Photos of ID cards and household registers can be used to apply for passports, marriage certificates, birth certificates, replacement ID cards, etc.

Identity cards are not new today, they have been around since ancient times. But its origin is the identification symbol of officials. The earliest ID card was from the Warring States Period, when Shang Yang carried out the Qin State's political reform and invented the photo ID card. The photo sticker is issued by the government and is a smooth and finely polished bamboo board with the holder's profile picture and place of birth engraved on it. Chinese people must possess it, otherwise they are considered to be undercover, or spies.

There are mainly the following types of ID cards in ancient China: hierarchical ID cards, professional ID cards, temporary ID cards, etc. Among them, hierarchical ID cards are the most popular. There are many types of ID cards in ancient times: Tiger Talisman, Free Talisman, Fish Talisman, Turtle Talisman, Dragon Talisman, Linfu, Tooth Tag, Waist Tag, etc., all of which are hierarchical ID cards. Later, when Wu Zetian came to power, the Fish Talisman was replaced by the Turtle Talisman. Although the form has changed, the function as an ID card has not.

The ID cards held by mainland residents of the People's Republic of China are called "Resident Identity Cards of the People's Republic of China". On April 6, 1984, mainland China began to implement the resident identity card system. The State Council issued the "Trial Regulations on Resident Identity Cards of the People's Republic of China". And began to issue first-generation resident identity cards. The first generation of resident ID cards were made using printing and photocopying techniques, making them relatively easy to forge.