The Designs of ID Cards

The varying designs of ID cards are efficient in coping with the changing needs of the community. Going from a paper document to a smart authentication, the evolution of ID cards has witnessed the changes of the society and the advancement of technological development in Hong Kong over the past decades.

Paper ID Card (Since 1949)

The earliest identity cards issued were made of stiff paper. Besides the name, gender, photograph and ID card number, it also included the card holder’s address, employment address, occupation, etc.

A sample paper ID card appended to the Registration of Persons Ordinance. (1949)

A paper ID card. (1956) Courtesy of the Immigration Department

Laminated ID Card (Since 1960)

The laminated ID cards were more durable and convenient to use. The ID card edged blue was for male, and the one edged red was for female. It bore the photograph and the left thumbprint of the card holder on the front while the reverse side contained the name and other personal particulars of the card holder. Juvenile ID cards did not bear the photograph and given name of the card holder because of the rapid changes in facial appearance of juveniles who might possibly change their names in their adolescence.

A laminated ID card. (1961) Courtesy of the Immigration Department

A laminated juvenile ID card. (1961) Courtesy of the Immigration Department

The design of laminated ID cards was discussed in a Legislative Council meeting. (1960)

Some people who used more than one name in everyday life and the varying Chinese romanisations created difficulties for recording Chinese names. In light of this, adults were required to choose one official name and romanisation for the registration. (1960)

A memo on the use of Chinese Commercial Code in ID cards. As Chinese characters can be romanised in a number of ways, it is difficult to classify Chinese names by their romanised forms. Against this background, Chinese Commercial Code was adopted to ensure Chinese names were properly identified and classified. (1960)

Green-seal ID cards were introduced in 1971 for persons subject to conditions of stay in Hong Kong. (1971)

A laminated ID card with a green seal. (1973) Courtesy of the Immigration Department

New Laminated ID Card (Since 1973)

The new laminated ID card was bilingual. In order to achieve this within a card of reasonable size, the thumbprint was excluded from the ID card. Meanwhile, place of birth of the card holder was added on the ID card. The given name and photograph of the card holder were included in the new laminated juvenile ID card to facilitate the identification of card holders.

A new laminated ID card. (1978) Courtesy of the Immigration Department

A new laminated juvenile ID card. (1979) Courtesy of the Immigration Department

Juvenile ID cards issued since 1960 had no given name and photograph of the card holder. To prevent illegal transfer of ID cards between juveniles for seeking employment whilst under age, it was proposed that photographs of card holders be shown in juvenile ID cards. Since children’s facial appearance changes quickly over time, the registration age should be raised from 6 to 11 while the age of re-registration for an adult ID card should be raised from 17 to 18. (1972)

While the design of juvenile ID card was revised to avoid illegal transfer of ID cards, under the Registration of Persons Regulations in 1973, any person using the ID card of another person shall be guilty of an offence. (1973)

The revamped scheme on juvenile ID card registration facilitated the identification of card holders applying for academic study and employment. (1973)

The bilingual requirement of new laminated ID cards was discussed in an Executive Council paper. (1973)

First Generation Computerised ID Card (Since 1983)

To tackle the problem of ID card forgery, a more secure computerised ID card was introduced. The eligibility for a Hong Kong Re-entry Permit was indicated by three asterisks (***) and one asterisk (*) symbols for people at the age of 18 or above and under the age of 18 respectively.

A first generation computerised ID card. (1983) Courtesy of the Immigration Department

To tackle the problem of ID card forgery, a more secure computerised ID card was introduced. (1983)

Second Generation Computerised ID Card (Since 1987)

The second generation computerised ID card was introduced in two types: Hong Kong permanent ID card and Hong Kong ID card. They were still in use after 1997.

A second generation computerised ID card. (1995) Courtesy of the Immigration Department

Under the Registration of Persons (Amendment) Regulations 1987, a permanent ID card shall bear the statement “The holder of this card has the right of abode in Hong Kong”. (1987)

Smart ID Card (Since 2003)

Featuring state-of-art technologies, the smart ID card stores in its microchip the template of the card holder’s thumbprints, which serves as a very effective deterrent against counterfeits.

Various forms of smart ID cards, including Hong Kong permanent ID card, Hong Kong ID card, ID card for a person from the age of 11 to 17, ID card for a person under the age of 11, braille-printed ID card and ID card issued overseas. (2003) Courtesy of the Immigration Department

A Legislative Council document about ID card replacement. The design of the computerised ID cards was said to be outdated and vulnerable to forgery with the passage of time. (2000) Courtesy of the Security Bureau

A Legislative Council document about ID card replacement. Adopting more sophisticated cryptographic techniques to protect data and safeguard against the risk of being fraudulently altered, the smart ID cards would be a great help in the work of the Immigration Department. (2000) Courtesy of the Security Bureau

A Legislative Council document about ID card replacement. The Government found it justifiable to adopt smart ID cards with multi-application capacity to support other Government applications. The public could also enjoy the convenience of using one card for multiple purposes. (2000) Courtesy of the Security Bureau

A long queue of Mainland-bound passengers awaiting immigration clearance. (c.1960s)

The implementation of the e-Channel service by the Immigration Department facilitated immigration clearance of smart ID card holders at control points. (c.2004)

New Smart ID Card (Since 2018)

There is enhancement in card durability, security features as well as chip technology and personal data protection of the new smart ID cards.

Various forms of new smart ID cards, including Hong Kong permanent ID card, Hong Kong ID card, ID card for a person from the age of 11 to 17, ID card for a person under the age of 11, braille-printed ID card and ID card issued overseas. (2018) Courtesy of the Immigration Department

Security features of the new smart ID cards. (2018) Courtesy of the Immigration Department

Information on the front of the smart ID card and new smart ID card. (2018) Courtesy of the Immigration Department

Policy on the Issuance of ID Cards

Registration for ID Cards

ID Card@Poster