Skip to main content Skip to secondary navigation

2.4.3 Stanford Identification Cards

Main content start
Authority
Approved by the President.
Last Updated

Formerly Known As Policy Number: 28.4

This Guide Memo lists identification cards used at Stanford University and indicates their uses.

1. Purpose of Identification Cards

a. Association with the University

Stanford University makes available a machine-readable photo identification card ("Identification Card" or "ID Card") for Stanford students, faculty, staff and other classes of individuals with a close association to the University, as specified in this policy or by the Provost or the Vice President of Human Resources. The primary purpose of the ID Card is to identify and document these relationships.

b. Privileges

Access to certain of Stanford's facilities, resources, benefits and services (together referred to as "Privileges") are available only to Stanford's faculty, staff and students with valid ID Cards. Other individuals with ID Cards may also access certain of these Privileges if permitted under this policy, or with the approval of either the Provost or the Vice President of Human Resources.

2. Types of Identification Cards

The following types of ID Cards are issued by the Stanford University IT Card Services Office (Stanford Card Office). A more detailed description of eligibility criteria for and the privileges granted by ID Cards may be found at Stanford Card Office. This list may be updated from time to time with the approval of the Provost with respect to faculty, students and academic visitors to campus, and by the Vice President of Human Resources with respect to staff and other campus visitors.

a. Student Card:

Issued to registered students (undergraduates, graduate students, terminal graduates, and Visiting Researchers and Master of Liberal Arts (MLA) students in Continuing Studies).

b. Postdoctoral Card:

Issued to postdoctoral scholars.

c. Faculty/Staff Card:

Issued to Stanford professoriate, academic staff, holders of academic appointments in specified policy centers and institutes, non-affiliated Clinician/Educators, Hoover Institution Senior Fellows, "regular" staff, as defined in Admin Guide Memo 2.2.1: Definitions, and retired and emeritus faculty and staff.

d. Temp/Casual Card:

Issued to staff and holders of "other teaching titles" who qualify as "casual" or "temporary" as defined in Admin Guide Memo 2.2.1: Definitions.

e. SLAC Faculty/Staff Card:

Issued to faculty and regular staff with current appointments at SLAC.

f. SLAC Temp/Casual Card:

Issued to SLAC staff who qualify as "casual" or "temporary" as defined in Admin Guide Memo 2.2.1: Definitions.

g. Fellow Card:

Issued to fellows, interns and other individuals who are invited to participate in a recognized full-time, campus-based Stanford non-degree program of scholarship or learning. Knight, Stegner, CASBS and Stanford Humanities Center Fellows are entitled to Fellow Cards. A Fellow Card will be issued to an individual who provides evidence of admission to a recognized Stanford program.

h. Visitor Card:

Issued to individuals who qualify as Visiting Scholars under Chapter 10.5 or Visiting Postdoctoral Scholars under Chapter 10.9 of the Research Policy Handbook and who are resident at Stanford for a minimum of three months and who contribute to Stanford's academic and research mission either by lecturing or actively collaborating with Stanford faculty or students on current Stanford research. A Visitor Card will be issued upon presentation of an invitation that is (1) signed by the appropriate dean or department, program, institute or center director; (2) includes dates of residency at Stanford; and (3) identifies the faculty member issuing the invitation, and the academic organization in which the Visitor will be hosted.

i. Courtesy Card:

Issued to:

  1. Spouses and domestic partners of students and postdoctoral scholars.
  2. Spouses and same-sex domestic partners of qualified holders of a valid Faculty/Staff or Fellow Card.
  3. As approved by the Dean of Students, spouses, domestic partners, adult affiliates and children of Resident Fellows and of Student Affairs staff members who live on campus as part of their professional appointment, including persons who are not benefits-eligible dependents (e.g., adult child, sibling, parent, etc.).
  4. Adjunct Clinical Faculty.
  5. Holders of "other teaching titles" who are not on Stanford's payroll.
  6. Staff of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching located on Stanford campus.
  7. Chaplain Affiliates.
  8. Staff of Associated Stanford Student Union (ASSU) who provide evidence that they are currently employed full-time by ASSU and do not qualify for a Stanford ID Card through other affiliation.
  9. Staff of organizations located on Stanford's campus and which, as determined by the Provost, either provide academic or research support to Stanford's faculty, or engage in other activities to support Stanford's academic and research mission. Examples include the Stanford-based staffs of the Department of Plant Biology at the Carnegie Institution for Science and Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

3. Management of Identification Cards

a. Issuance

ID Cards may be issued only by the Stanford Card Office.

  1. The ID Card photo must show the full face of the applicant, without hat or dark glasses. Head coverings may be permitted due to religious beliefs, provided the head covering does not obscure the face.
  2. For students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty and staff, the name on the Identification Card must match the official name contained in the official student or employment records maintained by the University unless an exception has been granted by either the Office of the Registrar or Human Resources.
  3. The ID Card will be issued only when the recipient shows a valid government-issued picture ID (i.e., driver's license or passport) containing a recognizable photo and the same name as the:
    • official or preferred name in Stanford's student or employment record (for students, postdoctoral students, faculty and staff),
    • name on the appointment letter (for faculty, academic staff, Chaplain Affiliates, and members of the Board of Trustees),
    • name on the evidence of admission of a Fellow, or
    • name on the invitation to a Visitor, or
    • name on the evidence of employment for ASSU employees.
  4. Courtesy cards will be issued to spouses and eligible domestic partners only when the related Student, Postdoctoral, Faculty/Staff, SLAC Faculty/Staff, or Fellow Card shows acceptable proof of marriage or qualifying domestic partnership.
  5. Initial Student, Postdoctoral, Faculty/Staff, Temp/Casual, SLAC Faculty/Staff, SLAC Temp/Casual, and Fellow Cards will be issued without fee. Courtesy Cards, Visitor Cards and all replacement cards will be issued after payment of the fee established by the Stanford Card Office. Fees are subject to change at any time.
  6. If an ID Card is lost or stolen, the cardholder must immediately report this loss/theft to the Stanford Card Office. The lost or stolen card will then be invalidated.

b. Distribution of Identification Cards

The Stanford Card Office may authorize distribution of ID Cards by other Stanford offices or departments so long as the authorization is in writing and signed by the Director of Card Services. This authorization may not be delegated, and may be revoked at any time by the Stanford Card Office. An authorized party at the Stanford office or department accepting responsibility for ID Card distribution during that academic term or distribution period, must indicate in writing (before taking possession of the cards) its agreement to adhere to requirements of 3.a(3). To ensure compliance with 3.a(3) the department will provide training to everyone distributing ID Cards.

c. Expiration Date

ID cards expire as follows:

  1. Student Cards are valid only while the cardholder is enrolled as a student at Stanford. These ID Cards will expire on the sooner of (a) the last day of the quarter in which a student graduates or in which their registration at Stanford ends and (b) a change in status such that the student is no longer enrolled at Stanford. If a student is not registered during summer quarter, the ID Card will remain active during that quarter provided the student is registered for the following fall quarter. No expiration date will be placed on the Student Card.
  2. Postdoctoral Cards are valid only while the cardholder is a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford. These ID Cards will expire on the sooner of (a) the last day of the quarter in which the scholar's registration at Stanford ends and (b) a change in status such that the scholar is no longer enrolled at Stanford. No expiration date will be placed on the Postdoctoral Card.
  3. Faculty/Staff and SLAC Faculty/Staff Cards are valid only during either the cardholder's faculty appointment, employment, or retired or emeritus status. These ID Cards will expire on the sooner of (a) the last day of a fixed term, (b) the last day of association with the University for a continuing appointment (other than for retirement), or (c) a change in status such that the cardholder is no longer entitled to Privileges. No expiration date will be placed on the Faculty/Staff and SLAC Faculty/Staff Cards.
  4. Temp/Casual and SLAC Temp/Casual cards are valid only while the cardholder remains employed by Stanford. These ID Cards will expire on the sooner of (a) the last day of a fixed term, (b) the last day of association with the University for a continuing appointment, or (c) a change in status such that the cardholder is no longer entitled to Privileges. No expiration date will be placed on the ID Card for casual employees. ID Cards for temporary employees will specify the expiration of their fixed service term.
  5. Fellow and Visitor Cards are valid only for the period specified in the Fellow's evidence of admission or the Visitor's invitation (in either case, unless terminated sooner). Fellow and Visitor Cards respectively will specify the expiration date contained in the Fellow's evidence of admission or the Visitor's invitation.
  6. Courtesy Cards expire on the sooner of (a) the date identified in an appointment letter, (b) the last day of association with the University for a continuing appointment, or (c) a change in status such that the cardholder is no longer entitled to Privileges. If the Courtesy Card is issued to a spouse or domestic partner, the card expires on the same day that their spouse or domestic partner's ID Card expires. No expiration date will be placed on the Courtesy Cards, with the exception of Courtesy Cards issued to ASSU employees, which will contain an expiration date of June 30 following the date of issuance. Notwithstanding the date on the Card, Cards issued to ASSU employees will expire upon termination of employment. They are renewable upon presentation of evidence of continued employment.
  7. When a holder's designated association with the University ends or changes prior to ID Card expiration, the ID Card will become invalid, even if the expiration date has not passed.

d. Surrender of Cards

The Stanford Card is the property of Stanford University and must be surrendered at the earlier of:

  1. expiration, if not renewed
  2. termination of association with the University or
  3. request by a supervisor or other appropriate University official.The appropriate manager, program director, dean or HR manager will request surrender of all Faculty/Staff, SLAC Faculty/Staff, Temp/Casual, SLAC Temp/Casual, Fellow, Visitor and Courtesy Cards, including Courtesy Cards for spouses and domestic partners, upon expiration (if not renewed) or termination of affiliation with Stanford. Surrendered cards will be destroyed.

e. Stanford Card Office

The Stanford Card Office oversees the production of new and replacement cards. Additional information on eligibility for ID Cards, and the process for obtaining an ID Card, may be found at Stanford IT Services.  

4. Use of Facilities and Services

The privileges enabled through use of each type of ID Card vary widely. In this section, certain privileges are detailed for reference purposes only, and no reliance should be placed on these descriptions to detail all University facilities and services for which ID Cards grant access, or the eligibility criteria established for their use. Established eligibility criteria are subject to change without notice, and access to facilities and services may be denied at any time. In addition, management of each facility may limit or prohibit use of a facility by an individual card holder who, in the facility management's sole discretion, violates the rules governing use of the facility or other policies established by the University or facility management.

a. Department of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation (DAPER)

Holders of Student, Postdoctoral, Faculty/Staff, SLAC Faculty/Staff, Temp/Casual, SLAC Temp/Casual, Fellow, Visitor and Courtesy Cards have access to certain facilities and events specified by DAPER, subject to payment of established amounts, if any, for tickets or use fees. Access to Stanford's Golf Course is available only to Stanford professoriate, academic appointments in specified policy centers and institutes, academic staff, non-affiliated Clinician/Educators, regular staff, students, post-doctoral scholars, fellows in official Stanford programs, retirees, emeriti, Trustees, and those of their spouses and domestic partners with a valid Courtesy Card.

b. Libraries

While a Stanford Identification Card may be necessary to gain access to campus library resources, the possession of an ID Card does not assure access to any library. Stanford Libraries has written regulations governing the use of its libraries.

5. Other Cards

The Stanford Card Office, and certain other departments at Stanford, issue cards which are not considered to be Stanford ID Cards and do not carry the same Privileges as an ID Card. A partial list of these cards includes:

a. Conference Identification Card

A paper card issued by the Conference Office for a specified period to individuals who are participating in summer conferences and institutes but who are not registered as students.

b. Continuing Studies Student Card

A paper card issued quarterly to registrants in Continuing Studies courses, except for those pursuing the Master of Liberal Arts degree, who receives a Student Card.

c. Dependent Card

A card issued annually or for a specified period, to the children of faculty and staff. Before issuing a Dependent Card, the Stanford Card Office must verify the parent's "Faculty/Staff" Stanford Card.

d. Library Cards

Issued by Stanford Libraries to provide library access and/or borrowing privileges.

e. Meal Cards

A card issued for use by certain non-student holders of meal plans at the University, such as children of Resident Fellows and summer conference attendees. These cards are valid only for meals in the Dining Halls.

f. Temp Access Card

A non-photo card that provides access to campus buildings. Policies and procedures related to the issuance and use of these cards are established by the issuing department.