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A government-issued ID is an identification card issued by a state or federal government agency to serve as an official personal identification. Government-issued IDs are, in many cases, the only accepted form of personal identification.
Types
Driver's licenses, driver's permits and identification cards issued by a state Department of Motor Vehicles are acceptable forms of government-issued ID. Others include passports and government-issued military ID cards.
Uses
ID cards are used to prove a person's true identity. Police officers, U.S. Transportation Security Administration officials, and store clerks requiring verification of a purchaser's right to legally buy alcohol or tobacco all require a government-issued ID card for identity and age verification.
Considerations
A school-issued ID card is not considered a government-issued ID card and will not be accepted as identification when boarding a flight or as verification of identity by a police officer or voting poll worker.
Warnings
It is illegal to use someone else's identification card as your own or to manufacture a false ID card for fraudulent purposes.
Benefits
State-issued IDs vary in appearance. Each state has its own sort of watermark or other difficult-to-duplicate trademark which reduces the threat of duplication, and therefore lessens the possibility of identity theft.
Source:
ID Requirements for Airport Checkpoints
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