Asking for Identification (ID) and Information

Taken from: http://www.englishclub.com/english-for-work/police-identification.htm

• May I see some photo ID?
• Can I see your passport?
• Driver's license, please.
• Do you have your birth certificate?
• How long have you been in the country?
• Are you here for a holiday?
• Do you have another piece of ID?

ID is different in every country

It is important to keep in mind that every country requires different documentation that proves someone's identification (ID). In many countries such as Greece and Spain a national ID card is compulsory. Citizens are expected to have these cards on them at all times. However, in other countries ID cards are not required. Police and officials in these countries often use another system to identify people, such as asking for two pieces of ID.

Types of ID

• Passport
• Government-issued Photo ID card
• Driving licence/Driver's license
• Birth certificate
• Permanent residence card
• Social security card
• Medical/Health card
• Voter registration card

Information/security items that may appear on documentation

bar code	a series of thick and thin black lines that holds computerized information
Date of birth (DOB)	date when the ID holder was born: day/month/year: 23/05/1970 (23rd May 1970) month/day/year: 05/23/1970 (23rd May 1970) year/month/day: 1970/05/23 (23rd May 1970)
Date of Issue	date when documentation was created
Eye colour	blue, brown, green, black, grey
Fingerprint	markings of a person's thumb or finger tip
Height	how tall a person is in centimetres or feet and inches
Hologram	a laser photograph which makes a picture or image look life-like
Magnetic stripe	a long black stripe found on the back of a card that can be swiped into a computer for information
Maiden name	a woman's surname before marriage
Marital status	single, married, divorced (no longer married), separated, common law wife, common law husband
National status	citizenship (native citizen, immigrant, landed immigrant, permanent resident, refugee)
Photograph	recent picture of ID holder
Place of birth	city, country where ID holder was born
Profession	current job (doctor, teacher, retired)
Serial number or PIN (Personal Identification Number)	number that can be entered into government systems to find information about a person
Sex	M (male), F (female)
Signature	hand-written name of ID holder
Valid until/expiry date	the last date when an ID document can be used

Reading Exercise: Identity Fraud

Read the vocabulary and then try to fill in the blanks.

ID fraud	lying about one's identity
counterfeit	fake, not real
illegal immigrants	people who do not have government permission to live or work in a country
crack down on	to put a real stop to
authentic	real, true
identity theft	stealing someone else's identity for personal use (or sale)
underground	not publicly known, usually illegal
getting away with	not getting caught by police or the authorities
controversy	disagreement surrounding an issue