SAT ID Requirements

Your admission ticket isn't enough to get you into the test center. Follow these guidelines so you don't get turned away. You're responsible for understanding and following these requirements as they appear here.

What to Expect

Test center staff will compare the information on your admission ticket and your photo ID with the test center roster to confirm your registration and identity. You can't be admitted to the test center if any of the information doesn't match. For example, you can't use a nickname on one item but your full name on another.

The staff isn't required to hold your seat or wait to begin testing if you didn't bring acceptable identification and need to go home and return with ID.

ID Checklist

ID documents must meet all of these requirements:

• Be a valid (unexpired) photo ID that is government-issued or issued by the school that you currently attend. School IDs from the prior school year are valid through the end of December of the current calendar year. (For example, school IDs from 2023–24 can be used through December 31, 2024.)
• Be an original, physical document (not photocopied or electronic).
• Bear your full, legal name exactly as it appears on your admission ticket.
• Bear a recent recognizable photograph that clearly matches both your appearance on test day and the photo you provided when you registered.
• Be in good condition, with clearly legible English language text and a clearly visible photograph.

Acceptable ID Examples

• Government-issued driver's license or non-driver ID card
• Official school-produced student ID card from the school you currently attend
• Government-issued passport or U.S. Global Entry identification card
• Government-issued military or national identification card
• SAT Student ID Form: must be prepared by the school you currently attend or a notary, if homeschooled (only accepted in U.S. centers for students under 21 years of age)

Unacceptable ID Examples

• Any document that doesn't meet the requirements
• Any document that's worn, torn, scuffed, scarred, or otherwise damaged
• Electronic document presented on a device
• Any document that appears tampered with or digitally altered
• Any document that bears a statement such as "not valid as identification"
• Credit or debit card of any kind, even one with a photograph
• Birth certificate
• Social Security card
• Employee ID card
• Missing Child (ChildFind) ID card
• Any temporary ID card

More About Names

If you need to make a change to your name after you register, please contact Customer Service at least 30 days prior to your intended test date. Middle names and initials are optional.

More About Photos

You may not be allowed to enter the test center, let alone take the test, if test center staff can't sufficiently authenticate your identification from the ID you present. Your score may even be withheld or canceled.

Admission to the test center is no guarantee that the ID you provided is valid or that your scores will be reported. All reported or suspected cases of questionable ID or test taker identity are subject to our review and approval before, during, and after the test administration.

ID Requirements Apply All Day

You should keep your ID with you at all times while at the test center, including during breaks. You might be required to show your ID multiple times and at various points throughout the test administration.

If it's discovered after your test administration that you used a false or invalid identification, your test scores will be canceled, and you will forfeit your registration and test fees. Your parents or legal guardians (if you're under 18), your high school, and the colleges and programs you have designated to receive your score reports will be notified and may be told why your scores were canceled. Law enforcement authorities may also be notified when fraud is suspected, and you may be banned from future tests.

If you fail to comply with these identification requirements and policies, you may be dismissed from the test center. Your scores may be withheld or canceled. If you're dismissed from the test center prior to completing the test because of invalid or unacceptable ID, or failure to comply with these ID requirements and policies, your test fees won't be refunded.

If You're 21 or Older

If you'll be 21 or older on test day, the only acceptable form of identification is an official government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license or passport, that meets all the previous requirements on this page. Student ID cards aren't valid forms of identification for test takers who are 21 or older.

Testing Outside Your Home Country

If you travel to another country to test, you must use a valid passport as your ID. The only exception to this policy is a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Common Access Card (CAC), which may be used instead of a passport.

Testing in Ghana

The only acceptable forms of identification are a valid passport with your name, photograph, and signature, or a valid Ghana Card. The only exception to this policy is a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Common Access Card (CAC), which may be used instead of a passport or Ghana Card.

Testing in India

Acceptable forms of identification are either a valid passport with your name, photograph, and signature, or a valid Aadhaar PVC Card with your name and photograph. Only the letter and PVC Card forms of Aadhaar ID are valid. The letter must be hard copy format as issued by the government of India in its original form (printouts, copies, screenshots, or e-cards are not acceptable).

The only exception to this policy is a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Common Access Card (CAC), which may be used instead of a passport.

Testing in Jordan, Korea, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam

A valid national ID card from the country where you're testing or a valid passport from any country are the only acceptable forms of ID. The only exception to this policy is a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Common Access Card (CAC), which may be used instead of a passport.

Testing in Nepal, Nigeria, and Pakistan

The only acceptable form of identification is a valid passport with your name, photograph, and signature. The only exception to this policy is a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Common Access Card (CAC), which may be used instead of a passport.