<P> The driver's license, which is issued by each individual state, operates as the de facto national identity card due to the ubiquity of driving in the United States . Each state also issues a non-driver state identity card which fulfills the same identification functions as the driver's license, but does not permit the operation of a motor vehicle . </P> <P> Social Security cards have federal jurisdiction but cannot verify identity . They verify only the match between a given name and a Social Security Number (SSN) and were intended only for use in complying with Social Security payroll tax laws . They now are used in a wider scope of activities, such as for obtaining credit and other regulated financial services in banking and investments . </P> <P> The birth certificate is the initial identification document issued to parents shortly after the birth of their child . The birth certificate is typically issued by local governments, usually the city or county where a child is born . It is an important record, often called a "feeder document," because it establishes U.S. citizenship through birthright citizenship, which is then used to obtain, or is the basis for, all other identity documents . By itself, the birth certificate is usually only considered proof of citizenship but not proof of identity, since it is issued without a photograph at birth, containing no identifying features . A birth certificate is normally produced along with proof of identity, such as a driver's license or the testimony of a third party (such as a parent), to establish identity or entitlement to a service . </P> <P> A child born abroad to two U.S. citizen parents, or one citizen parent and one non-citizen, also typically has citizenship from birth . Such births are registered with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate . If the embassy or consulate determines the child acquired citizenship at birth, it issues a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, also known as Form FS - 240 . A birth certificate will also be issued locally in the country where the child was born . The consular report is proof of U.S. citizenship and may be used to obtain a passport for the child and register the child for school, among other purposes . </P>

Is a birth certificate a valid form of id