Student ID Card Requirements:
Is Your School or College Ready for Back-to-School?
As schools, colleges, and universities prepare for a new academic year, student ID cards are becoming an increasingly important part of campus operations. Beyond identifying students, student ID cards may need to meet specific state requirements, including displaying suicide prevention and crisis resources.
For administrators, IT departments, security teams, and purchasing departments, compliance also creates an operational question: Does your institution have the equipment needed to efficiently print, update, and replace student ID cards?
Student ID Card Requirements in Ohio and Nearby States
Student ID card laws vary by state, grade level, and institution. Importantly, many laws do not require every school to issue student ID cards. Instead, they establish information that must appear on student ID cards when qualifying schools issue them.
For schools and colleges throughout Total ID Solutions’ Midwest market, several states have requirements worth knowing.
Ohio Student ID Card Requirements
Ohio law requires city, local, and exempted village school districts and chartered nonpublic schools serving grades 9 through 12 to include 988, the national Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, on student ID cards issued after April 9, 2025, when the school provides student ID cards.
Kentucky Student ID Card Requirements
Kentucky requires student identification badges issued by public schools to students in grades 6 through 12 to include contact information for national domestic violence, sexual assault, and suicide prevention hotlines.
Kentucky’s requirements also extend to student identification badges issued by public and private postsecondary institutions, vocational schools, and other institutions offering postsecondary degrees, certificates, or licensure.
Indiana, Michigan, Illinois & Tennessee
Schools in other nearby states also need to be aware of student ID card requirements related to crisis and suicide prevention resources.
Illinois, for example, requires school districts serving grades 6 through 12 that issue student ID cards to include 988, the Crisis Text Line, and Safe2Help Illinois contact information. Illinois also requires the same information on identification cards issued to employees serving those grade levels.
Requirements differ across Indiana, Michigan, and Tennessee, so schools and colleges should always verify their current state, district, and institutional requirements before finalizing a student ID card design.
Why In-House Student ID Card Printing Matters
For a school or college producing hundreds or thousands of student ID cards, outsourcing every new or replacement card can make managing credentials more difficult.
An in-house student ID card printer gives authorized staff greater control over the process. Schools can produce large batches before the first day of classes and continue printing student ID cards throughout the year for:
- New enrollments
- Transfer students
- Lost or damaged student ID cards
- Updated student information
- Design or compliance changes
- New academic years
When requirements change, having an in-house system also gives institutions greater flexibility to update their student ID card design and begin producing revised cards.
What Equipment Do Schools Need to Print Student ID Cards?
A complete student ID card printing system involves more than the printer itself.
Depending on the institution, a setup may include:
- Student ID card printer
- PVC cards
- Color or monochrome printer ribbons
- Student ID card software
- Photo capture equipment
- Cleaning and maintenance supplies
- Lanyards and badge holders
Total ID Solutions offers standard CR-80, 30-mil PVC cards in a wide selection of colors. Cards can be packaged in bundles of 50 or 100, with up to 500 cards per box, providing options for schools with different enrollment and printing volumes.
Evolis Primacy 2 for Student ID Card Printing
For schools, districts, colleges, and universities with medium- to large-volume student ID card printing needs, the Evolis Primacy 2 offers a powerful in-house solution.
The Primacy 2 can print up to 280 single-sided cards per hour and supports both single- and double-sided printing. It offers 100- or 200-card feeder configurations and supports PVC and composite PVC cards, among other materials.
Double-sided printing can be particularly useful when a school needs room for student information and branding on the front while reserving the back of the student ID card for required crisis resources, school information, policies, or other content.
The Primacy 2 can also support magnetic stripe, contact, and contactless encoding, giving institutions flexibility when their cards need functionality beyond visual identification.
Build a Complete Student ID Card System with Total ID Solutions
Back-to-school student ID card production shouldn’t require schools to piece together equipment and supplies from multiple vendors.
Total ID Solutions helps schools, colleges, and universities find the student ID card printing equipment and supplies that fit their specific requirements.
From the Evolis Primacy 2 to PVC cards, printer ribbons, software, cleaning supplies, and accessories, Total ID Solutions can help institutions create an in-house system designed around their card volume and credentialing needs.
Total ID Solutions also offers PVC, composite PVC, magnetic stripe, and access/proximity card options, providing institutions with room to expand their credentialing capabilities as their needs change.
With the right student ID card printing system in place, schools and colleges can be better prepared for high-volume back-to-school production, replacement cards, new enrollment, and evolving student ID card requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions About Student ID Cards
Are student ID cards required by law?
Requirements vary by state. Some laws establish requirements for what must appear on student ID cards when a school issues them rather than requiring every school to issue student ID cards. Schools should review applicable state, district, and institutional requirements.
Why is 988 printed on some student ID cards?
Several states require certain student ID cards to include suicide prevention or crisis-resource information. In Ohio, for example, qualifying schools serving grades 9 through 12 must include the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline number on student ID cards they issue.
Do colleges have student ID card requirements?
Requirements vary by state. Kentucky, for example, specifically includes student identification badges issued by public and private postsecondary institutions and certain vocational and credentialing institutions in its hotline-information requirements.
What equipment is needed to print student ID cards in-house?
Schools typically need a student ID card printer, printable cards, ribbons, software, photo capture equipment, and maintenance supplies. Lanyards, badge holders, and other accessories can also be incorporated into the student ID card program.
What is a good student ID card printer for high-volume printing?
The Evolis Primacy 2 is designed for medium- to large-volume card production. It can print up to 280 single-sided cards per hour and supports single- and double-sided printing, making it well suited to institutions producing larger quantities of student ID cards.
Can Total ID Solutions help schools choose student ID card equipment?
Yes. Total ID Solutions provides ID card printers, cards, ribbons, accessories, and related products and can help institutions determine which equipment fits their printing requirements.
Student ID card laws and requirements can change. Schools and institutions should verify current state, local, and institutional requirements before designing or printing student ID cards.
