I was watching tv one day and stumbled into a cool news segment on Estonia's advanced ID card system. I was pretty impressed with the ID infrustructure and how cool it would be to have something like that. However I'm pretty sure it would be very expensive to have everyone in the United States switch over to a ID system like Estonia's. Who knows we might end up getting something like that in the future. Any ways here's the details on the whole thing.

Estonia has implemented the electronic ID card as the primary document for identifying its citizens and the alien residents living within the country. The card, besides being a physical identification document, has advanced electronic functions that facilitate secure authentication and legally binding digital signature, in connection with nationwide online services. The Estonian ID card is used to gain access to a number of Internet-based services, including viewing and changing data in the Estonian Citizenship and Migration Board systems, running queries to the national registers, using the E-Tax Board, gaining access to several banks, giving digital signatures, purchasing and using ID-tickets, and many others.

Front and Back for a Estonian Citizen

The card issuing as well as its further operation is done in close public private partnership. There are three main organizations that are associated with issuing and operating the ID card and the associated infrastructure. The Estonian Citizenship and Migration Board is the government organization responsible for issuing identification documents to Estonian citizens and alien residents. AS Sertifitseerimiskeskus functions as the certification authority, maintains the electronic infrastructure necessary for issuing and using the card, and develops the associated services and software. TRÜB Baltic AS, subsidiary of Swiss TRÜB AG, is the company that personalizes the card.

Alien Identity Card. Front and Back

The Estonian ID card has two main functions. First of all, it works as a regular ID, useful to prove the age or identity when paying at a retailer using a bank card or at a local government office. The ID card also functions as an electronic identity, enabling citizens to use services online conveniently and securely. The card is not limited to specific services. Any organization, public or private, has the opportunity to "ID enable" its service and thus start serving people online.

One can also use her/his ID card to give digital signatures. According to Estonian law, digital signatures are equivalent to handwritten ones if the systems used to give and process them meet certain regulations.

Each ID card contains two certificates and their associated private keys protected with PIN codes.

Long Term Resident ID Card. Front and Back