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National identity cards have traditionally been among the most contested forms of government documentation in modern Britain. Their history is not one of continuity but of abrupt appearances, usually tied to crises, followed by equally decisive disappearances. Britain has twice run nationwide systems of identity cards, both introduced during world wars. The idea resurfaced in the early 2000s, only to be scrapped again before it was fully implemented.
The First National Register (1915–1919)
The First World War, with its insatiable demand for manpower, created the context for Britain’s first nationwide registration system. In July 1915, Parliament passed the National Registration Act, requiring all men and women aged 15 to 65 to register. The immediate purpose was military: the government wanted accurate figures on how many men of fighting age were available for conscription, and in which occupations they worked.
Local authorities compiled registers, issued identity cards, and forwarded data to a central office in London. Cards were simple folded documents recording name, address, occupation, and other basic details. Everyone was supposed to carry them, but enforcement was minimal.
The scheme did not take root in everyday life, as the cards were not tied to other essential functions. Once the government had gathered the statistics it needed, enthusiasm waned. By 1919 the scheme was allowed to lapse. Many people lost their cards or never bothered to carry them.
The First National Register was thus a short-lived wartime expedient with no enduring role.
The Second National Register (1939–1952)
The Second World War saw the creation of a far more ambitious and effective system. On 29 September 1939, just weeks after Britain declared war on Germany, a nationwide census took place. This formed the basis of the National Register of 1939, covering around 40 million people. Each individual received a unique registration number and an identity card.
Unlike the 1915 register, the 1939 scheme was highly centralised. A Central National Register was established near Southport, supported by local offices across the country. The register contained names, addresses, marital status, occupations, and – crucially –dates of birth. This centralised structure made it far more versatile than its predecessor.
The system’s durability lay in its integration with daily needs. From 1940 onwards, food and clothing rationing required proof of identity. To obtain a ration book or to collect rationed goods, people had to present their identity cards. The card became indispensable in daily life.
The cards were also used for a wide range of administrative purposes: national service, pensions, savings accounts, parcel delivery, and police inquiries. Although the original legislation specified only three functions – national service, national security, and rationing – the register’s scope expanded steadily.
By the late 1940s, the identity card was being used in routine police work. While it helped the forces, sometimes it also provoked resentment and legal challenges. A legal case, Willcock v. Muckle (1950), saw a motorist refuse to show his card, arguing that the wartime law was being stretched far beyond its intent; the court agreed in principle.
With rationing finally wound down and wartime emergency powers ending, the Government abolished identity cards in February 1952.
Though the physical cards disappeared, some administrative legacies survived. The NHS, created in 1948, used National Registration numbers as the basis for its patient records. Parts of the register continued to be updated well into the 1990s for NHS purposes.
1952–2000s
For half a century after 1952, Britain had no national identity card system. This absence became part of the country’s political culture. Unlike most continental European states, where identity cards are routine, Britain did not offer its citizens an easy way to prove their identity.
Proposals occasionally surfaced – during debates over immigration in the 1980s, for example – but none gained traction.
The Identity Cards Act 2006
In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and subsequent terrorist incidents, coupled with rising concern about illegal working and identity fraud, the Government revived the idea of a national identity card.
The Identity Cards Act 2006 legislated for a new scheme. Its centrepiece was the National Identity Register, a digital database recording personal and biometric details: fingerprints, facial images, and other identifiers. Cards would be issued in stages, initially alongside passports.
The scheme was intended to help combat terrorism, illegal immigration, benefit fraud, and identity theft while streamlining administrative processes within the government. With a universal identity card, citizens would no longer be required to provide exotic paperwork like gas bills or address history only in order to identify themselves to government administration.
By 2009, a small number of cards had been issued, mainly to foreign nationals and volunteers in pilot areas such as Manchester. However, they were not popular and the scheme never reached full nationwide coverage.
In 2010, a new coalition came to power on a promise to scrap identity cards. The Identity Documents Act 2010 repealed the 2006 Act, cancelled all existing cards, and ordered the destruction of the National Identity Register. By the end of that year, the scheme had been dismantled.
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