How do you read a Mexican identification card?

- The full legal name of the cardholder.

- The unique National Registry Population (CURP) number. The CURP number in Mexico works very similarly to the Social Security Number in the USA, and most processes cannot happen without it.

- The photograph of the cardholder.

- The date the ID was issued, and how long it will remain valid.

- The Federal Identification Number, RFC (similar to the U.S. ITIN).

- In the case of citizens born outside of Mexico, it includes their foreign National ID Number.

- The unique fingerprint of the cardholder.

- Two different addresses associated with the cardholder.

- An alphanumeric code of the address state and city.

- The voting district assigned to that cardholder.

- The electoral section the cardholder pertains to.

- An electronic signature for authorization purposes.

- It includes the logo and denomination of the issuing body.

There are other less relevant numbers and codes but those listed above are the ones most requested and used for different procedures to be carried out in Mexico.

There are four different card versions, as follows:

* The most recent (2019). This is the most common card currently in circulation. It is in vertical format and has been nicknamed "mica".

* The 2008 version. This card is very similar to the most recent version but includes less information and lacks a fingerprint.

* The 1992 version. This is a horizontal card with an off-white and pink color scheme. It has a hologram at the top and another one on the bottom right corner.

* The 1980 version. This is the oldest card still valid, and it shows the cardholder's information printed on a small green piece of paper.