What identification will I have to show at the test center?
When you arrive at the test center, you'll be required to show acceptable identification before being admitted to test. The ID you present, including any required signatures, must be original, not a photocopy or reproduction. Only the following forms of identification are acceptable. If it's not on this list, it's not acceptable, and you will not be admitted to test.
Acceptable forms of identification:
- Current (valid) official photo ID: Must be issued by your school or
city/state/federal government (such as driver's license or passport) on which both your name and photo appear. - Letter of identification issued by your school: Must be on official school letterhead stationery with a raised or inked school seal, individually completed and signed in ink by a school official (who may not be a relative), and include all of the following:
- Your first and last names.
- Your recent, recognizable, individual photo with the school seal or school official's signature in ink overlapping a portion of the photo, OR a full physical description (completed by the school official) including age, gender, approximate height and weight, race, hair color, eye color, and any other distinguishing features (e.g., glasses, mustache). Note: Physical descriptions in lieu of photos are not accepted at international test centers.
- You must sign the letter in ink in the presence of the school official.
- Download a template you can provide to a school official if you need a school ID letter.
- High school transcript with photo issued by your school: It must include a raised or inked school seal, be individually signed in ink by a school official, and include a recent photo with overlapping school seal or official's signature. You must also sign the transcript in ink. Note: Transcripts are not accepted as ID at international test centers.
- Notarized statement with photo: If you do not have acceptable photo ID or your school cannot provide you with an ID letter, contact a notary public (who must not be a relative). Attach a current photo of yourself to a sworn statement that identifies you by name. You must sign this statement in ink in the presence of the notary public, who must affix the notary seal or stamp overlapping a portion of the photo.
- Download a template you can provide to a notary if you need a notarized statement.
- If you present a school letter, transcript, or notarized statement, you must sign it again in the presence of test center staff on test day. They will send it to us for our files and we will keep it.
- Recent published individual photo: Recognizable individual photograph of you in a recent (within the last two years) publication, such as a newspaper or school yearbook, with your first and last names in the caption. All but yearbooks will be sent to us for our files. Group photos are not acceptable. The publication must be original, not a photocopy or reproduction. Note: This form of identification is NOT accepted at international test centers.
Unacceptable Identification:
You will not be admitted if you present any forms of ID other than those listed as acceptable.
The following are examples of unacceptable identification:
- ACT admission ticket
- Birth certificate
- Charge, bank, check cashing, or credit cards with or without photo
- ChildFind ID card
- Fishing or hunting license
- Graduation picture or family portrait
- ID issued by an employer
- Learner's driving permit, temporary or replacement driver's license, if it doesn't include a photo
- Organization membership card
- Passport or other photo so old that the person presenting it cannot be identified
- Phone calls to the test center to identify the examinee
- Photo ID issued by a business for promotional purposes (e.g., amusement parks)
- Photo ID of parents
- Photo with student's name embossed or printed on the photo by a photographer
- Police report of a stolen purse or wallet
- Report card or diploma
- Social Security card
- Traffic ticket, even with a physical description and signature
- Web page with photo