It may surprise you, but not everyone takes photo ID cards as seriously as we do! You’d be amazed at the “creativity” we see in ID card pictures. So while it may not be necessary for everyone, here are a few rules to avoid inappropriate pictures on your ID cards. These are especially important to make clear when you ask employees or members to submit/upload their own pictures.
What are some ID picture rules?
No sunglasses- No profile pictures – front-facing only
- No comical faces or gestures
- No group pictures
- No distracting objects
- No hats or bandannas
- No low-resolution pictures
Why are these ID picture rules important?
No Sunglasses
If IDs are meant to “identify” a person, then it should be obvious that the less you cover their features, the better. In fact, this is why many governmental IDs require that you take your photo without even your prescription glasses.
Not only do sunglasses make it hard to identify eye color, but they may also cause reflection which further obfuscates the person’s identity.
No Profile Pictures
When verifying an ID, we are almost always looking at the bearer from the front, not the side. So, a profile ID picture doesn’t make much sense for the verifier.
However, if you want additional security in highly sensitive areas, having an additional photo of the bearer (perhaps on the back of the ID card) that shows their profile is an option.
No Comical Faces or Gestures
Lack of professionalism aside, comical faces make it difficult to identify someone. Furthermore, gestures are distracting, pulling attention away from the face in the ID picture.
