National Identification Card (Sierra)

The National Identification Card (abbreviated as the NIC) is a document containing a unique 10-digit token-based code and basic personal information, which is used for identification purposes in the Kingdom of Sierra. In addition, all NICs contain a 4-digit for security purposes. It is compulsorily issued to all Sierran citizens aged 18 and up, and must be renewed every 5 years. In almost all cases, a citizen will have the same NIC for life with few exceptions, such as being issued an already existing NIC number, or being a victim of. It is distinct from the similar but unrelated Social Security number (SSN). The NIC is interrelated with the Sierran family register, a registry database which requires every household to report and compile family information and events including births, deaths, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and residency changes. The NIC is required to access various public services (such as welfare and pension benefits), and to perform certain actions including voting, filing taxes, acquiring other identification cards (e.g., ), and opening bank accounts. A separate identification card is issued for non-citizens including permanent residents, foreign workers, and diplomats. The card is issued at the county-level in Sierra and Hawaii, and at the national level in the Deseret. The National Family Registry is responsible for storing, managing, and protecting NIC information and numbers, alongside family register information.

Although all K.S. citizens are required to maintain up-to-date NICs, in most cases, citizens are not required to be physically present with the cardholder at all times (certain individuals including registered sex offenders, released felons, and others are required to possess cards in public however). Generally speaking, failure to surrender a NIC when requested by relevant authorities, may yield alternative means for identification (such as a driver's license), or a refusal of service. Intentional misuse or abuse of NICs is punishable by law however, and failure to register or renew a NIC may result in statutory fines. Since 1990, NICs have been automatically issued to previously non-cardholding citizens when their births or adoptions were registered into the Sierran family register, although NICs for minors are slightly different from their adult counterparts as they contain an additional string that identifies them with their parents or legal guardians. The 10 alphanumeric code issued in the minor's NIC is carried over to the adult NIC when the minor turns 18.

Since its introduction in 1933 alongside the family register, the NIC has been the subject of controversy and criticism. Instances of "card holdouts", or individuals who refused to register for a NIC, were prevalent as late a the 1970s nationwide, and continues today in small cases, mostly in the Styxie where opposition has historically been the fiercest. Supporters claim that the card serves as a universal and efficient means for government agencies and organizations across the nation to identify citizens, and allows agencies to share information if needed without directly needing the cardholder. Opponents have objected to the card and the family register for a variety of reasons including state invasion of privacy, unnecessary bureaucracy, and inconvenience for citizens who must be renew the card every five years.