Student, Staff, Faculty ID Cards

Among the list of strategies promoted by the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) is one entitled, Student, Staff and Visitor ID Cards. The council says that “Identification cards for students, faculty, staff and visitors increase the visibility of individuals who do not belong in the school building and make the facility safer for all who use it.”

The strategies goes on to state that an identification card system, particularly when combined with access control procedures, deters individuals with no legitimate business in the school from attempting to enter the building and reduces opportunities for on-campus crimes, violence and drug dealing by unauthorized outsiders.

The council suggests that schools using identification cards issue them to students and staff at the beginning of the school year. Students, faculty and staff should be required to display valid identification cards to enter the building. They also suggest colorcoding the IDs to differentiate between student classes, and between faculty and staff, and that the cards be worn throughout the day by everyone in the school building. In addition, the council recommends that he visitor ID cards be larger than any other, making them noticeable and distinctive from those worn by students and staff.

The strategy states that visitors should be issued temporary identification cards after showing a driver’s license and signing in as they enter the building. Signs should be placed at the main entrances to notify visitors that identification is required to enter the school building. Each school in a district using the identification system needs to have a distinct card to reduce the likelihood that students or staff from other facilities could enter without authorization.

For more information about the National Crime Prevention Council’s strategies, visit www.ncpc.org/topics/school-safety.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • UT System Approves First Funds for New Campus

    The University of Texas System Board of Regents recently approved funds to build the first facility of a new campus in far west Fort Worth, Texas, according to university news. UTA West will serve as a branch of the University of Texas at Arlington and is scheduled to open in fall 2028.

  • Spaces4Learning Trends & Predictions for Educational Facilities in 2026: Part II

    As education leaders look toward 2026, the design of K–12 and higher education facilities is being reshaped by powerful, converging forces. Survey respondents point to the rapid growth of Career and Technical Education, deeper alignment with workforce and industry needs, and the accelerating influence of AI and emerging technologies.

  • Little Grand Market

    Designing for Belonging: Why Student Wellness Starts with Space

    From walkable site planning to flexible interiors, intentional design choices play a critical role in how students experience comfort, connection, and community.

  • Photo credit: Elkus Manfredi Architects

    University of Virginia Selects Design-Build Team for New Residential Complex

    The University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., recently announced that it has selected a design-build team for a new upper-class residential development on campus, according to a news release. Capstone Development Partners—in partnership with Elkus Manfredi Architects and the Hoar Construction/Hourigan construction team—will move forward with the three-building, 310,000-square-foot housing facility.