Most individuals’ first identity-related event with an institution occurs when parents register their child's birth (on behalf of the child) in a government registration process. Individuals also register with the government at other times in their life. These secondary government registrations include marriage and death, obtaining a license to drive, getting a passport, professional licensing, and registering to pay taxes or registering to vote (Figure 3.1). The first step is filling out registration forms once the government has accepted those and created a record in their systems they issue identification numbers and/or documents to the individual.

Relationship to Other Domains

The first identity interaction people have with the state is when their parents register their birth with the state. This is an example of you and my identity where the parent is working on behalf of the organization. When the individual as an adult completes secondary registration with the state, they do so acting on their own behalf, in an example of me and my identity (while presenting the documents that originated from that first you and my identity transaction that lead to the birth certificate being issued to them).

Government registration is required before performing many government transactions that require identifiers and proof of claims that these registration processes produce. Many civil society registration processes also require proofs of claims that government registration requires. Commercial entities doing high-value transactions, restricted transactions (buying tobacco or alcohol), or transactions under regulatory requirements also need these proofs of claims from governments before individuals can register. Employers often require that employees provide proofs of various claims and particular government-issued identifiers to support taxation.

How Do Citizens Get Registered with the State?

When a child is born, parents usually register that child with the state through a process that involves filling out a birth registration form that is sent to a state birth registry, which issues a birth certificate. Birth registration is the official recording of a birth by the state. Modern nation-states establish citizenship via parents’ citizenship or via the location of the child's birth.