e+ PASS Proof of Age Card

e+ card

What is PASS?

The Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) is a UK-wide accredited proof of age scheme, backed by the British Retail Consortium, the Home Office, Thames Valley Police and Bracknell Forest Council. The Bracknell Forest e+ smartcard has been granted PASS accreditation and is therefore a reliable proof of age.

Under 26 and need to prove your age?

e+ Card Whether you are 18 and want to buy alcohol or 14 and want to buy cheaper tickets at the cinema or on the bus, you may find an e+ PASS card useful.

Having an e+ PASS card means you can prove your age without having to carry a passport or driving licence. PASS cards are accepted nationally as a reliable proof of age and the PASS scheme is backed by the police and government.

Anyone aged 12-25 years can apply for a free e+ PASS card. The application process can be started online and completed by showing proofs and having a photograph taken at any of our e+ service points at libraries, leisure centres or customer service centres. Please visit our How do I get an e+ card? page for more information.

What proof do you need to apply for an e+ PASS card?

You will need to provide proof of your address and photographic proof of your date of birth. For PASS card applications, acceptable forms of photographic age and identity proof are:

Passport
Photo Driving Licence
Other PASS accredited card such as Citizen card
EU National Identity Card
Home Office Immigrant ID Card

If you do not have any of these you can still apply but must complete one of the two referee forms below. These require a professional person to act as your referee.

A recent paid bill or bank or building society statement from your home address is also necessary to verify that the address is current and valid. Under 16s need a parent or guardian to act as guarantor for their e+ application.

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If you are aged 12-25 and don't have any photographic proof but do wish to use your e+ card for proof of age, you must complete one of the following forms. Full information about the process is on the forms. The following should help you decide which form to use.

Use e+ PASS Referee Form A if your personal details and date of birth are already registered with an official organisation.

For Form A you need the following:

A teacher or other official employee of an educational establishment; a doctor or dentist; a bank or building society professional or solicitor who has an official record of your age and identity and knows you well enough to validate this
A clear, recent image of your head and shoulders with no hats or headgear ( except for religious reasons) no dark glasses (except for medical reasons) and no hair across the eyes. The image must be signed, dated and endorsed on the reverse by your referee as stipulated on the form

The form must be completed and officially stamped by the referee. Download the eplus PASS Referee Form A.

Use e+ PASS Referee Form B if you don't have an official record that can be used to validate your current personal details.

For Form B you need the following:

A clear, recent image of your head and shoulders with no hats or headgear ( except for religious reasons) no dark glasses (except for medical reasons) and no hair across the eyes. The image must be signed, dated and endorsed on the reverse by your referee as stipulated on the form
An original document (from the list of photographic age and identify proofs above), which will be photocopied and signed by the referee
A professional person within one of the categories accepted by the Passport and Identity service

Download the eplus PASS Referee Form B.

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For either form, a referee for proof of age

may not be a close relative of the applicant or have guardian, foster parent or carer status in relation to you
must know you sufficiently to verify your identity
must give their occupation and work contact details, including a land line telephone number at their place of work on the form

The referee must also sign a declaration on the form to the effect that s/he knows

you and your current age
that it is a criminal offence to provide false information to obtain proof of age documents

After you have sent us your form, we will contact the person who has acted as referee and follow a specified procedure to confirm the validity of the application.

How can PASS help retailers?

Over 8,000 cards have been issued to young people in the borough. Having an e+ PASS card means young people can reliably prove their age without having to carry a passport or driving licence. This helps retailers stay within the law when selling age-restricted goods as the holder's date of birth and identity are certified by the issuer. As the e+ card is a smartcard, the current age of the cardholder can also be read by an electronic e+ PASS card reader. The card has:

The PASS holographic logo - the authentic hologram shows the word PASS in silvery white on a background of a rainbow pattern when held under the light
The holder’s date of birth
The holder’s full name
A clear, recognisable colour photograph of the holder

For more information, please contact the e+ helpline: