Acceptable Identification

For the purposes of the ACT, valid identification is assumed to mean a card, badge or form that is a) issued by a company, educational institution or governmental entity, b) current, meaning the identification was issued within the last two years, and c) bears a recognizable photo of the student, along with the student's first and last name (both names must be present for checking purposes). If a student provides an official letter from the school that states the student's name, gives a physical description that matches the student and is on school letterhead (or has a school seal), test center personnel will accept that. This form of identification is the only type without a picture that will be accepted.

Most commonly accepted forms of photo identification will be accepted by test center personnel. These common forms include driver's licenses, passports, newspaper or magazine pictures with captions, and company badges. School transcripts with photos or notarized statements with photos are also accepted, as long as the photos are current and recognizable as the student in question.

However, there are several forms of identification that will not be accepted for the ACT exam, and students need to be aware that they will not be admitted to the test center if they attempt to use an invalid form of identification. These invalid forms include out-of-date passports, ACT admission tickets, learner's permits, birth certificates, Social Security cards, family portraits or any other form of identification that does not meet the criteria outlined above. Since the ACT is only offered on certain dates, and not testing at certain times can adversely affect meeting deadlines for scholarship applications or admission requirements, it is vital that students include proper identification in the materials they bring to the test center. Packing an alternate form of identification in a bag with the materials the student brings for the test series is highly recommended.