arrest you."

If you're in charge of a motor vehicle you can be required to show your driving licence and car insurance documents, or present them at a police station by the next day.

Those are good rules in the UK. Unfortunately in the US, in some jurisdictions, police can stop anyone for any reason and demand they identify themselves. They can also do physical searches simply because they want to. And they can arrest a person for failing to identify themselves. It is always best to not simply walk away, much less run, from police when they stop you. Some police agencies take this method and try to justify it by claiming they are trying to keep criminals in high crime areas off the streets. Clearly there is a point where it can go too far. Many jurisdictions won't allow police to do that, but many others do allow it. As a society we are now trying to find ways to deal with this and make necessary changes. We have a long road ahead of us though...

[pdurrant]

The UK police don't always live up to their high ideals. But sometimes those who don't get called to account.

[rantanplan]

In Germany, every citizen above age 15 are require to have an ID (Personalausweis). The law does not specifically require you to actually carry your ID at all times, however many services require you to have them with you, e.g. tickets for public transportation may be only valid if you also carry your Personalausweis, if you want to buy alcohol -> Personalausweis, open a bank account? You can do that online but your still need to show your Personalausweis. Want to buy an adult movie? -> Personalausweis.

So you can run around without your Personalausweis, however you'd be very limited in what you can do.

[tempest@de]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

For instance, is it issued as some kind of card that a policeman can require you to produce if they stop you in the street?

The police can ask you to produce your ID only if they suspect that you've committed a crime, if you don’t have your ID with you, you can ask someone to bring it or the police officers will accompany you to the place where it is, the last resort is to bring the person to the police station to check the databases so they can identify the person.

[BetterRed]

Australia does not have a National ID scheme, it's often mooted but never eventuates.

Various 'documents' are accepted as proof of identity, drivers license (or an equivalent Photo Id card), Medicare card, pensioner concession card, passport, birth certificate, tax file number, citizenship certificate etc. For some things, e.g opening a bank account, you need several 'documents'.