Stanford Student ID Card: Your Comprehensive Guide

Stanford University provides identification cards (IDs) to students, faculty, staff, and other affiliates. These ID cards serve as proof of association with the university and grant access to various privileges, facilities, resources, benefits, and services. This article provides a detailed overview of Stanford ID cards, including their purpose, types, management, and associated privileges. This guide memo lists identification cards used at Stanford University and indicates their uses according to Policy Number 28.4.

Purpose of Identification Cards

Association with the University

Stanford University issues machine-readable photo identification cards ("Identification Card" or "ID Card") to students, faculty, staff, and other individuals closely associated with the University. The primary purpose of the ID Card is to identify and document these relationships.

Privileges

A valid ID Card grants Stanford faculty, staff, and students access to certain Stanford facilities, resources, benefits, and services ("Privileges"). Other individuals with ID Cards may also access certain Privileges if permitted under this policy, or with the approval of either the Provost or the Vice President of Human Resources.

Types of Identification Cards

The Stanford University IT Card Services Office (Stanford Card Office) issues the following types of ID Cards. More detailed descriptions of eligibility criteria for and the privileges granted by ID Cards may be found at the Stanford Card Office. The Provost may update this list with respect to faculty, students, and academic visitors, and the Vice President of Human Resources may update it with respect to staff and other campus visitors.

Student Card

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

Read also: Stanford Admission GPA Guide

Postdoctoral Card

Issued to postdoctoral scholars.

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.

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).

SLAC Faculty/Staff Card

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

SLAC Temp/Casual Card

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

Read also: Explore Stanford

Fellow Card

Issued to fellows, interns, and other individuals 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.

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, 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.

Courtesy Card

Issued to:

Spouses and domestic partners of students and postdoctoral scholars.
Spouses and same-sex domestic partners of qualified holders of a valid Faculty/Staff or Fellow Card.
Spouses, domestic partners, adult affiliates, and children of Resident Fellows and 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.), as approved by the Dean of Students.
Adjunct Clinical Faculty.
Holders of "other teaching titles" who are not on Stanford's payroll.
Staff of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching located on Stanford campus.
Chaplain Affiliates.
Staff of the 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.
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.

Management of Identification Cards

Issuance

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

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.

Read also: Navigating Stanford Scholarships

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.

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.
Name on the invitation to a Visitor.
Name on the evidence of employment for ASSU employees.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Expiration Date

ID cards expire as follows:

Student Cards: 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.
Postdoctoral Cards: 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.
Faculty/Staff and SLAC Faculty/Staff Cards: 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.
Temp/Casual and SLAC Temp/Casual cards: 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.
Fellow and Visitor Cards: 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.
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.

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.

Surrender of Cards

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

Expiration, if not renewed
Termination of association with the University
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

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.

Library Cards

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

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.

Temp Access Card

A non-photo card that provides access to campus buildings.

Additional Information

The Stanford ID (variously known as the Campus Card, University ID, or Student ID) serves as:

An identification card.
An electronic key card controlling access to residence and dining halls, libraries, recreational facilities, and staff office buildings.
A method for purchasing goods with Cardinal Dollars.

Cardinal Dollars are prepaid dining dollars used only at Residential & Dining Enterprises (R&DE) dining locations and some retail locations.

Stanford policies govern the issuance of ID cards.

The campus card system is a closed, proprietary system that runs on its own hardware and software.

ID cards are issued by the ID Card Office. Once chosen, your SUNet ID cannot be changed. Your SUNet ID and password are required each time you use Axess and other University business applications. For your personal information to remain secure, it is vitally important that you not share your SUNet ID and password with anyone. It is a violation of University policy to misrepresent yourself in any way, and you may lose student privileges or be subject to disciplinary action if you use another studentâs SUNet ID or if you deliberately enter false information in Axess.

The Stanford Medicine Security Office/Photo ID Office manages all requests related to ID badges. All Biosciences students are required to carry a Stanford Medicine ID badge while at the School of Medicine Campus, Stanford Hospital & Clinics, and Lucille Packard Childrenâs Hospital. The Photo ID office is located on ground/lower level in room 030K of the Stanford Hospital at 500 Pasteur Drive. The closest entrance is through the staff parking garage off of Pasteur Drive. The Stanford Medicine ID badge is also used to access School of Medicine buildings including the Li Ka Shing Center (LKSC). The fourth floor of the Li Ka Shing Center (LKSC) is open only to School of Medicine and Biosciences graduate and medical students, including students in all of the Biosciences programs. LKSCâs Fitness Center is a 24-hour badge access facility. All users are required to complete the LKSC Fitness Center Waiver Form in order to receive access to the facility. You can use the badge request form to complete the waiver and receive access. All graduate students must also obtain a Stanford ID card. You may upload a photo as soon as your SUNet ID and password are set up. ID Cards are issued by the Campus Card Office, located in Tresidder Union at 459 Lagunita Drive (2nd floor, next to the Ticket Office).

New Student FAQs

How do I get my Enrollment Hold lifted?

New Student Advisement hold: Every incoming frosh and transfer student has a standard New Student Advisement enrollment hold. After having an initial advising conversation with the Transfer Advisor, you will have your enrollment hold lifted, making you eligible to enroll in courses beginning September 4.
Documents for Undergraduate Admission: Your admission is conditional upon receipt of your official final transcript, and if you self-reported them, your official test scores for ACT and/or SAT. If these documents are not submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Admission by the applicable due dates, an enrollment hold will be placed on your account. The hold will automatically be cleared once the Student Information Update is complete. If you believe you completed this step but you continue to see the hold on your account, revisit the Student Information Update to confirm it was properly saved. This update will be required annually.
Vaden Health Center: If you did not complete your Vaden Health Requirements by the required deadline, there may be a Vaden Health Requirements enrollment hold on your account.
Bechtel International Center: citizens, non-Permanent Residents) have an enrollment hold that Bechtel International Center will release upon confirmation that you have arrived to Stanford.

Can I get proof of enrollment?

Once you enroll in courses and submit a Study List, enrollment certifications can be obtained online through Axess. If you need verification for scholarship or insurance purposes, you should first inform the scholarship agency or insurance company that new transfer students will not be able to enroll in courses until September 4; thus, enrollment certifications will not be available until after that date. Sometimes a copy of your acceptance letter will suffice, or companies will provide an extension.

Can I change information on my Approaching Stanford Forms?

Depending on the issue and the timing of the request, we may be able to make the change. Many offices start using the information right away so only certain changes are allowed.

Can I enroll in Summer Quarter 2025 at Stanford?

No, prior to their first year at Stanford, new undergraduate first-year and transfer students cannot enroll at Stanford in the Summer Quarter (including online courses), nor can they live in campus housing designated for undergraduate students prior to their first year, unless they are participating in a VPUE-sponsored program by invitation. Exceptions are very rarely granted.

When is International Student Orientation (ISO) and how do I register for it? Who should attend ISO?

International Student Orientation (ISO) will take place in September just before general New Student Move-In. Participants in ISO 2025 should plan to move to campus and into their academic year dorm rooms on Saturday, September 13, 2025. citizens or permanent residents are required to attend ISO. permanent residents, and students for whom Bechtel does not issue immigration documents for, are not required nor expected to attend. Bechtel will review all requests and determine which ones are appropriate to approve, if space is available.

When is Move-In and New Student Orientation (NSO)? Is NSO required?

Move-In Day for New Students will be on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, one week before the start of Autumn Quarter. on this date. For those living in graduate residences, move-in will also take place on September 16, unless otherwise requested through the Housing Service Center.

New Student Orientation (NSO) will take place from September 16-21, 2025 and is required for all new undergraduate students. Guests and family members are welcome to accompany you to Move-In and NSO events on September 16, which includes our Opening Convocation Ceremony. Guests should plan to say their goodbyes after Convocation, but before dinner on September 16. From that point on, you will be engaged fully in NSO events and should not make any other plans during NSO.

What do I need to do first?

If you have not done so already, you must set up your SUNet ID. citizens/permanent residents for whom Bechtel issues visa documents. You will receive more information from Bechtel over the summer. If you choose to waive Cardinal Care, you must submit the International Student Insurance Coverage Certification Form.

Plan to move to Stanford on Saturday, September 13, and attend International Student Orientation (ISO) from September 13-16, 2025.

Where do I find my Stanford student ID number (SUID)?

You can find your SUID number on your acceptance letter from Dean of Undergraduate Admission Rick Shaw and on your Approaching Stanford Forms under your student photo. Your SUID is eight numbers long and often starts with "06", "17", or "5". Note: your SUID is different than your SUNet ID.

How do I change my preferred name?

Go to Axess > Click on My Information > Scroll down to Names > Edit your Preferred Name. You can edit your Preferred First and Preferred Middle Name(s). Note: changes made in Axess will take about 24 hours to register in the system.

tags: #Stanford #student #ID #card #information