Fips 201

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FIPS 201

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FIPS PUB 201-1
Change Notice 1
FEDERAL INFORMATION PROCESSING STANDARDS PUBLICATION

Personal Identity Verification (PIV)
of
Federal Employees and Contractors

Computer Security Division
Information Technology Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8900

March 2006

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Carlos M. Gutierrez, Secretary
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY
William A. Jeffrey, Director

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

Acknowledgements
NIST would like to acknowledge the significant contributions of the Federal Identity
Credentialing Committee (FICC) and the Smart Card Interagency Advisory Board (IAB) for
providing valuable contributions to the development of technical frameworks on which this
standard is based.
Special thanks to those who have participated in the workshops and provided valuable technical
suggestions in shaping this standard. NIST also acknowledges the comments received from
government and industry organizations during the preliminary draft review period.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

FOREWORD
The Federal Information Processing Standards Publication Series of the National Institute of Standards
and Technology (NIST) is the official series of publications relating to standards and guidelines adopted
and promulgated under the provisions of the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) of
2002.
Comments concerning FIPS publications are welcomed and should be addressed to the Director,
Information Technology Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive,
Stop 8900, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8900.

Dr. Shashi Phoha, Director
Information Technology Laboratory

ABSTRACT
This standard specifies the architecture and technical requirements for a common identification standard
for Federal employees and contractors. The overall goal is to achieve appropriate security assurance for
multiple applications by efficiently verifying the claimed identity of individuals seeking physical access
to Federally controlled government facilities and electronic access to government information systems.
The standard contains two major sections. Part one describes the minimum requirements for a Federal
personal identity verification system that meets the control and security objectives of Homeland Security
Presidential Directive 12, including personal identity proofing, registration, and issuance. Part two
provides detailed specifications that will support technical interoperability among PIV systems of Federal
departments and agencies. It describes the card elements, system interfaces, and security controls
required to securely store, process, and retrieve identity credentials from the card. The physical card
characteristics, storage media, and data elements that make up identity credentials are specified in this
standard. The interfaces and card architecture for storing and retrieving identity credentials from a smart
card are specified in Special Publication 800-73, Interfaces for Personal Identity Verification. Similarly,
the interfaces and data formats of biometric information are specified in Special Publication 800-76,
Biometric Data Specification for Personal Identity Verification.
This standard does not specify access control policies or requirements for Federal departments and
agencies.

Keywords: Architecture, authentication, authorization, biometrics, credential, cryptography, Federal
Information Processing Standards (FIPS), HSPD 12, identification, identity, infrastructure, model,
Personal Identity Verification, PIV, validation, verification.

iii

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

Federal Information Processing Standards 201
2005
Announcing the
Standard for
Personal Identity Verification
of
Federal Employees and Contractors

Federal Information Processing Standards Publications (FIPS PUBS) are issued by the National Institute
of Standards and Technology (NIST) after approval by the Secretary of Commerce pursuant to the
Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) of 2002.
1. Name of Standard.
FIPS PUB 201: Personal Identity Verification (PIV) of Federal Employees and Contractors.
2. Category of Standard.
Information Security.
3. Explanation.
Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD 12), dated August 27, 2004, entitled “Policy for a
Common Identification Standard for Federal Employees and Contractors,” directed the promulgation of a
Federal standard for secure and reliable forms of identification for Federal employees and contractors. It
further specified secure and reliable identification that—
+

Is issued based on sound criteria for verifying an individual employee’s identity

Is strongly resistant to identity fraud, tampering, counterfeiting, and terrorist exploitation

Can be rapidly authenticated electronically

Is issued only by providers whose reliability has been established by an official accreditation
process.

The directive stipulated that the standard include graduated criteria, from least secure to most secure, to
ensure flexibility in selecting the appropriate level of security for each application. As promptly as
possible, but in no case later than eight months after the date of promulgation, executive departments and
agencies are required to implement the standard for identification issued to Federal employees and
contractors in gaining physical access to controlled facilities and logical access to controlled information
systems.
4. Approving Authority.
Secretary of Commerce.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

5. Maintenance Agency.
Department of Commerce, NIST, Information Technology Laboratory (ITL).
6. Applicability.
This standard is applicable to identification issued by Federal departments and agencies to Federal
employees and contractors (including contractor employees) for gaining physical access to Federally
controlled facilities and logical access to Federally controlled information systems except for “national
security systems” as defined by 44 U.S.C. 3542(b)(2). Except as provided in HSPD 12, nothing in this
standard alters the ability of government entities to use the standard for additional applications.
Special-Risk Security Provision—The U.S. Government has personnel, facilities, and other assets
deployed and operating worldwide under a vast range of threats (e.g., terrorist, technical, intelligence),
particularly heightened overseas. For those agencies with particularly sensitive OCONUS threats, the
issuance, holding, and/or use of PIV credentials with full technical capabilities as described herein may
result in unacceptably high risk. In such cases of extant risk (e.g., to facilities, individuals, operations, the
national interest, or the national security), by the presence and/or use of full-capability PIV credentials,
the head of a Department or independent agency may issue a select number of maximum security
credentials that do not contain (or otherwise do not fully support) the wireless and/or biometric
capabilities otherwise required/referenced herein. To the greatest extent practicable, heads of
Departments and independent agencies should minimize the issuance of such special-risk security
credentials so as to support inter-agency interoperability and the President’s policy. Use of other riskmitigating technical (e.g., high-assurance on-off switches for the wireless capability) and procedural
mechanisms in such situations is preferable, and as such is also explicitly permitted and encouraged. As
protective security technology advances, this need for this provision will be re-assessed as the standard
undergoes the normal review and update process.
7. Specifications.
Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 201 Personal Identity Verification (PIV) of Federal
Employees and Contractors.
8. Implementations.
The PIV standard consists of two parts—PIV-I and PIV-II. PIV-I satisfies the control objectives and
meets the security requirements of HSPD 12, while PIV-II meets the technical interoperability
requirements of HSPD 12. PIV-II specifies implementation and use of identity credentials on integrated
circuit cards for use in a Federal personal identity verification system.
PIV Cards must be personalized with identity information for the individual to whom the card is issued,
in order to perform identity verification both by humans and automated systems. Humans can use the
physical card for visual comparisons, whereas automated systems can use the electronically stored data on
the card to conduct automated identity verification.
Federal departments and agencies may self-accredit, or use other accredited issuers, to issue identity
credentials for Federal employees and contractors until a government-wide PIV-II accreditation process is
established. The standard also covers security and interoperability requirements for PIV Cards. Funding
permitting, NIST plans to develop a PIV Validation Program that will test implementations for
conformance with this standard. Additional information on this program will be published at
http://csrc.nist.gov/npivp/ as it becomes available.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

The respective numbers of agency-issued 1) general credentials and 2) Special-risk credentials (issued
under the Special-Risk Security Provision) shall be subject to annual reporting to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) under the annual reporting process in a manner prescribed by OMB.
9. Effective Date.
This standard is effective immediately. Federal departments and agencies shall meet the requirements of
PIV-I no later than October 27, 2005, in accordance with the timetable specified in HSPD 12. The OMB
has advised NIST that it plans to issue guidance regarding the transition from PIV-I to PIV-II. It is
anticipated that some Federal departments and agencies may begin with PIV-II, which would eliminate
the need for such a transition.
10. Qualifications.
The security provided by the PIV system is dependent on many factors outside the scope of this standard.
Upon adopting this standard, organizations must be aware that the overall security of the personal
identification system relies on—
+

Assurance provided by the issuer of an identity credential that the individual in possession of the
credential has been correctly identified

Protection provided to an identity credential stored within the PIV Card and transmitted between
the card and the PIV issuance and usage infrastructure

Protection provided to the identity verification system infrastructure and components throughout
the entire life cycle.

Although it is the intent of this standard to specify mechanisms and support systems that provide high
assurance personal identity verification, conformance to this standard does not assure that a particular
implementation is secure. It is the implementer’s responsibility to ensure that components, interfaces,
communications, storage media, managerial processes, and services used within the identity verification
system are designed and built in a secure manner.
Similarly, the use of a product that conforms to this standard does not guarantee the security of the overall
system in which the product is used. The responsible authority in each department and agency shall
ensure that an overall system provides the acceptable level of security.
Because a standard of this nature must be flexible enough to adapt to advancements and innovations in
science and technology, the NIST will review this standard within five years to assess its adequacy. NIST
plans to seek agency input in one year to see whether a full review of the standard is needed.
11. Waivers.
As per the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002, waivers to Federal Information
Processing Standards are not allowed.
12. Where to Obtain Copies.
This publication is available through the Internet by accessing http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

Table of Contents
1.

Introduction .........................................................................................................................1
1.1
1.2
1.3

Common Identification, Security, and Privacy Requirements ........................................5
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4

3.2

Functional Components ............................................................................................ 10
3.1.1 PIV Front-End Subsystem .............................................................................11
3.1.2 PIV Card Issuance and Management Subsystem.........................................12
3.1.3 Access Control Subsystem............................................................................12
PIV Card Life Cycle Activities ................................................................................... 13

PIV Front-End Subsystem ................................................................................................15
4.1

4.2

4.3
4.4

4.5

Control Objectives....................................................................................................... 5
PIV Identity Proofing and Registration Requirements................................................. 5
PIV Issuance and Maintenance Requirements ........................................................... 6
PIV Privacy Requirements .......................................................................................... 7

PIV System Overview........................................................................................................10
3.1

Purpose....................................................................................................................... 1
Scope.......................................................................................................................... 1
Document Organization .............................................................................................. 2

Physical PIV Card Topology ..................................................................................... 15
4.1.1 Printed Material .............................................................................................15
4.1.2 Tamper Proofing and Resistance ..................................................................15
4.1.3 Physical Characteristics and Durability .........................................................16
4.1.4 Visual Card Topography................................................................................17
4.1.5 Logical Credentials ........................................................................................29
4.1.6 PIV Card Activation .......................................................................................29
Cardholder Unique Identifier (CHUID) ...................................................................... 30
4.2.1 PIV CHUID Data Elements............................................................................30
4.2.2 Asymmetric Signature Field in CHUID ..........................................................30
Cryptographic Specifications .................................................................................... 31
Biometric Data Specifications ................................................................................... 33
4.4.1 Biometric Data Collection, Storage, and Usage ............................................34
4.4.2 Biometric Data Representation and Protection .............................................35
4.4.3 Biometric Data Content .................................................................................36
Card Reader Specifications ...................................................................................... 36
4.5.1 Contact Reader Specifications ......................................................................37
4.5.2 Contactless Reader Specifications................................................................37
4.5.3 PIN Input Device Specifications ....................................................................37

PIV Card Issuance and Management Subsystem ..........................................................38
5.1
5.2
5.3

5.4

Control Objectives and Interoperability Requirements.............................................. 38
PIV Identity Proofing and Registration Requirements............................................... 38
PIV Issuance and Maintenance Requirements ......................................................... 39
5.3.1 PIV Card Issuance.........................................................................................39
5.3.2 PIV Card Maintenance ..................................................................................39
PIV Key Management Requirements........................................................................ 41
5.4.1 Architecture ...................................................................................................41
5.4.2 PKI Certificate................................................................................................41

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PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

5.5
6.

5.4.3 X.509 CRL Contents......................................................................................43
5.4.4 Migration from Legacy PKIs ..........................................................................43
5.4.5 PKI Repository and OCSP Responder(s)......................................................43
PIV Privacy Requirements ........................................................................................ 44

PIV Card Holder Authentication.......................................................................................45
6.1
6.2

6.3

Identity Authentication Assurance Levels ................................................................. 45
6.1.1 Relationship to OMB’s E-Authentication Guidance .......................................45
PIV Card Authentication Mechanisms ...................................................................... 46
6.2.1 Authentication Using PIV Visual Credentials (VIS)........................................46
6.2.2 Authentication Using the PIV CHUID ............................................................47
6.2.3 Authentication Using PIV Biometric...............................................................48
6.2.4 Authentication Using PIV Asymmetric Cryptography (PKI) ...........................49
PIV Support of Graduated Assurance Levels for Identity Authentication.................. 50
6.3.1 Physical Access.............................................................................................50
6.3.2 Logical Access...............................................................................................51

List of Appendices
Appendix A— PIV Processes...................................................................................................52
A.1

Role Based Model..................................................................................................... 52
A.1.1 PIV Identity Proofing and Registration...........................................................52
A.1.2 PIV Issuance .................................................................................................55
A.2 System-Based Model................................................................................................ 57
A.2.1 PIV Identity Proofing and Registration...........................................................57
A.2.2 Roles and Responsibilities ............................................................................57
A.2.3 Identity Proofing and Enrollment ...................................................................59
A.2.4 Employer/Sponsor .........................................................................................59
A.2.5 PIV Application Process ................................................................................60
A.2.6 PIV Enrollment Process.................................................................................60
A.2.7 Identity Verification Process ..........................................................................61
A.2.8 Card Production, Activation and Issuance.....................................................62
A.2.9 Suspension, Revocation and Destruction......................................................62
A.2.10 Re-issuance to Current PIV Credential Holders ............................................62
Appendix B— PIV Validation, Certification, and Accreditation ............................................64
B.3
B.4
B.5
B.6

Accreditation of PIV Service Providers ..................................................................... 64
Security Certification and Accreditation of IT System(s) ........................................... 64
Conformance of PIV Components to this Standard .................................................. 64
Cryptographic Testing and Validation (FIPS 140-2 and algorithm standards) .......... 64

Appendix C— Background Check Descriptions ....................................................................66
Appendix D— PIV Object Identifiers and Certificate Extension ...........................................67
D.1 PIV Object Identifiers ................................................................................................ 67
D.2 PIV Certificate Extension .......................................................................................... 67
Appendix E— Physical Access Control Mechanisms ...........................................................69

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PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

Appendix F— Glossary of Terms, Acronyms, and Notations...............................................70
F.1
F.2
F.3

Glossary of Terms..................................................................................................... 70
Acronyms .................................................................................................................. 74
Notations................................................................................................................... 76

Appendix G— References........................................................................................................77

List of Figures
Figure 3-1. PIV System Notional Model.....................................................................................11
Figure 3-2. PIV Card Life Cycle Activities ..................................................................................13
Figure 4-1. Card Front—Printable Areas ...................................................................................21
Figure 4-2. Card Front—Optional Data Placement—Example 1 ...............................................22
Figure 4-3. Card Front—Optional Data Placement—Example 2 ...............................................23
Figure 4-4. Card Front—Optional Data Placement—Example 3 ...............................................24
Figure 4-5. Card Front—Optional Data Placement—Example 4 ...............................................25
Figure 4-6. Card Back—Printable Areas and Required Data ....................................................26
Figure 4-7. Card Back—Optional Data Placement—Example 1................................................27
Figure 4-8. Card Back—Optional Data Placement—Example 2................................................28
Figure A-1. PIV Identity Verification and Issuance.....................................................................57

List of Tables
Table 6-1. Relationship Between PIV and E-Authentication Assurance Levels ........................46
Table 6-2. Authentication for Physical Access...........................................................................51
Table 6-3. Authentication for Logical Access.............................................................................51
Table B-1. PIV System Components and Validation Requirements ..........................................64
Table D-1. PIV Object Identifiers ...............................................................................................67
Table E-1. PIV Support of PACS Assurance Profiles ................................................................69

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

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PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

Introduction

Authentication of an individual’s identity is a fundamental component of physical and logical access
control processes. When an individual attempts to access security-sensitive buildings, computer systems,
or data, an access control decision must be made. An accurate determination of identity is needed to
make sound access control decisions.
A wide range of mechanisms is employed to authenticate identity, utilizing various classes of identity
credentials. For physical access, individual identity has traditionally been authenticated by use of paper
or other non-automated, hand-carried credentials, such as driver’s licenses and badges. Access
authorization to computers and data has traditionally been authenticated through user-selected passwords.
More recently, cryptographic mechanisms and biometric techniques have been used in physical and
logical security applications, replacing or supplementing the traditional credentials.
The strength of the authentication that is achieved varies, depending upon the type of credential, the
process used to issue the credential, and the authentication mechanism used to validate the credential.
This document establishes a standard for a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) system based on secure
and reliable forms of identification credentials issued by the Federal government to its employees and
contractors. These credentials are intended to authenticate individuals who require access to Federally
controlled facilities, information systems, and applications. This standard addresses requirements for
initial identity proofing, infrastructures to support interoperability of identity credentials, and
accreditation of organizations and processes issuing PIV credentials.
1.1

Purpose

This standard defines a reliable, government-wide PIV system for use in applications such as access to
Federally controlled facilities and information systems. This standard has been developed within the
context and constraints of Federal law, regulations, and policy based on information processing
technology currently available and evolving.
This standard specifies a PIV system within which common identification credentials can be created and
later used to verify a claimed identity. The standard also identifies Federal government-wide
requirements for security levels that are dependent on risks to the facility or information being protected.
1.2

Scope

Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 [HSPD 12], signed by the President on August 27, 2004,
established the requirements for a common identification standard for identification credentials issued by
Federal departments and agencies to Federal employees and contractors (including contractor employees)
for gaining physical access to Federally controlled facilities and logical access to Federally controlled
information systems. HSPD 12 directs the Department of Commerce to develop a Federal Information
Processing Standards (FIPS) publication to define such a common identification credential. In
accordance with HSPD 12, this standard defines the technical requirements for the identity credential
that—
+

Is issued based on sound criteria for verifying an individual employee’s identity

Is strongly resistant to identity fraud, tampering, counterfeiting, and terrorist exploitation

Can be rapidly authenticated electronically

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

Is issued only by providers whose reliability has been established by an official accreditation
process.

This standard defines authentication mechanisms offering varying degrees of security. Federal
departments and agencies will determine the level of security and authentication mechanisms appropriate
for their applications. This standard does not specify access control policies or requirements for Federal
departments and agencies. Therefore, the scope of this standard is limited to authentication of an
individual’s identity. Access authorization decisions are outside the scope of this standard.
1.3

Document Organization

This standard is composed of two parts, PIV-I and PIV-II. The first part (PIV-I) describes the minimum
requirements for a Federal personal identification system that meets the control and security objectives of
HSPD 12, including personal identity proofing, registration, and issuance, but does not address the
interoperability of PIV Cards and systems among departments and agencies.
The second part (PIV-II) provides detailed technical specifications to support the control and security
objectives in PIV-I as well as interoperability among Federal departments and agencies. PIV-II describes
the policies and minimum requirements of a PIV Card that allows interoperability of credentials for
physical access and logical access. The physical card characteristics, storage media, and data elements
that make up identity credentials are specified in this standard. The interfaces and card architecture for
storing and retrieving identity credentials from a smart card are specified in NIST Special Publication
800-73 (SP 800-73), Interfaces for Personal Identity Verification. Similarly, the requirements for
collection and formatting of biometric information are specified in NIST Special Publication 800-76 (SP
800-76), Biometric Data Specification for Personal Identity Verification.
All sections in this document are normative (i.e., mandatory for compliance) unless specified as
informative (i.e., non-mandatory). Following is the structure of this document:
+

Section 1, Introduction, provides background information for understanding the scope of this
standard. This section is informative.

Section 2, Common Identification, Security, and Privacy Requirements, outlines the requirements
for PIV-I, by establishing the control and security objectives for compliance with HSPD 12.

Section 3, PIV System Overview, serves to provide a PIV system overview. This section is
informative.

Section 4, PIV Front-End Subsystem, provides the requirements for the components of the PIV
front-end subsystem. Specifically, this section defines requirements for the PIV Card, logical
data elements, biometrics, cryptography, and card readers.

Section 5, PIV Card Issuance and Management Subsystem, defines the components and processes
that are part of the PIV-II. It also provides the requirements and specifications related to this
subsystem.

Section 6, PIV Card Authentication, defines a suite of identity authentication mechanisms that are
supported by the PIV Card, and their applicability in meeting the requirements of graduated
levels of identity assurance.

Appendix A, PIV Processes, provides two models for identity proofing, registration, issuance,
and maintenance of identity credentials. This section is informative.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

Appendix B, PIV Validation, Certification, and Accreditation, provides guidance for the
compliance with this document.

Appendix C, Background Check Descriptions, provides the requirements for background checks.
This section is informative.

Appendix D, PIV Object Identifiers, provides additional details for the PIV objects identified in
Section 4.

Appendix E, Physical Access Control Mechanisms, discusses the Physical Access Control
Systems (PACS) assurance profiles and maps them to the FIPS 201 assurance levels. This
section is informative.

Appendix F, Glossary of Terms and Acronyms, describes the vocabulary and textual
representations used in the document. This section is informative.

Appendix G, References, lists the specifications and standards referred to in this document. This
section is informative.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

PART 1: PIV-I
This part describes the minimum requirements for a Federal personal identification system that meets the
control and security objectives of HSPD 12, including the personal identity proofing process.
Implementation Timeframe: In accordance with HSPD 12, departments and agencies shall meet the
requirements of this part no later than eight months following promulgation of the standard.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

Common Identification, Security, and Privacy Requirements

This section provides the requirements for the first part of the standard. PIV-I addresses the fundamental
control and security objectives outlined in HSPD 12, including the personal identity proofing process for
employees and contractors. Note that PIV-I does not address interoperability of PIV credentials and
systems among agencies or compel the use of a single, universal credential.
2.1

Control Objectives

[HSPD-12] established control objectives for secure and reliable identification of Federal employees and
contractors. These control objectives, provided in paragraph 3 of the directive, are quoted here:
(3) "Secure and reliable forms of identification" for purposes of this directive means identification that (a)
is issued based on sound criteria for verifying an individual employee's identity; (b) is strongly resistant to
identity fraud, tampering, counterfeiting, and terrorist exploitation; (c) can be rapidly authenticated
electronically; and (d) is issued only by providers whose reliability has been established by an official
accreditation process.

Each agency’s PIV implementation shall meet the four control objectives (a) through (d) listed above
such that—

2.2

Credentials are issued 1) to individuals whose true identity has been verified and 2) after a proper
authority has authorized issuance of the credential;

Only an individual with a background investigation on record is issued a credential;

An individual is issued a credential only after presenting two identity source documents, at least
one of which is a valid Federal or State government issued picture ID;

Fraudulent identity source documents are not accepted as genuine and unaltered;

A person suspected or known to the government as being a terrorist is not issued a credential;

No substitution occurs in the identity proofing process. More specifically, the individual who
appears for identity proofing, and whose fingerprints are checked against databases, is the person
to whom the credential is issued;

No credential is issued unless requested by proper authority;

A credential remains serviceable only up to its expiration date. More precisely, a revocation
process exists such that expired or invalidated credentials are swiftly revoked;

A single corrupt official in the process may not issue a credential with an incorrect identity or to a
person not entitled to the credential;

An issued credential is not modified, duplicated, or forged.

PIV Identity Proofing and Registration Requirements

For compliance with the PIV-I control objectives, departments and agencies shall follow an identity
proofing and registration process that meets the requirements defined below when issuing identity
credentials.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

The organization shall adopt and use an approved identity proofing and registration process.

The process shall begin with initiation of a National Agency Check with Written Inquiries (NACI) or
other Office of Personnel Management (OPM) or National Security community investigation required
for Federal employment. This requirement may also be satisfied by locating and referencing a
completed and successfully adjudicated NACI. At a minimum, the FBI National Criminal History
Check (fingerprint check) shall be completed before credential issuance. Beginning with Part 2,
Identity credentials issued to individuals without a completed NACI or equivalent must be
electronically distinguishable from identity credentials issued to individuals who have a completed
investigation. Appendix C, Background Check Descriptions, provides further details on NAC and
NACI.

The applicant must appear in-person at least once before the issuance of a PIV credential.

During identity proofing, the applicant shall be required to provide two forms of identity source
documents in original form. The identity source documents must come from the list of acceptable
documents included in Form I-9, OMB No. 1115-0136, Employment Eligibility Verification. At
least one document shall be a valid State or Federal government-issued picture identification (ID).

The PIV identity proofing, registration and issuance process shall adhere to the principle of
separation of duties to ensure that no single individual has the capability to issue a PIV credential
without the cooperation of another authorized person.

The identity proofing and registration process used when verifying the identity of the applicant shall be
accredited by the department or agency as satisfying the requirements above and approved in writing by
the head of the Federal department or agency. Two examples of processes that meet these requirements
are provided in Appendix A, PIV Processes.
These requirements also apply to citizens of foreign countries who are working for the Federal
government overseas. However, a process for registration and approval must be established using a
method approved by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security, except for employees
under the command of a U.S. area military commander. These procedures may vary depending on the
country.
2.3

PIV Issuance and Maintenance Requirements

For compliance with the PIV-I control objectives, departments and agencies shall meet the requirements
defined below when issuing identity credentials. The issuance and maintenance process used when
issuing credentials shall be accredited by the department as satisfying the requirements below and
approved in writing by the head of the Federal department or agency. Two examples of processes that
meet these requirements are provided in Appendix A.
+

The organization shall use an approved PIV credential issuance and maintenance process.

The process shall ensure completion and successful adjudication of a National Agency Check
(NAC), National Agency Check with Written Inquiries (NACI), or other OPM or National
Security community investigation as required for Federal employment. The PIV credential shall
be revoked if the results of the investigation so justify.

At the time of issuance, verify that the individual to whom the credential is to be issued (and on
whom the background investigation was completed) is the same as the intended
applicant/recipient as approved by the appropriate authority.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

+
2.4

The organization shall issue PIV credentials only through systems and providers whose reliability
has been established by the agency and so documented and approved in writing (i.e., accredited).
PIV Privacy Requirements

HSPD 12 explicitly states that “protect[ing] personal privacy” is a requirement of the PIV system. As
such, all departments and agencies shall implement the PIV system in accordance with the spirit and letter
of all privacy controls specified in this standard, as well as those specified in Federal privacy laws and
policies including but not limited to the E-Government Act of 2002 [E-Gov], the Privacy Act of 1974
[PRIVACY], and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum M-03-22 [OMB322], as
applicable.
Departments and agencies may have a wide variety of uses of the PIV system and its components that
were not intended or anticipated by the President in issuing [HSPD-12]. In considering whether a
proposed use of the PIV system is appropriate, departments and agencies shall consider the
aforementioned control objectives and the purpose of the PIV standard, namely “to enhance security,
increase Government efficiency, reduce identity fraud, and protect personal privacy.” [HSPD-12] No
department or agency shall implement a use of the identity credential inconsistent with these control
objectives.
To ensure the privacy of applicants, departments and agencies shall do the following:
+

Assign an individual to the role of senior agency official for privacy. The senior agency official
for privacy is the individual who oversees privacy-related matters in the PIV system and is
responsible for implementing the privacy requirements in the standard. The individual serving in
this role may not assume any other operational role in the PIV system.

Conduct a comprehensive Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) on systems containing personal
information in identifiable form for the purpose of implementing PIV, consistent with [E-Gov]
and [OMB322]. Consult with appropriate personnel responsible for privacy issues at the
department or agency (e.g., Chief Information Officer) implementing the PIV system.

Write, publish, and maintain a clear and comprehensive document listing the types of information
that will be collected (e.g., transactional information, personal information in identifiable form
[IIF]), the purpose of collection, what information may be disclosed to whom during the life of
the credential, how the information will be protected, and the complete set of uses of the
credential and related information at the department or agency. PIV applicants shall be provided
full disclosure of the intended uses of the PIV credential and the related privacy implications.

Assure that systems that contain IIF for the purpose of enabling the implementation of PIV are
handled in full compliance with fair information practices as defined in [PRIVACY].

Maintain appeals procedures for those who are denied a credential or whose credentials are
revoked.

Ensure that only personnel with a legitimate need for access to IIF in the PIV system are
authorized to access the IIF, including but not limited to information and databases maintained
for registration and credential issuance.

Coordinate with appropriate department or agency officials to define consequences for violating
privacy policies of the PIV system.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

Assure that the technologies used in the department or agency’s implementation of the PIV
system allow for continuous auditing of compliance with stated privacy policies and practices
governing the collection, use, and distribution of information in the operation of the program.

Utilize security controls described in NIST SP 800-53, Recommended Security Controls for
Federal Information Systems, to accomplish privacy goals, where applicable. [SP800-53]

Ensure that the technologies used to implement PIV sustain and do not erode privacy protections
relating to the use, collection, and disclosure of information in identifiable form. Specifically,
employ an electromagnetically opaque sleeve or other technology to protect against any
unauthorized contactless access to information stored on a PIV credential.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

PART 2: PIV-II
This part of the document and its referenced supporting publications provide detailed technical
specifications of components and processes required for interoperability of PIV Cards with the personal
authentication, access control, and PIV card management systems across the Federal government.
Implementation Timeframe: OMB has advised NIST that it plans to issue guidance regarding department
and agency development of transition plans to PIV-II.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

PIV System Overview

This section provides the background for the PIV-II requirements identified in the subsequent sections. A
notional PIV system architecture is presented in this section. The PIV system is composed of components
and processes that support a common (smart card-based) platform for identity authentication across
Federal departments and agencies for access to multiple types of physical and logical access
environments. The specifications for the PIV components in this standard promote uniformity and
interoperability among the various PIV system components, across departments and agencies, and across
installations. The specifications for processes in this standard are a set of minimum requirements for the
various activities that need to be performed within an operational PIV system. When implemented in
accordance with this standard, the PIV Card supports a suite of identity authentication mechanisms that
can be used consistently across departments and agencies. The authenticated identity information can
then be used as a basis for access control in various Federal physical and logical access environments.
The following sections briefly discuss the functional components of the PIV system and the life cycle
activities of the PIV Card.
3.1

Functional Components

An operational PIV system can be logically divided into the following three major subsystems:
+

PIV Front-End Subsystem—PIV Card, card and biometric readers, and personal identification
number (PIN) input device. The PIV cardholder interacts with these components to gain physical
or logical access to the desired Federal resource.

PIV Card Issuance and Management Subsystem—the components responsible for identity
proofing and registration, card and key issuance and management, and the various repositories
and services (e.g., public key infrastructure [PKI] directory, certificate status servers) required as
part of the verification infrastructure.

Access Control Subsystem—the physical and logical access control systems, the protected
resources, and the authorization data.

The access control subsystem becomes relevant when the PIV Card is used to authenticate a cardholder
who is seeking access to a physical or logical resource. Although this standard does not provide technical
specifications for this subsystem, various mechanisms for identification and authentication are discussed
in Section 6 to provide consistent and secure means for performing the authentication function preceding
an access control decision.
Figure 3-1 illustrates a notional model for the operational PIV system, identifying the various system
components and the direction of data flow between these components.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

PIV Card Issuance and Management

Access Control

PKI Directory &
Certificate Status
Responder

Authorization
Data
Physical Access Control

Key
Management

Card Issuance
& Maintenance

Identity Proofing
& Registration

I&A

Physical
Resource

Authorization

Logical Access Control
I&A

Logical
Resource

Authorization

I&A - Identification & Authentication

Card Reader
/ Writer

Authorization
Data

LEGEND
Shapes
Direction of Information Flow

PIV Cardholder /
Applicant

PIV Card

Processes

PIN Input
Device

Components

Biometric
Reader
PIV Front-End

Shading
PIV System Subsystem
Related Subsystem

Figure 3-1. PIV System Notional Model

3.1.1

PIV Front-End Subsystem

The PIV Card will be issued to the applicant when all registration processes have been completed. The
PIV Card has a credit card-size form factor, with one or more embedded integrated circuit chips (ICC)
that provide memory capacity and computational capability. The PIV Card is the primary component of
the PIV system. The holder uses the PIV Card for authentication to various physical and logical
resources.
Card readers are located at access points for controlled resources where a cardholder may wish to gain
access (physical and logical) by using the PIV Card. The reader communicates with the PIV Card to
retrieve the appropriate information, located in the card’s memory, to relay it to the access control
systems for granting or denying access.
Card writers that are very similar to the card readers personalize and initialize the information stored on
PIV Cards. The data to be stored on PIV Cards includes personal information, certificates, the PIN, and
biometric data, and is discussed in further detail in subsequent sections.
Biometric readers may be located at secure locations where a cardholder may want to gain access. These
readers depend upon the use of biometric data of the cardholder, stored in the memory of the card, and its

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

comparison with a real-time biometric sample. The use of biometrics provides an additional factor of
authentication (“something you are”) in addition to providing the card (“something you have”).1
PIN input devices can also be used along with card readers when a higher level of authentication
assurance is required. The cardholder presenting the PIV Card must type in his or her PIN into the PIN
input device. For physical access, the PIN is typically entered using a PIN pad device; a keyboard is
generally used for logical access. The input of a PIN introduces the use of an additional factor of
authentication (something you know) to control access to information resident on the card (something you
have). This provides for a higher level of authentication assurance.
3.1.2

PIV Card Issuance and Management Subsystem

The identity proofing and registration component in Figure 3-1 refers to the process of collecting, storing,
and maintaining all information and documentation that is required for verifying and assuring the
applicant’s identity. Various types of information are collected from the applicant at the time of
registration.
The card issuance and maintenance component deals with the personalization of the physical (visual
surface) and logical (contents of the ICC) aspects of the card at the time of issuance and maintenance
thereafter. This includes not only printing photographs, names, and other information on the card, but
also loading the relevant card applications, biometrics, and other data. A PIN is used to control the ability
to unlock the card by the cardholder and then supply the embedded credentials for authentication
purposes.
The key management component is responsible for the generation of key pairs, the issuance and
distribution of digital certificates containing the public key of the cardholder, and management and
dissemination of certificate status information. The key management component is used throughout the
life cycle of PIV Cards—from generation and loading of authentication keys and PKI credentials, to
usage of these keys for secure operations, to eventual renewal, reissuance, or termination of the card. The
key management component is also responsible for the provisioning of publicly accessible repositories
and services (such as PKI directories and certificate status responders) that provide information to the
requesting application about the status of the PKI credentials.
3.1.3

Access Control Subsystem

The access control subsystem includes components responsible for determining a particular PIV
cardholder’s access to a physical or logical resource. A physical resource is the secured facility (e.g.,
building entrance, room, turnstile, parking gate) that the cardholder wishes to access. The logical
resource is typically a network or a location on the network (e.g., computer workstation, folder, file,
database record, software program) to which the cardholder wants to gain access.
The authorization data component comprises information that defines the privileges (authorizations)
possessed by entities requesting to access a particular logical or physical resource. An example of this is
an access control list (ACL) associated with a file on a computer system.
The physical and logical access control system grants or denies access to a particular resource and
includes an identification and authentication (I&A) component as well as an authorization component.
The I&A component interacts with the PIV Card and uses mechanisms discussed in Section 6 to identify
1

For more information on the terms “something you know,” ”something you have,” and “something you are,” see [SP80063].

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

and authenticate cardholders. Once authenticated, the authorization component interacts with the
authorization data component to match the cardholder-provided information to the information on record.
The access control components typically interface with the card reader, the authorization data, the PIN
input device, the biometric reader, and any certificate status service (if available).
3.2

PIV Card Life Cycle Activities

The PIV Card life cycle consists of seven activities. The activities that take place during fabrication and
pre-personalization of the card at the manufacturer are not considered a part of this life cycle model.
Figure 3-2 presents these PIV activities and depicts the PIV Card request as the initial activity and PIV
Card termination as the end of life.
PIV Card
Request
Identity Proofing
& Registration
PIV Card
Issuance
PIV Card
Maintenance

PKI Credential
Issuance
PIV Card
Usage

PIV Card
Termination

Figure 3-2. PIV Card Life Cycle Activities

Descriptions of the seven card life cycle activities are as follows:
+

PIV Card Request. This activity applies to the initiation of a request for the issuance of a PIV
Card to an applicant and the validation of this request.

Identity Proofing and Registration. The goal of this activity is to verify the claimed identity of
the applicant and that the entire set of identity source documents presented at the time of
registration is valid.

PIV Card Issuance. This activity deals with the personalization (physical and logical) of the
card and the issuance of the card to the intended applicant.

PKI Credential Issuance. This activity deals with generating logical credentials and loading
them onto the PIV Card.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

PIV Card Usage. During this activity, the PIV Card is used to perform cardholder authentication
for access to a physical or logical resource. Access authorization decisions are made after
successful cardholder identification and authentication.

PIV Card Maintenance. This activity deals with the maintenance or update of the physical card
and the data stored thereon. Such data includes various card applications, PIN, PKI credentials,
and biometrics.

PIV Card Termination. The termination process is used to permanently destroy or invalidate
the PIV Card and the data and keys needed for PIV authentication so as to prevent any future use
of the card for PIV authentication.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

PIV Front-End Subsystem

This section identifies the requirements for the components of the PIV front-end subsystem. Section 4.1
provides the physical and logical card specifications. The logical PIV Cardholder Unique Identifier
(CHUID) object is described in Section 4.2. Cryptographic keys associated with the cardholder are
described in Section 4.3. Formats for mandatory biometric information are defined in Section 4.4.
Section 4.5 discusses card reader specifications.
4.1

Physical PIV Card Topology

References to the PIV Card in this section and Sections 4.1.1 through 4.1.4 pertain to the physical and
physical topology characteristics only. References to the front of the card apply to the side of the card
that contains the electronic contacts; references to the back of the card apply to the opposite side from the
front side.
Sections 4.1.1 through 4.1.4 contain information related to the physical topology of the PIV Card. The
PIV Card’s physical topology, appearance, and other characteristics should balance the need to have the
PIV Card commonly recognized as a Federal identification card while providing the flexibility to support
individual department and agency requirements. Having a common look for PIV Cards is important in
meeting the objectives of improved security and interoperability. In support of these objectives,
consistent placement of printed components and technology is generally necessary.
The PIV Card shall comply with physical characteristics as described in International Organization for
Standardization (ISO)/International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 7810 [ISO7810], ISO/IEC 10373
[ISO10373], ISO/IEC 7816 for contact cards [ISO7816], and ISO/IEC 14443 for contactless cards
[ISO14443].
4.1.1

Printed Material

The printed material shall not rub off during the life of the PIV Card, nor shall the printing process
deposit debris on the printer rollers during printing and laminating. Printed material shall not interfere
with the contact and contactless ICC(s) and related components, nor shall it obstruct access to machinereadable information.
4.1.2

Tamper Proofing and Resistance

The PIV Card shall contain security features that aid in reducing counterfeiting, are resistant to tampering,
and provide visual evidence of tampering attempts. At a minimum, a PIV Card shall incorporate one such
security feature. Examples of these security features include the following:
+

Optical varying structures

Optical varying inks

Laser etching and engraving

Holograms

Holographic images

Watermarks.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

Incorporation of security features shall—
+

Be in accordance with durability requirements [ISO7810]

Be free of defects, such as fading and discoloration

Not obscure printed information

Not impede access to machine-readable information.

Departments and agencies may incorporate additional tamper-resistance and anti-counterfeiting methods.
As a generally accepted security procedure, Federal departments and agencies are strongly encouraged to
review the viability, effectiveness, and currency of employed tamper resistance and anti-counterfeiting
methods.
4.1.3

Physical Characteristics and Durability

The following list describes the physical requirements for the PIV Card.
+

The PIV Card shall contain a contact and a contactless ICC interface.

The card body structure shall consist of card material(s) that satisfy the card characteristics in
[ISO7810] and test methods in American National Standards Institute (ANSI) 322. [ANSI322]
Although the [ANSI322] test methods do not currently specify compliance requirements, the tests
shall be used to evaluate card material durability and performance. The [ANSI322] tests
minimally shall include card flexure, static stress, plasticizer exposure, impact resistance, card
structural integrity, surface abrasion, temperature and humidity-induced dye migration, ultraviolet
light exposure, and a laundry test. Cards shall not malfunction or delaminate after hand cleaning
with a mild soap and water mixture. The reagents called out in Section 5.4.1.1 of [ISO10373]
shall be modified to include a two percent soap solution.

The card shall be subjected to actual, concentrated, or artificial sunlight to appropriately reflect
2000 hours of southwestern United States’ sunlight exposure in accordance with [ISO10373],
Section 5.12. Concentrated sunlight exposure shall be performed in accordance with [G90-98]
and accelerated exposure in accordance with [G155-00]. After exposure, the card shall be
subjected to the [ISO10373] dynamic bending test and shall have no visible cracks or failures.
Alternatively, the card may be subjected to the [ANSI322] tests for ultraviolet and daylight fading
resistance and subjected to the same [ISO10373] dynamic bending test.

The PIV Card may be subjected to additional testing.
+

The card shall be 27- to 33-mil thick (before lamination) in accordance with [ISO7810].

The PIV Card shall not be embossed.

Decals shall not be adhered to the card.

Departments and agencies may choose to punch an opening in the card body to enable the card to
be worn on a lanyard. Departments and agencies should ensure such alterations are closely
coordinated with the card vendor and/or manufacturer to ensure the card material integrity is not
adversely impacted. Departments and agencies are strongly encouraged to ensure such alterations
do not—

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

–

Compromise card body durability requirements and characteristics

–

Invalidate card manufacturer warranties or other product claims

–

Alter or interfere with printed information, including the photo

–

Damage or interfere with machine-readable technology, such as the embedded antenna.

An alternative for allowing the card to be worn without physically altering it is through the use of
various commercially available card holders and carriers. Card carriers are recommended in lieu
of physically altering the card with an opening.
+

4.1.4

The card material shall withstand the effects of temperatures required by the application of a
polyester laminate on one or both sides of the card by commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)
equipment. The thickness added due to a laminate layer shall not interfere with the smart card
reader operation. The card material shall allow production of a flat card in accordance with
[ISO7810] after lamination of one or both sides of the card.
Visual Card Topography

The information on a PIV Card shall be in visual printed and electronic form. This section covers the
placement of visual and printed information. It does not cover information stored in electronic form, such
as stored data elements, and other possible machine-readable technologies. Logically stored data
elements are discussed in Section 4.1.5.
As noted in Section 4.1.3, the PIV Card shall contain a contact and a contactless ICC interface. This
standard does not specify whether a single chip is used or multiple chips are used to support the mandated
contact and contactless interfaces.
To achieve a common PIV Card appearance, yet provide departments and agencies the flexibility to
augment the card with department or agency-specific requirements, the card shall contain mandated and
optional printed information and mandated and optional machine-readable technologies. Mandated and
optional items shall generally be placed as described and depicted. Printed data shall not interfere with
machine-readable technology.
Areas that are marked as reserved should not be used for printing. The reason for the recommended
reserved areas is that placement of the embedded contactless ICC module may vary from manufacturer to
manufacturer, as do constraints that prohibit printing over the embedded contactless module. The PIV
Card topology provides flexibility for placement of the embedded module, either in the upper right-hand
corner or in the lower bottom portion. Printing restrictions apply only to the area where the embedded
module is located (i.e., upper right-hand corner, lower bottom portion).
Because technological developments may obviate the need to have a restricted area, or change the size of
the restricted area, departments and agencies are encouraged to work closely with card vendors and
manufacturers to ensure current printing procedures and methods are applied as well as potential
integration of features that may improve tamper resistance and anti-counterfeiting of the PIV card.
4.1.4.1 Mandatory Items on the Front of the PIV Card
Zone 1—Photograph. The photograph shall be placed in the upper left corner and be a full frontal pose
from top of the head to shoulder, as depicted in Figure 4-1. A minimum of 300 dots per inch (dpi)
resolution shall be used. The background should follow recommendations set forth in SP 800-76.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

Zone 2—Name. The full name2 shall be printed directly under the photograph in capital letters. The font
shall be a minimum of 10 point.
Zone 8—Employee Affiliation. A printed employee affiliation shall be printed on the card. Some
examples of employee affiliation are “CONTRACTOR,” “ACTIVE DUTY,” and “CIVILIAN.”
Zone 10— Organizational Affiliation. The Organizational Affiliation shall be printed as depicted in
Figure 4-1.
Zone 14—Expiration Date. The card expiration date shall be printed in a YYYYMMMDD format.
4.1.4.2 Mandatory Items on the Back of the Card
Zone 1—Agency Card Serial Number. This item shall be printed as depicted in Figure 4-6 (see an
important change notice at the end of this document) and contain the unique serial number from the
issuing department or agency. The format shall be at the discretion of the issuing department or agency.
Zone 2—Issuer Identification. This item shall be printed as depicted in Figure 4-6 (see an important
change notice at the end of this document) and consist of six characters for the department code, four
characters for the agency code, and a five-digit number that uniquely identifies the issuing facility within
the department or agency.
4.1.4.3 Optional Items on the Front of the Card
This section contains a description of the optional information and machine-readable technologies that
may be used and their respective placement. The storage capacity of all optional technologies is as
prescribed by individual departments and agencies and is not addressed in this standard. Although the
items discussed in this section are optional, if used they shall be placed on the card as designated in the
examples provided and as noted.
Zone 3—Signature. If used, the department or agency shall place the cardholder signature below the
photograph and cardholder name as depicted in Figure 4-3. The space for the signature shall not interfere
with the contact and contactless placement. Because of card topology space constraints, placement of a
signature may limit the size of the optional two-dimensional bar code.
Zone 4—Agency Specific text area. If used, this area can be used for printing agency specific
requirements, such as employee status.
Zone 5—Rank. If used, the cardholder’s rank shall be printed in the area as illustrated. Data format is at
the department or agency’s discretion.
Zone 6—Portable Data File (PDF) Two-Dimensional Bar Code. If used, the PDF bar code placement
shall be as depicted in the diagram (i.e., left side of the card). If Zone 3 (a cardholder signature) is used,
the size of the PDF bar code may be affected. The card issuer should confirm that a PDF used in
conjunction with a PIV Card containing a cardholder signature will satisfy the anticipated PDF data
storage requirements.

Alternatively, pseudonyms as provided under the law.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

Zone 9— Header. If used, the text “United States Government” shall be placed as depicted in Figure 4-1.
Departments and agencies may also choose to use this zone for other department or agency-specific
information, such as identifying a Federal emergency responder role, as depicted in Figure 4-2.
Zone 11—Agency Seal. If used, the seal selected by the issuing department, agency, or organization shall
be printed in the area depicted. It shall be printed using the guidelines provided in Figure 4-2 to ensure
information printed on the seal is legible and clearly visible.
Zone 12—Footer. The footer is the preferred location for the Emergency Response Official Identification
label. If used, a department or agency may print “Federal Emergency Response Official” as depicted in
Figure 4-2, preferably in red text. Departments and agencies may also print a secondary line in Zone 9 to
further identify the Federal emergency respondent’s official role. Some examples of official roles are
“Law Enforcement, “Firefighter” and “Emergency Response Team (ERT)”.
Zone 13—Issue Date. If used, the card issuance date shall be printed above the expiration date in
YYYYMMMDD format as depicted in Figure 4-2.
Zone 15—Color-Coding for Employee Affiliation. Color-coding may be used for additional identification
of employee affiliation. If color-coding is used, it shall be used as a background color for Zone 2 (name)
as depicted in Figure 4-4. The following color scheme shall be used for the noted categories:
+

Blue—foreign nationals

Red—emergency responder officials

Green—contractors.

These colors shall be reserved and shall not be employed for other purposes. Zone 15 may be a solid or
patterned line at the department or agency’s discretion.
Zone 16—Photo Border for Employee Affiliation. A border may be used with the photo to further identify
employee affiliation, as depicted in Figure 4-3. This border may be used in conjunction with Zone 15 to
enable departments and agencies to develop various employee categories. The photo border shall not
obscure the photo. The border may be a solid or patterned line. For solid and patterned lines, red shall be
reserved for emergency response officials, blue for foreign nationals, and green for contractors. All other
colors may be used at the department or agency’s discretion.
Zone 17—Agency Specific Data. In cases in which other defined optional elements are not used, Zone 17
may be used for other department or agency-specific information, as depicted in Figure 4-5.
4.1.4.4 Optional Items on the Back of the Card
Zone 3—Magnetic Stripe. If used, the magnetic stripe shall be high coercivity and placed in accordance
with [ISO7811], as illustrated in Figure 4-7.
Zone 4—Return To. If used, the “return if lost” language shall be generally placed on the back of the card
as depicted in Figure 4-7.
Zone 5—Physical Characteristics of Cardholder. If used, the cardholder physical characteristics (e.g.,
height, eye color, hair color) shall be printed in the general area illustrated in Figure 4-7.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

Zone 6—Additional Language for Emergency Responder Officials. Departments and agencies may
choose to provide additional information to identify emergency response officials or to better identify the
cardholder’s authorized access. If used, this additional text shall be in the general area depicted and shall
not interfere with other printed text or machine-readable components. An example of a printed statement
is provided in Figure 4-7.
Zone 7—Standard Section 499, Title 18 Language. If used, standard Section 499, Title 18, language
warning against counterfeiting, altering, or misusing the card shall be printed in the general area depicted
in Figure 4-7.
Zone 8—Linear 3 of 9 Bar Code. If used, a linear 3 of 9 bar code shall be generally placed as depicted in
Figure 4-7. It shall be in accordance with Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility (AIM)
standards. Beginning and end points of the bar code will be dependent on the embedded contactless
module selected. Departments and agencies are encouraged to coordinate placement of the bar code with
the card vendor.
Zone 9—Agency-Specific Text. In cases in which other defined optional elements are not used, Zone 9
may be used for other department or agency-specific information, as depicted in Figure 4-8 (see an
important change notice at the end of this document). For example, emergency responder officials may
use this area to provide additional details.
Zone 10—Agency-Specific Text. Zone 10 is similar to Zone 9 in that it is another area for providing
department or agency-specific information.
For Zones 9 and 10, departments and agencies are encouraged to use this area prudently and minimize
printed text to that which is absolutely necessary.
In the case of the Department of Defense, the back of the card will have a distinct appearance. This is
necessary to display information required by the Geneva Accord and to facilitate medical entitlements
that are legislatively mandated.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

- All measurements around the figure are in millimeters and are from the top-left corner.
- All text is to be printed using the Arial font.
- Unless otherwise specified, the recommended font size is 5pt normal weight for data labels (also referred to as tags) and
6pt bold for actual data.
30.25
2.5

Zone 9 – Header
(Optional)
2.5

30.5
30.75

51.5

4.5

Zone 1 - Photograph
Recommended dimensions:
37.0 x 27.75 (.75 aspect)

Zone 8 – Employee
affiliation
Zone 10 – Agency,
Department, or
Organization
Zone 14 –
Expiration date

41.5

Format YYYYMMMDD

Zone 2 – Name
Arial 10pt Bold
50

57.5

65.5

Zone 7 – Circuit chip
ISO 7816 compliant. No
printing allowed.

Area for additional optional data. Agency-specific data may be printed in this area. See other examples
for required placement of additional optional data elements.
Area likely to be needed by card manufacturer. Optional data may be printed in this area but may be
subject to restrictions imposed by card and/or printer manufacturers.

Reserved area. No printing is permitted in this area unless verified as printable area by card and/or
printer manufactuers.

Figure 4-1. Card Front—Printable Areas

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

All measurements around the figure are in millimeters and are from the top-left corner.
All text is to be printed using the Arial font.
Unless otherwise specified, the recommended font size is 5pt normal weight for tags and 6pt
bold for data.
30.75

Zone 9 - Header

Example of emergency
responder title.

Zone 11 - Agency
Seal
20 x 20 mm
Must not impair readability
of text. Start with 65%
brightness and 25%
contrast.

Zone 13 - Issue
date
Format YYYYMMMDD
50

Zone 4 – Agency
Specific Text
Area
60

Zone 6 - PDF417 bar
code
Zone 5 - Rank

Zone 12 - Footer
(Emergency Response example shown)

Figure 4-2. Card Front—Optional Data Placement—Example 1

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

Zone 16 – Photo
Border for employee
affiliation

Zone 3 – Signature
(Size of PDF417 bar code
may be limited by signature)

Figure 4-3. Card Front—Optional Data Placement—Example 2

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

41.5

Zone 15 – Colorcoding for employee
affiliation
50

Zone 12 – Footer

The bottom of the card is 57.5
preferred, but this area may
be used if printing is not
permitted at the bottom.
(Emergency Response
example shown.)

Figure 4-4. Card Front—Optional Data Placement—Example 3

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

51.5

Zone 17 – Agency
specific data
(Privilege example shown)

57.5

Figure 4-5. Card Front—Optional Data Placement—Example 4

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

All measurements are in millimeters and are from the top-left corner.
All text is to be printed using the Arial font.
Unless otherwise specified, the recommended font size is 5pt normal weight for tags and 6pt
bold for data.
47.5 51.5
34

Zone 2 – Issuer
identification number
6pt Arial Bold
Right-justified

Zone 1 – Agency
card serial number
6pt Arial Bold
Left-justified
65.5

Optional data area. Agency-specific data may be printed in this area. See examples for required
placement of optional data elements.
Optional data area likely to be needed by card manufacturer. Optional data may be printed in this area,
but will likely be subject to restrictions imposed by card and/or printer manufacturers.

Figure 4-6. Card Back—Printable Areas and Required Data

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

31.5

37.5

Zone 5 – Physical
characteristics
Limit use of
abbreviations. Use
English units.

Zone 3 – Magnetic
Stripe
ISO 7811-6 standard

42.5

Zone 8 – 3 of 9 bar
code
May use optional
printing areas for ends
of bar code. Must be
positioned as shown
for slot-reader
compatibility.
83

Zone 7 – Section 499,
Title 18 language
5pt Arial Normal

Zone 4 – Return
Address
5pt Arial Normal

Zone 6 – Emergency
Responder details
5pt Arial Normal

Figure 4-7. Card Back—Optional Data Placement—Example 1

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

31.5

37.5

Zone 9 – Agency
specific text
Used instead of zones
6 & 7 (Medical
example shown)

Zone 10 – Agency specific
text
Used instead of zones 4 & 5
(DOB, ID, Geneva example
shown)

Figure 4-8. Card Back—Optional Data Placement—Example 2

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

4.1.5

Logical Credentials

This section defines logical identity credentials and the requirements for use of these credentials.
Specifically, it provides details of the composition of an identity credential and its activation.
4.1.5.1 Logical Credential Data Model
To support a variety of authentication mechanisms, the PIV logical credentials shall contain multiple data
elements for the purpose of verifying the cardholder's identity at graduated assurance levels. These
mandatory data elements collectively comprise the data model for PIV logical credentials, and include the
following:
+

A PIN

A CHUID

PIV authentication data (one asymmetric key pair and corresponding certificate)

Two biometric fingerprints.

The PIV data model may be optionally extended to meet department or agency-specific requirements. If
the data model is extended, this standard establishes requirements for the following four classes of logical
credentials:
+

An asymmetric key pair and corresponding certificate for digital signatures

An asymmetric key pair and corresponding certificate for key management

Asymmetric or symmetric card authentication keys for supporting additional physical access
applications

Symmetric key(s) associated with the card management system.

PIV logical credentials fall into the following three categories:
1. Credential elements used to prove the identity of the cardholder to the card (CTC authentication)
2. Credential elements used to prove the identity of the card management system to the card (CMTC
authentication)
3. Credential elements used by the card to prove the identity of the cardholder to an external entity
(CTE authentication) such as a host computer system.
PINs fall into the first category, card management keys into the second category, and the CHUID,
biometric information, symmetric keys, and asymmetric keys into the third.
4.1.6

PIV Card Activation

The PIV Card must be activated3 to perform privileged4 operations such as reading biometric information
and using asymmetric keys. The PIV Card shall be activated for privileged operations only after
3
4

Activation in this context refers to the unlocking the PIV Card so privileged operations can be performed.
A read of a PIV CHUID is not considered a privileged operation.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

authenticating the cardholder or the appropriate card management system. Cardholder authentication is
described in Section 4.1.6.1, and card management system authentication is described in Section 4.1.6.2.
4.1.6.1 Activation by Cardholder
PIV Cards shall implement PIN-based cardholder activation to allow privileged operations using PIV
credentials held by the card. For PIN-based cardholder activation, the cardholder shall supply a numeric
PIN. The PIN shall be transmitted to the PIV Card and checked by the card. If the presented PIN is
correct, the PIV Card is activated. The PIV Card shall include mechanisms to limit the number of guesses
an adversary can attempt if a card is lost or stolen. Moreover, the PIN should not be easily-guessable or
otherwise individually-identifiable in nature (e.g., part of a Social Security Number, phone number). The
PIN authentication mechanism shall meet the identity-based authentication requirements of FIPS PUB
140-2 Level 2. [FIPS140-2]
4.1.6.2 Activation by Card Management System
PIV Cards may support card activation by the card management system to support card personalization
and post-issuance card update. To activate the card for personalization or update, the card management
system shall perform a challenge response protocol using cryptographic keys stored on the card in
accordance with [SP800-73]. When cards are personalized, card management keys shall be set to be
specific to each PIV Card. That is, each PIV Card shall contain a unique card management key. Card
management keys shall meet the algorithm and key size requirements stated in Special Publication 80078, Cryptographic Algorithms and Key Sizes for Personal Identity Verification. [SP800-78]
4.2

Cardholder Unique Identifier (CHUID)

The PACS Implementation Guidance [PACS] defines the CHUID data object; this description is refined
in [SP800-73]. The PIV Card shall include the CHUID as defined in [SP800-73]. The CHUID includes
an element, the Federal Agency Smart Credential Number (FASC-N), which uniquely identifies each
card. CHUID elements specific to this standard are described below in Section 4.2.1. The format of the
CHUID signature element is described in Section 4.2.2.
The PIV CHUID shall be accessible from both the contact and contactless interfaces of the PIV Card
without card activation. The PIV FASC-N shall not be modified post-issuance.
4.2.1

PIV CHUID Data Elements

In addition to the mandatory FASC-N that identifies a PIV Card, the CHUID shall include an expiration
date. In machine readable format, the expiration date data element shall specify when the card expires.
The expiration date format and encoding rules are as specified in [SP800-73]. For PIV Cards, the format
of the asymmetric signature field is specified in Section 4.2.2.
4.2.2

Asymmetric Signature Field in CHUID

This standard requires inclusion of the Asymmetric Signature field in the CHUID container. The
Asymmetric Signature data element of the PIV CHUID shall be encoded as a Cryptographic Message
Syntax (CMS) external digital signature, as defined in RFC 3852 [RFC3852]. The digital signature shall
be computed over the entire contents of the CHUID, excluding the Asymmetric Signature field.
Algorithm and key size requirements for the asymmetric signature are detailed in [SP800-78].

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

The issuer asymmetric signature file is implemented as a SignedData Type, as specified in [RFC3852],
and shall include the following information:
+

The message shall include a version field specifying version v3

The digestAlgorithms field shall be as specified in [SP800-78]

The encapContentInfo shall:

–

Specify an eContentType of id-PIV-CHUIDSecurityObject

–

Omit the eContent field

The certificates field shall include only a single X.509 certificate which can be used to verify the
signature in the SignerInfo field

The crls field shall be omitted

signerInfos shall be present and include only a single SignerInfo

The SignerInfo shall:

–

Use the issuerAndSerialNumber choice for SignerIdentifier

–

Specify a digestAlgorithm in accordance with [SP800-78]

–

Include, at a minimum, the following signed attributes:

–

•

A MessageDigest attribute containing the hash computed over the concatenated contents
of the CHUID, excluding the asymmetric signature field

•

A pivSigner-DN attribute containing the subject name that appears in the PKI certificate
for the entity that signed the CHUID

Include the digital signature.

The public key required to verify the digital signature shall be provided in the certificates field in an
X.509 digital signature certificate issued under [COMMON], and shall meet the format and infrastructure
requirements for PIV digital signature keys specified in Section 4.3. The certificate shall also include an
extendedKeyUsage extension asserting id-PIV-content-signing. Additional descriptions for the PIV
object identifiers are provided in Appendix D.
4.3

Cryptographic Specifications

At a minimum, the PIV Card must store one asymmetric private key and a corresponding public key
certificate, and perform cryptographic operations using the asymmetric private key. Cryptographic
operations with this key are performed only through the contact interface.
The PIV Card shall implement the following cryptographic operations and support functions:
+

RSA or elliptic curve key pair generation

RSA or elliptic curve private key cryptographic operations

Importation and storage of X.509 certificates.
31

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

The PIV Card may include additional asymmetric keys and PKI certificates. This standard defines
requirements for digital signature and key management keys. Where digital signature keys are supported,
the PIV Card is not required to implement a secure hash algorithm. Message hashing may be performed
off-card. Cryptographic operations are not mandated for the contactless interface, but departments and
agencies may choose to supplement the basic functionality with storage for a card authentication key and
support for a corresponding set of cryptographic operations. For example, if a department or agency
wants to utilize Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) based challenge/response for physical access, the
PIV Card must contain storage for the AES key and support AES operations through the contactless
interface. If the contactless interface utilizes asymmetric cryptography (e.g., elliptic curve cryptography
[ECC]), the PIV Card may also require storage for a corresponding public key certificate.
All cryptographic operations using the PIV keys shall be performed on-card; the PIV Card need not
implement any additional cryptographic functionality (e.g., hashing, signature verification) by additional
cryptographic mechanisms implemented on-card. Algorithms and key sizes for each PIV key type are
specified in [SP800-78].
The PIV Card has a single mandatory key and four types of optional keys:
+

The PIV authentication key shall be an asymmetric private key supporting card authentication for
an interoperable environment, and it is mandatory for each PIV Card.

The card authentication key may be either a symmetric (secret) key or an asymmetric private key
for physical access, and it is optional.

The digital signature key is an asymmetric private key supporting document signing, and it is
optional.

The key management key is an asymmetric private key supporting key establishment and
transport, and it is optional. This can also be used as an encryption key.

The card management key is a symmetric key used for personalization and post-issuance
activities, and it is optional.

All PIV cryptographic keys shall be generated within a FIPS 140-2 validated cryptomodule with overall
validation at Level 2 or above. In addition to an overall validation of Level 2, the PIV Card shall provide
Level 3 physical security to protect the PIV private keys in storage.
Requirements specific to storage and access of each class of keys are detailed below. Where applicable,
key management requirements are also specified.
+

PIV Authentication Key. This key shall be generated on the PIV Card. The PIV Card shall not
permit exportation of the PIV authentication key. The PIV authentication key must be available
only through the contact interface of the PIV Card. Private key operations may be performed
using an activated PIV Card without explicit user action (e.g., the PIN need not be supplied for
each operation).
The PIV Card shall store a corresponding X.509 certificate to support validation of the public
key. The X.509 certificate shall include the FASC-N in the subject alternative name extension
using the pivFASC-N attribute to support physical access procedures. The expiration date of the
certificate must be no later than the expiration date of the PIV Card. The PIV Authentication
certificate shall include a PIV NACI indicator extension; this non-critical private extension
indicates the status of the subject’s background investigation at the time of card issuance. Section

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

5.4 of this document specifies the certificate format and the key management infrastructure for
PIV authentication keys.
+

Card Authentication Key. The PIV Card shall not permit exportation of the card authentication
key. Private/secret key operations may be performed using this key without explicit user action
(e.g., the PIN need not be supplied). This standard does not specify key management protocols or
infrastructure requirements.

Digital Signature Key. The PIV digital signature key shall be generated on the PIV Card. The
PIV Card shall not permit exportation of the digital signature key. If present, cryptographic
operations using the digital signature key may only be performed using the contact interface of
the PIV Card. Private key operations may not be performed without explicit user action.
The PIV Card shall store a corresponding X.509 certificate to support validation of the digital
signature key. Section 5.4 of this document specifies the certificate format and the key
management infrastructure for PIV digital signature keys.

Key Management Key. This key may be generated on the PIV Card or imported to the card. If
present, the key management key must only be accessible using the contact interface of the PIV
Card. Private key operations may be performed using an activated PIV Card without explicit user
action (e.g., the PIN need not be supplied for each operation). This key is sometimes called an
encryption key or an encipherment key.
The PIV Card shall import and store a corresponding X.509 certificate to support validation of the
key management key. Section 5.4 of this document specifies the certificate format and the key
management infrastructure for PIV key management keys.

Card Management Key. The card management key is imported onto the card by the issuer. If
present, the card management key must only be accessible using the contact interface of the PIV
Card. See Section 4.1.6.2 for further details.

The PIV Card may also import and store X.509 certificates for use in PKI path validation. These trust
anchor certificates may be accessed through the contact interface using an activated PIV Card without
explicit cardholder action. If supported, initialization and update of trust anchor certificates shall require
explicit cardholder action, in addition to activation of the card.
4.4

Biometric Data Specifications

The biometric data used during the PIV Card life cycle activities shall consist of the following:
+

A full set of fingerprints used to perform law enforcement checks as part of the identity proofing
and registration process

An electronic facial image used for printing facial image on the card as well as for performing
visual authentication during card usage. A new facial image must be collected at the time of
reissuance. The facial image is not required to be stored on the card.

Two electronic fingerprints to be stored on the card for automated authentication during card
usage.

All three biometric data enumerated above are collected during the identity proofing and registration
process. Implementation requirements for storage of biometric data on PIV Cards is dependent on use of
specifications contained in NIST SP 800-76 [SP800-76].

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

The two electronic fingerprints stored on the card shall be accessible only over the contact interface and
after the presentation of a valid PIN. No contactless access is permitted for the biometric data specified to
be stored on the PIV Card under this standard.
4.4.1

Biometric Data Collection, Storage, and Usage

The full set of fingerprints shall be collected from all PIV Card applicants who can provide them. The
technical specifications for the collection and formatting of the ten fingerprints is contained in [SP80076]. The fingerprints shall be used for one-to-many matching with the database of fingerprints
maintained by the FBI. The fingerprints should be captured using FBI-certified scanners and transmitted
using FBI standard transactions. This one-to-many matching is called biometric identification. The
requirement for ten fingerprints is based on matching accuracy data obtained by NIST in large-scale trials
and reported in NISTIR 7123 [NISTIR7123]. Because biometric identification using fingerprints is the
primary means for law enforcement checks, agencies shall seek OPM guidance for alternative means for
performing law enforcement checks in cases where obtaining ten fingerprints is impossible.
A facial image shall be collected from all PIV applicants. The technical specifications for an electronic
facial image are contained in [SP800-76]. The electronic facial image may be used for the following
purposes:
+

For generating the printed image on the card

For generating a visual image on the monitor of a guard workstation for augmenting the visual
authentication process defined in Section 6.2.1. This approach may be required in the following
situations:

–

A good live sample of fingerprints cannot be collected from the PIV cardholder due to
damage or injury to fingers

–

Fingerprint matching equipment failure

–

Authenticating PIV cardholders covered under Section 508.

Two electronic fingerprints shall be collected from all PIV applicants, who can provide them, for storing
on the card. Alternatively, these two electronic fingerprints can also be extracted from the ten fingerprints
collected earlier for law enforcement checks. The technical specifications for the two electronic
fingerprints are contained in [SP800-76]. The right and left index fingers shall normally be designated as
the primary and secondary finger, respectively. However, if those fingers cannot be imaged, the primary
and secondary designations shall be taken from the following fingers, in decreasing order of priority:
1. Right thumb
2. Left thumb
3. Right middle finger
4. Left middle finger
5. Right ring finger
6. Left ring finger
7. Right little finger

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

8. Left little finger
These card fingerprints shall be used for 1:1 biometric verification against live samples collected from the
PIV cardholder (see Section 6.2.3). Even though two fingerprints are available on the card, a department
or agency has the option to use one or both of them for the purpose of PIV cardholder authentication. If
only one fingerprint is used for authentication, then the primary finger shall be used first. In cases where
there is difficulty in collecting even a single fingerprint of acceptable quality, the department or agency
shall perform authentication using asymmetric cryptography as described in Section 6.2.4.
4.4.2

Biometric Data Representation and Protection

The format of the biometric record depends upon the biometric type (e.g., fingerprint, face, hand
geometry). One or more records can be concatenated and prepended with a general record header to form
a standard biometric record (referred to as STD_BIOMETRIC_RECORD). The standard biometric
record is prepended with a Common Biometric Exchange Formats Framework (CBEFF) header (referred
to as CBEFF_HEADER) and appended with the CBEFF signature block (referred to as
CBEFF_SIGNATURE_BLOCK). [CBEFF] The CBEFF_SIGNATURE_BLOCK contains the digital
signature of the biometric data and thus facilitates the verification of integrity of the biometric data. The
complete CBEFF structure that contains the representation of the biometric data on the PIV Card consists
of the following:
+

CBEFF_HEADER

STD_BIOMETRIC_RECORD

CBEFF_SIGNATURE_BLOCK.

The format for CBEFF_HEADER and the STD_BIOMETRIC_RECORD is specified in [SP800-76].
The process of generating a CBEFF_SIGNATURE_BLOCK is described as follows. The
CBEFF_SIGNATURE_BLOCK shall be encoded as a CMS external digital signature as defined in
[RFC3852]. The digital signature shall be computed over the entire CBEFF structure except the
CBEFF_SIGNATURE_BLOCK itself (which means that it includes the CBEFF_HEADER and
STD_BIOMETRIC_RECORD). The algorithm and key requirements for the digital signature are the
same as those detailed in [SP 800-78].
The CMS encoding of the CBEFF_SIGNATURE_BLOCK is as a SignedData type, and shall include the
following information:
+

The message shall include a version field specifying version v3

The digestAlgorithms field shall be as specified in [SP800-78]

The encapcontentInfo shall

–

Specify an eContentType of id-PIV-biometricObject

–

Omit the eContent field

If the signature on the biometric was generated with the same key as the signature on the CHUID,
the certificates field shall be omitted

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

If the signature on the biometric was generated with a different key as the signature on the
CHUID, the certificates field shall include only a single certificate which can be used to verify
the signature in the SignerInfo field

The crls field shall be omitted

signerInfos shall be present and include only a single SignerInfo

The SignerInfo shall

–

Use the issuerAndSerialNumber choice for SignerIdentifier

–

Specify a digestAlgorithm in accordance with [SP800-78]

–

Include at a minimum the following signed attributes:

–

•

A MessageDigest attribute containing the hash of the concatenated CBEFF_HEADER +
STD_BIOMETRIC_RECORD

•

A pivFASC-N attribute containing the FASC-N of the PIV Card (to link the biometric
data and PIV Card)

•

A pivSigner-DN attribute containing the subject name that appears in the PKI certificate
for the entity that signed the biometric data

Include the digital signature.

The X.509 certificate containing the public key required to verify the digital signature shall be issued
under [COMMON], and shall meet the format and infrastructure requirements for PIV digital signature
keys specified in Section 4.3. The certificate shall also include an extendedKeyUsage extension asserting
id-PIV-content-signing. Additional descriptions for the PIV object identifiers are provided in Appendix
D.
This standard also requires that PIV biometric data is not readable in the clear and is protected through an
authentication mechanism such as a PIN. However, this standard does not specify whether other
biometric information should be stored in a contact or contactless IC. An electromagnetically opaque
sleeve or other technology is required to protect against any unauthorized contactless access to biometric
information stored on a contactless IC.
4.4.3

Biometric Data Content

Matching accuracy and data interoperability are the driving factors in specifying the biometric data on the
PIV Card. These data characteristics include the image parameters (e.g., pixel density, pixel depth) in the
image records as well as the fields in the encapsulating standard biometric record. As already stated, the
biometric data content collected over the PIV life cycle shall conform to the specifications outlined in
[SP800-76].
4.5

Card Reader Specifications

This section provides minimum requirements for the contact and contactless card readers. Also, this
section provides requirements for PIN input devices.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

4.5.1

Contact Reader Specifications

Contact card readers shall conform to the [ISO7816] standard for the card-to-reader interface. These
readers shall conform to the Personal Computer/Smart Card (PC/SC) Specification [PCSC] for the readerto-host system interface in general desktop computing environment. In physical access control systems
where the readers are not connected to general purpose desktop computing systems, the reader-to-host
system interface is not specified in this standard.
4.5.2

Contactless Reader Specifications

Contactless card readers shall conform to the [ISO 14443] standard for the card-to-reader interface. In
cases where these readers are connected to general purpose desktop computing systems, they shall
conform to [PCSC] for the reader-to-host system interface. In physical access control systems where the
readers are not connected to general purpose desktop computing systems, the reader-to-host system
interface is not specified in this standard. This is necessary to allow retrofitting of PIV readers into
existing physical access control systems that use a variety of non-standard card reader communication
interfaces.
4.5.3

PIN Input Device Specifications

PIN input devices shall be used for implementing PIN-based PIV Card activation. When the PIV Card is
used with a PIN for physical access, the PIN input device shall be integrated with the reader. When the
PIV Card is used with a PIN for logical access (e.g., to authenticate to a Web site or other server), the PIN
input device may be integrated with the reader or entered using the computer’s keyboard. If the PIN input
device is not integrated with the reader, the PIN shall be transmitted securely and directly to the PIV Card
for card activation.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

PIV Card Issuance and Management Subsystem

This section defines the security requirements for processes that are part of the Card Issuance and
Management Subsystem for a PIV-II implementation. These largely parallel the requirements for PIV-I,
but includes the requirement for issuance and management of an interoperable PIV Card. Additional
security requirements are also imposed for issuance and management of the logical credentials supported
by the PIV Card. Technical specifications for the implementation of a PIV-II system are described in
detail in Section 4 of this standard, NIST SP 800-73, and NIST SP 800-76.
5.1

Control Objectives and Interoperability Requirements

The requirements of PIV-I are retained for PIV-II. Each agency’s PIV implementation(s) shall meet the
four control objectives (a) through (d) listed above.
[HSPD-12] also established requirements for Government-wide interoperability of identity credentials.
These requirements, provided in paragraph 1 of the directive, are required in PIV-II and quoted here:
(1) Wide variations in the quality and security of forms of identification used to gain access to secure
Federal and other facilities where there is potential for terrorist attacks need to be eliminated. Therefore, it
is the policy of the United States to enhance security, increase Government efficiency, reduce identity
fraud, and protect personal privacy by establishing a mandatory, Government-wide standard for secure and
reliable forms of identification issued by the Federal Government to its employees and contractors
(including contractor employees).

Each agency’s PIV implementation(s) shall support interoperability by issuing and managing
interoperable PIV Cards and their associated logical credentials specified in Section 4.
5.2

PIV Identity Proofing and Registration Requirements

Section 2.2 of this standard requires the adoption and use of an approved identity proofing and
registration process. All PIV-II identity proofing and registration systems must satisfy the PIV-I
objectives and requirements stated in Section 2.2 in order to be approved. Identity credentials issued to
individuals without a completed NACI or equivalent must be electronically distinguishable from identity
credentials issued to individuals who have a completed investigation.
An additional requirement for PIV-II is that the biometrics (fingerprints and facial image) that are used to
personalize the PIV Card must be captured during the identity proofing and registration process.
When issuing PIV Cards, Federal agencies and departments must use an approved identity proofing and
registration process. Two approved PIV identity proofing and registration processes are provided in
Appendix A. Other identity proofing and registration process may be used if accredited by the
department or agency as satisfying the requisite PIV objectives and requirements and approved in writing
by the head of the Federal department or agency.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

5.3
5.3.1

PIV Issuance and Maintenance Requirements
PIV Card Issuance

Section 2.3 of this standard requires the adoption and use of an approved issuance and maintenance
process. All PIV-II issuance and maintenance systems must satisfy the PIV-I objectives and requirements
stated in Sections 2.3 in order to be approved. An employee or contractor may be issued a PIV Card and
logical credentials while a National Agency Check with Written Inquiries (NACI) or other OPM or
National Security community investigation required for Federal employment is pending (see Section 2.2).
In such cases, the process must verify successful completion and adjudication of the investigation.
An additional requirement is that the issuer shall perform a 1:1 biometric match of the applicant against
the biometric included in the PIV Card or in the PIV enrollment record. On successful match, the PIV
Card shall be released to the applicant.
Two examples of PIV issuance process sets that satisfy the requisite PIV-II objectives and requirements
are provided in Appendix A, Sections A.1.2 and Appendix A Sections A.2.2 through A.2.4. The heads of
Federal departments and agencies may approve other identity proofing, registration, issuance process sets
that are accredited as satisfying the requisite PIV-I objectives and requirements. Departments and
agencies may enhance their issuance process to meet their local constraints and requirements.
5.3.2

PIV Card Maintenance

The PIV Card shall be maintained via processes that comply with the specifications in this section.
The data and credentials held by the PIV Card may need to be invalidated prior to the expiration date of
the card. The cardholder may retire, change jobs, or the employment is terminated, thus requiring
invalidation of a previously active card. The card may be damaged, lost, or stolen, thus requiring a
replacement. The PIV system must ensure that this information is distributed efficiently within the PIV
management infrastructure and made available to parties authenticating a cardholder. In this regard,
procedures for PIV Card maintenance must be integrated into department and agency procedures to
ensure effective card management.
5.3.2.1 PIV Card Renewal
Renewal is the process by which a PIV Card is replaced without the need to repeat the full registration
procedure. The card issuer shall verify that the employee remains in good standing and personnel records
are current before renewing the card and associated credentials. When renewing identity credentials to
current employees, the NACI checks shall be followed in accordance with the OPM guidance.
The PIV Card shall be valid for no more than five years. A cardholder shall be allowed to apply for a
renewal starting six weeks prior to the expiration of a valid PIV Card and until the actual expiration of the
card. The card issuer will verify the cardholder’s identity against the biometric information stored on the
expiring card. The expired PIV Card must be collected and destroyed.
The same biometric data may be reused with the new PIV Card while the digital signature must be
recomputed with the new FASC-N.
The expiration date of the PIV authentication certificate and optional digital signature certificate cannot
be later than the expiration date of the PIV Card. Hence, a new PIV authentication key and certificate

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

shall be generated. If the PIV Card supports the optional key management key, it may be imported to the
new PIV Card.
5.3.2.2 PIV Card Reissuance
In case of reissuance, the entire registration and issuance process, including fingerprint and facial image
capture, shall be conducted. The card issuer shall verify that the employee remains in good standing and
personnel records are current before reissuing the card and associated credentials.
A cardholder shall apply for reissuance of a new PIV Card if the old PIV Card has been compromised,
lost, stolen, or damaged. The cardholder can also apply for reissuance of a valid PIV Card in the event of
an employee status or attribute change or if one or more logical credentials have been compromised.
When these events are reported, normal operational procedures must be in place to ensure the following:
+

The PIV Card itself is revoked. Any local databases that indicate current valid (or invalid)
FASC-N values must be updated to reflect the change in status.

The CA shall be informed and the certificate corresponding to PIV authentication key on the PIV
Card must be revoked. Departments and agencies may revoke certificates corresponding to the
optional digital signature and key management keys. Certificate revocation lists (CRL) issued
shall include the appropriate certificate serial numbers.

Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) responders shall be updated so that queries with
respect to certificates on the PIV Card are answered appropriately. This may be performed
indirectly (by publishing the CRL above) or directly (by updating the OCSP server’s internal
revocation records).

It is recommended that the old PIV Card, if available, is collected and destroyed. If the card cannot be
collected, normal operational procedures shall complete within 18 hours of notification. In some cases,
18 hours is an unacceptable delay. In that case, emergency procedures must be executed to disseminate
this information as rapidly as possible. Departments and agencies are required to have procedures in
place to issue emergency notifications in such cases.
5.3.2.3 PIV Card PIN Reset
The PIN on a PIV Card may need to be reset if the contents of the card are locked resulting from the
usage of an invalid PIN more than the allowed number of retries stipulated by the department or agency.
PIN resets may be performed by the card issuer. Before the reset PIV Card is provided back to the
cardholder, the card issuer shall ensure that the cardholder’s biometric matches the stored biometric on
the reset PIV Card. Departments and agencies may adopt more stringent procedures for PIN reset
(including disallowing PIN reset, and requiring the termination of PIV Cards that have been locked); such
procedures shall be formally documented by each department and agency.
5.3.2.4 PIV Card Termination
The termination process is used to permanently destroy or invalidate the use of the card, including the
data and the keys on it, such that it cannot be used again. The PIV Card shall be terminated under the
following circumstances:
+

An employee separates (voluntarily or involuntarily) from Federal service

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

An employee separates (voluntarily or involuntarily) from a Federal contractor

A contractor changes positions and no longer needs access to Federal buildings or systems

A cardholder is determined to hold a fraudulent identity

A cardholder passes away.

Similar to the situation in which the card or a credential is compromised, normal termination procedures
must be in place as to ensure the following:
+

The PIV Card is collected and destroyed.

The PIV Card itself is revoked. Any local databases that indicate current valid (or invalid)
FASC-N values must be updated to reflect the change in status.

The CA shall be informed and the certificate corresponding to PIV authentication key on the PIV
Card must be revoked. Departments and agencies may revoke certificates corresponding to the
optional digital signature and key management keys. CRLs issued shall include the appropriate
certificate serial numbers.

OCSP responders shall be updated so that queries with respect to certificates on the PIV Card are
answered appropriately. This may be performed indirectly (by publishing the CRL above) or
directly (by updating the OCSP server’s internal revocation records).

The IIF that has been collected from the cardholder is disposed of in accordance with the stated
privacy and data retention policies of the department or agency.

5.4

PIV Key Management Requirements

PIV Cards consistent with this specification will have one or more asymmetric private keys. To manage
the public keys associated with the asymmetric private keys, departments and agencies are required to
issue and manage X.509 public key certificates as specified below.
5.4.1

Architecture

The CA that issues certificates to support PIV Card authentication shall participate in the hierarchical PKI
for the Common Policy managed by the Federal PKI. Self-signed, self-issued, and CA certificates issued
by these CAs shall conform to Worksheet 1: Self-Signed Certificate Profile, Worksheet 2: Self-Issued CA
Certificate Profile, and Worksheet 3: Cross Certificate Profile, respectively, in X.509 Certificate and CRL
Profile for the Common Policy [PROF]. The requirements for legacy PKIs are defined in Section 5.4.4.
5.4.2

PKI Certificate

All certificates issued to support PIV Card authentication shall be issued under the id-CommonHW policy
and the id-CommonAuth policy5 as defined in the X.509 Certificate Policy for the U.S. Federal PKI
Common Policy Framework [COMMON]. The requirements for legacy PKIs are defined in Section
5.4.4. These requirements cover identity proofing and the management of CAs and registration
authorities. CAs and registration authorities may be operated by departments and agencies, or outsourced
5

The id-CommonAuth policy has not yet been drafted. This policy will be used to differentiate simple authentication keys,
where user interaction is not required, from signature keys where the operation is expected to demonstrate explicit user
intent.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

to PKI service providers. For a list of PKI service providers who have been approved to operate under
[COMMON], see http://www.cio.gov/ficc/cpl.htm.
[COMMON] requires FIPS 140-2 Level 2 validation for the subscriber cryptomodule (i.e., the PIV Card).
In addition, this standard requires the cardholder to authenticate to the PIV Card each time it performs a
private key computation with the digital signature key.
[COMMON] specifies the use of RSA along with the key sizes and hash functions.
This standard allows additional cryptographic algorithms and key sizes as specified in the [SP 800-78].
Future enhancements to [COMMON] are expected to permit use of additional algorithms. For
conformance to this standard, PIV Card management systems are limited to algorithms and key sizes
recognized by this standard and the current version of [COMMON].
5.4.2.1 X.509 Certificate Contents
The required contents of X.509 certificates associated with PIV private keys are based on [PROF]. The
relationship is described below:

Authority Information Access (AIA) extensions shall include pointers to the appropriate OCSP
status responders, using the id-ad-ocsp access method as specified in Section 8 of [PROF], in
addition to the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) Uniform Resource Identifiers
(URI) required by [PROF].

If private key computations can be performed with the PIV authentication key without user
intervention (beyond that required for cryptomodule activation), the corresponding certificate
must specify the policy id-CommonAuth instead of id-CommonHW in the certificate policies
extension.

Certificates containing the public key associated with an asymmetric Card Authentication Key
must specify the policy id-CommonAuth instead of id-CommonHW in the certificate policies
extension, must include the PIV NACI indicator extension (see Appendix D), and must assert idPIV-cardAuth in the extended key usage extension.

Certificates containing the public key associated with a digital signature private key shall
conform to Worksheet 5: End Entity Signature Certificate Profile in [PROF].

Certificates containing the public key associated with a PIV authentication private key shall
conform to Worksheet 5: End Entity Signature Certificate Profile in [PROF], but shall not assert
the nonRepudiation bit in the keyUsage extension, must include the PIV NACI indicator
extension (see Appendix D), and must include the PIV Card’s FASC-N in the subject alternative
name field.

Certificates containing the public key associated with a key management private key shall
conform to Worksheet 6: Key Management Certificate Profile in [PROF].

Requirements for algorithms and key sizes for each type of PIV asymmetric key are given in
[SP800-78].6

The current text of [COMMON] permits only RSA with SHA-1 and SHA-256. Supporting the elliptic curve algorithms will
require a change in [COMMON].

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

5.4.3

X.509 CRL Contents

CAs that issue certificates corresponding to PIV private keys shall issue CRLs every 18 hours, at a
minimum. The contents of X.509 CRLs shall conform to Worksheet 4: CRL Profile in [PROF].
5.4.4

Migration from Legacy PKIs

Departments and agencies whose PKIs have cross-certified with the Federal Bridge CA (FBCA) at
Medium-HW, or High Assurance Level may continue to assert department or agency-specific policy
Object Identifiers (OID). Certificates issued on or after January 1, 2008 shall assert the id-CommonHW
or id-CommonAuth policy OIDs. (Departments and agencies may continue to assert department or
agency-specific policy OIDs in addition to the id-CommonHW and id-CommonAuth policy OIDs in
certificates issued after January 1, 2008.)
5.4.5

PKI Repository and OCSP Responder(s)

The PIV PKI Repository and Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) responder provides PIV Card and
key status information across departments, agencies, and other organizations, to support high-assurance
interagency PIV Card interoperation. Departments and agencies will be responsible for notifying
Certificate Authorities (CA) when cards or certificates need to be revoked. CAs shall maintain the status
of servers and responders needed for PIV Card and certificate status checking.
The expiration date of the authentication certificate shall not be after the expiration date of the PIV Card.
If the card is revoked, the authentication certificate shall be revoked. However, an authentication
certificate (and its associated key pair) may be revoked without revoking the PIV Card and may then be
replaced. The presence of a valid, unexpired, and unrevoked PIV authentication certificate on a card is
proof that the card was issued and is not revoked.
Because an authentication certificates typically lasts several years, a certificate revocation mechanism is
necessary. Two are conventional: the CRL and the OCSP. CAs that issue PIV authentication certificates
shall maintain a LDAP directory server that holds the CRLs for the certificates it issues, as well as any
CA certificates needed to build a path to the Federal Bridge CA.
Certificates shall contain the crlDistributionPoints or authorityInfoAccess extensions needed to locate
CRLs and the authoritative OCSP responder. In addition, every CA that issues PIV authentication
certificates shall operate an OCSP server that provides certificate status for every authentication
certificate the CA issues.
5.4.5.1 Certificate and CRL Distribution
This standard requires distribution of CA certificates and CRLs using LDAP and Hypertext Transport
Protocol (HTTP). Specific requirements are found in Table II—Mandatory Repository Service
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) Access Requirements of the Shared Service Provider
Repository Service Requirements [SSP REP].
PIV Authentication certificates contain the FASC-N in the subject alternative name extension; hence,
these certificates shall not be distributed publicly via LDAP or HTTP. Individual departments and
agencies can decide whether other user certificates (digital signature and key management) can be
distributed via LDAP. When user certificates are distributed, the requirements in Table I—End-Entity
Certificate Repository Service Requirements of [SSP REP] shall be satisfied.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

5.4.5.2 OCSP Status Responders
OCSP [RFC2560] status responders shall be implemented as a supplementary certificate status
mechanism. The OCSP status responders must be updated at least as frequently as CRLs are issued. The
definitive OCSP responder for each certificate shall be specified in the AIA extension as described in
[PROF].
5.5

PIV Privacy Requirements

The PIV Privacy Requirements stated in Section 2.4 apply equally to PIV-II implementations.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

PIV Card Holder Authentication

This section defines a suite of identity authentication mechanisms that are supported by the PIV Card, and
their applicability in meeting the requirements for a set of graduated levels of identity assurance. While a
wide range of authentication mechanisms is identified in this section, departments and agencies may
adopt additional mechanisms that use the identity credentials on the PIV Card. In the context of the PIV
Card, identity authentication is defined as the process of establishing confidence in the identity of the
cardholder presenting a PIV Card. The authenticated identity can then be used to determine the
permissions or authorizations that are granted to that identity to access various physical and logical
resources.
6.1

Identity Authentication Assurance Levels

This standard defines three levels of assurance for identity authentication supported by the PIV Card.
Each assurance level refers to the degree of confidence established in the identity of the holder of the PIV
Card. The entity performing the authentication establishes confidence in the identity of the PIV
cardholder through the following:
1) The rigor of the identity proofing process conducted prior to issuing the PIV Card
2) The security of the PIV Card issuance and maintenance processes.
3) The strength of the technical mechanisms used to verify that the cardholder is the owner of the
PIV Card.
Section 2 and 5 of this standard define requirements for the identity proofing, registration, issuance, and
maintenance processes for all PIV Cards. Hence, there is a common level of assurance in these processes.
The PIV Card bears a number of visual and logical credentials. Depending upon the specific PIV
credentials used to authenticate the holder of the PIV Card to an entity that controls access to a resource,
varying levels of assurance that the holder of the PIV Card is the owner of the card can be achieved. This
is the basis for the following identity authentication assurance levels defined in this standard:
+

SOME Confidence—A basic degree of assurance in the identity of the cardholder

HIGH Confidence—A strong degree of assurance in the identity of the cardholder

VERY HIGH Confidence—A very strong degree of assurance in the identity of the cardholder.

Parties responsible for controlling access to Federal resources (both physical and logical) shall determine
the appropriate level of identity assurance required for access, based on the harm and impact to
individuals and organizations as a result of errors in the authentication of the identity of the PIV
cardholder. Once the required level of assurance has been determined, the authentication mechanisms
specified within this section may be applied to achieve the required degree of confidence in the identity of
the PIV cardholder.
6.1.1

Relationship to OMB’s E-Authentication Guidance

The levels of identity authentication assurance defined within this standard are closely aligned with the
discussion in Section 2 of OMB’s E-Authentication Guidance for Federal Agencies, M-04-04 [OMB404].
Specifically, Table 6-1 shows the notional relationship between the PIV assurance levels and the
[OMB404] assurance levels.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

Table 6-1. Relationship Between PIV and E-Authentication Assurance Levels
OMB E-Authentication Levels
Level
Number

Description

Comparable PIV
Assurance Levels

Level 2

Some confidence in the asserted identity’s validity

SOME confidence

Level 3

High confidence in the asserted identity’s validity

HIGH confidence

Level 4

Very high confidence in the asserted identity’s validity

VERY HIGH confidence

[OMB404] addresses “identity assurance for electronic transactions requiring authentication” and
prescribes a methodology based on the risks and potential impacts of errors in identity authentication. In
the context of the PIV Card, owners of logical resources shall apply the methodology defined in
[OMB404] to identify the level of assurance required for their electronic transaction. Parties that are
responsible for access to physical resources may use a methodology similar to that defined in [OMB404]
to determine the PIV assurance level required for access to their physical resource; they may also use
other applicable methodologies to determine the required level of identity assurance for their application.
6.2

PIV Card Authentication Mechanisms

The following subsections define the basic types of authentication mechanisms that are supported by the
core (mandatory) credential set hosted by the PIV Card. This standard does not define the authentication
mechanisms that can be implemented using optional logical credential elements (e.g., symmetric
authentication key) on the PIV Card.
PIV Cards can be used for identity authentication in environments that are equipped with card readers as
well as those that lack card readers. Card readers, when present, can be contact readers or contactless
readers. The parameters of the usage environment affect the PIV identity authentication mechanisms that
may be applied to a particular situation.
Each authentication mechanism described in this section can be further strengthened through the use of a
back-end certificate status verification infrastructure if the access control point has connectivity to the
department or agency’s network infrastructure. The status of the PIV authentication certificate is directly
tied to the status of all other credential elements held by the card.
6.2.1

Authentication Using PIV Visual Credentials (VIS)

Visual authentication of a PIV cardholder shall be used only to support access control to physical
facilities and resources.
The PIV Card has several mandatory topographical features on the front and back that support visual
identification and authentication, as follows:
+

Photograph

Name

Employee affiliation employment identifier

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

Expiration date

Agency card serial number (back of card)

Issuer identification (back of card).

The PIV Card may also bear the following optional components:
+

Agency name and/or department

Department or agency seal

PIV cardholder’s physical characteristics

Applicant’s Signature.

When a cardholder attempts to pass through an access control point for a Federally controlled facility, a
human guard shall perform visual identity verification of the cardholder, and determine whether the
identified individual should be allowed through the control point. The series of steps that shall be applied
in the visual authentication process are as follows:
1. The human guard at the access control entry point determines whether the PIV Card appears to be
genuine and has not been altered in any way.
2. The guard compares the cardholder’s facial features with the picture on the card to ensure that
they match.
3. The guard checks the expiration date on the card to ensure that the card has not expired.
4. The guard compares the cardholder’s physical characteristic descriptions to those of the
cardholder. (Optional)
5. The guard collects the cardholder’s signature and compares it with the signature on the card.
(Optional)
6. One or more of the other data elements on the card (e.g., name, employee affiliation employment
identifier, agency card serial number, issuer identification, agency name) are used to determine
whether the cardholder should be granted access.
Some of the characteristics of the visual authentication mechanism are as follows:
+

Human inspection of card, which is not amenable for rapid or high volume access control

Resistant to use of unaltered card by non-owner of card

Low resistance to tampering and forgery

Applicable in environments with and without card readers.

6.2.2

Authentication Using the PIV CHUID

The PIV Card provides a mandatory logical credential called the CHUID. As described in Section 4.2,
the CHUID contains numerous data elements.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

The CHUID shall be used for PIV cardholder authentication using the following sequence:
1. The CHUID is read electronically from the PIV Card.
2. The digital signature on the CHUID is checked to ensure the CHUID was signed by a trusted
source and is unaltered. (Optional)
3. The expiration date is checked to ensure that the card has not expired.
4. One or more of the CHUID data elements (e.g., FASC-N, Agency Code, Data Universal
Numbering System [DUNS]) are used as input to the authorization check to determine whether
the cardholder should be granted access.
Some of the characteristics of the CHUID-based authentication mechanism are as follows:
+

Can be used for rapid authentication for high volume access control

Low resistance to use of unaltered card by non-owner of card

Applicable with contact-based and contactless readers.

6.2.3

Authentication Using PIV Biometric

The PIV Card hosts a mandatory signed biometric that can be read from the card following cardholder-tocard (CTC) authentication using a PIN supplied by the cardholder. The PIV biometric is designed to
support a cardholder-to-external system (CTE) authentication mechanism through a match-off-card
scheme. The following subsections define two authentication schemes that make use of the PIV
biometric.
Some of the characteristics of the PIV Biometric authentication mechanisms (described below) are as
follows:
+

Slower mechanism, because it requires two interactions with the cardholder

Strong resistance to use of unaltered card by non-owner since PIN is required to activate card

Digital signature on biometric, which can be checked to further strengthen the mechanism

Applicable only with contact-based card readers.

6.2.3.1 Unattended Authentication Using PIV Biometric (BIO)
The following sequence shall be followed for unattended authentication of the PIV biometric:
1. The CHUID is read from the card.
2. The Expiration Date in the CHUID is checked to ensure the card has not expired.
3. The cardholder is prompted to submit a PIN, activating the PIV Card.
4. The PIV biometric is read from the card.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

5. The signature on the biometric is verified to ensure the biometric is intact and comes from a
trusted source. (Optional)
6. The cardholder is prompted to submit a live biometric sample.
7. If the biometric sample matches the biometric read from the card, the cardholder is authenticated
to be the owner of the card.
8. The FASC-N in the CHUID is compared with the FASC-N in the Signed Attributes field of the
external digital signature on the biometric.
9. One or more of the CHUID data elements (e.g., FASC-N, Agency Code, DUNS) are used as
input to the authorization check to determine whether the cardholder should be granted access.
6.2.3.2 Attended Authentication of PIV Biometric (BIO-A)
The following sequence shall be followed for attended authentication of the PIV biometric:
1. The CHUID is read from the card.
2. The Expiration Date in the CHUID is checked to ensure that the card has not expired.
3. The cardholder is prompted to submit a PIN. The PIN entry is done in the view of an attendant.
4. The submitted PIN is used to activate the card. The PIV biometric is read from the card.
5. The signature on the biometric is verified to ensure the biometric is intact and comes from a
trusted source. (Optional)
6. The cardholder is prompted to submit a live biometric sample. The biometric sample is submitted
in the view of an attendant.
7. If the biometric sample matches the biometric read from the card, the cardholder is authenticated
to be the owner of the card.
8. The FASC-N in the CHUID is compared with the FASC-N in the Signed Attributes field of the
external digital signature on the biometric.
9. One or more of the CHUID data elements (e.g., FASC-N, Agency Code, DUNS) are used as
input to the authorization check to determine whether the cardholder should be granted access.
This authentication mechanism is similar to the unattended biometric credential check; the only difference
is that an attendant (e.g. security guard) supervises the use of the PIV Card and the submission of the PIN
and the biometric by the cardholder.
6.2.4

Authentication Using PIV Asymmetric Cryptography (PKI)

The PIV Card carries a mandatory asymmetric authentication private key and corresponding certificate, as
described in Section 4. The following steps shall be used to perform authentication using the PIV
asymmetric authentication key:
1. The cardholder is prompted to submit a PIN.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

2. The submitted PIN is used to activate the card.
3. The reader issues a challenge string to the card and requests an asymmetric operation in response.
4. The card responds to the previously issued challenge by signing it using the PIV authentication
private key and attaching the associated certificate.
5. The response signature is verified and standards-compliant PKI path validation is conducted. The
related digital certificate is checked to ensure that it is from a trusted source. The revocation
status of the certificate is checked to ensure current validity.
6. The response is validated as the expected response to the issued challenge.
7. The Subject Distinguished Name (DN) and FASC-N from the authentication certificate are
extracted and passed as input to the authorization function.
Some of the characteristics of the PKI-based authentication mechanism are as follows:
+

Requires the use of online certificate status checking infrastructure

Highly resistant to credential forgery

Strong resistance to use of unaltered card by non-owner since PIN is required to activate card

Applicable with contact-based card readers.

6.3

PIV Support of Graduated Assurance Levels for Identity Authentication

The PIV Card supports a set of authentication mechanisms that can be used to implement graduated
assurance levels for identity authentication. The following subsections specify the basic PIV
authentication mechanisms that may be used to support the various levels of identity authentication
assurance as defined in Section 6.1. Two or more of the basic identity authentication mechanisms may be
applied in unison to achieve a higher degree of assurance of the identity of the PIV cardholder.
6.3.1

Physical Access

The PIV Card can be used to authenticate the cardholder in a physical access control environment. For
example, a Federal facility may have physical entry doors that have human guards at checkpoints, or may
have electronic access control points. The PIV-supported authentication mechanisms for physical access
control systems are summarized in Table 6-2. It is implicit that an authentication mechanism that is
suitable for a higher assurance level can also be applied to meet the requirements for a lower assurance
level.
Each authentication mechanism described in the table can be further strengthened through the use of a
back-end certificate status verification infrastructure, if the access control point has connectivity to the
department or agency’s network infrastructure.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

Table 6-2. Authentication for Physical Access
PIV Assurance Level
Required by
Application/Resource

Applicable PIV
Authentication Mechanism

SOME confidence

VIS, CHUID

HIGH confidence

BIO

VERY HIGH confidence

6.3.2

BIO-A, PKI

Logical Access

The PIV Card may be used to authenticate the cardholder in support of decisions concerning access to
logical information resources. For example, a cardholder may log in to his or her department or agency
network using the PIV Card; the identity established through this authentication process can be used for
determining access to file systems, databases, and other services available on the network.
Table 6-3 describes the authentication mechanisms defined for this standard to support logical access
control. It is implicit that an authentication mechanism that is suitable for a higher assurance level can
also be applied to meet the requirements for a lower assurance level.
Table 6-3. Authentication for Logical Access
PIV Assurance Level
Required by
Application/Resource

Applicable PIV Authentication Mechanism
Local Workstation
Environment

SOME confidence

CHUID

HIGH confidence

BIO

VERY HIGH confidence

Remote/Network
System Environment

PKI

BIO-A, PKI

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

Appendix A—PIV Processes
Sections 2.2 and 5.2 of this standard require the adoption and use an approved identity proofing and
registration process. All identity proofing and registration systems must satisfy the PIV objectives and
requirements stated in Sections 2.2 and 5.2 in order to be approved.
Section 2.3 and 5.3 of this standard requires the adoption and use of an approved credential issuance and
management process. All credential issuance and management systems must satisfy the PIV objectives
and requirements stated in Sections 2.3 and 5.3 in order to be approved. The heads of Federal
departments and agencies may approve other identity proofing, registration and issuance process sets that
are accredited as satisfying the requisite PIV objectives and requirements.
Two examples of PIV identity proofing, registration and issuance process sets that satisfy the requisite
PIV control objectives and requirements are provided in this Appendix. Wherever appropriate, additional
PIV-II requirements have been specified in order to meet the objectives of PIV-II.

A.1

Role Based Model

The role based identity proofing, registration and issuance process set is recommended for organizations
not having a pre-existing PIV system.
A.1.1 PIV Identity Proofing and Registration
Departments and agencies that employ the generic process set for issuing PIV credentials shall follow the
identity proofing and registration process defined in this section.
A.1.1.1 Roles and Responsibilities
The critical roles associated with the PIV identity proofing, registration and issuance process are defined
below. These roles may be ancillary roles assigned to personnel who have other primary duties. The
following roles shall be employed for identity proofing and issuance:
+

Applicant—The individual to whom a PIV credential needs to be issued.

PIV Sponsor—The individual who substantiates the need for a PIV credential to be issued to the
Applicant, and provides sponsorship to the Applicant. The PIV Sponsor requests the issuance of
a PIV credential to the Applicant.

PIV Registrar—The entity responsible for identity proofing of the Applicant and ensuring the
successful completion of the background checks. The PIV Registrar provides the final approval
for the issuance of a PIV credential to the Applicant.

PIV Issuer—The entity that performs credential personalization operations and issues the
identity credential to the Applicant after all identity proofing, background checks, and related
approvals have been completed. The PIV Issuer is also responsible for maintaining records and
controls for PIV credential stock to ensure that stock is only used to issue valid credentials.

PIV Digital Signatory—The entity that digitally signs the PIV biometrics and CHUID. This role
only applies for PIV-II.

PIV Authentication Certification Authority (CA)—The CA that signs and issues the PIV
Authentication Certificate. This role only applies to PIV-II.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

The roles of PIV Applicant, Sponsor, Registrar, and Issuer are mutually exclusive; no individual shall
hold more than one of these roles in the identity proofing and registration process. The PIV Issuer and
PIV Digital Signatory roles may be assumed by one individual or entity. The PIV Authentication CA is a
CA accredited to issue certificates under the Common Policy as specified in Section 5.4.1.
Individuals and entities assigned to the PIV Registrar, Issuer, or Digital Signatory roles shall meet the
applicable requirements established by an official accreditation process.
A.1.1.2 Identity Proofing and Registration of New Employees and Contractors
An Applicant applies for a PIV credential as a part of the vetting process for Federal employment, or to
seek access to Federally controlled physical facilities or information resources. This section of the
document defines a process that uses identity source document inspection and background checks to
establish assurance of identity. The process provides the minimal functional and security requirements
for achieving a uniform level of assurance for PIV identity credentials; issuing organizations may enhance
or expand upon the process to meet their organizational requirements as long as the resulting process
meets the requirements set forth in this section. The identity proofing and registration requirements shall
include the following:
+

The PIV Sponsor shall complete a PIV Request for a particular Applicant, and submit the PIV
Request to the PIV Registrar and the PIV Issuer. The PIV Request shall include the following:

–

Name, organization, and contact information of the PIV Sponsor, including the address of the
sponsoring organization

–

Name, date of birth, position, and contact information of the Applicant

–

Name and contact information of the designated PIV Registrar

–

Name and contact information of the designated PIV Issuer

–

Signature of the PIV Sponsor.

The PIV Registrar shall confirm the validity of the PIV Request prior to acceptance.
+

The Applicant shall complete Standard Form (SF) 85, OPM Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive
Positions, or an equivalent, to provide the required background information. The Applicant shall
then submit the completed background information form to the PIV Registrar.

The Applicant shall appear in person and provide two forms of identity source documents in
original form to the PIV Registrar. The identity source documents must come from the list of
acceptable documents included in Form I-9, OMB No. 1115-0136, Employment Eligibility
Verification. At least one document shall be a valid State or Federal government-issued picture
identification (ID). The PIV Registrar shall visually inspect the identification documents and
authenticate them as being genuine and unaltered. In addition, the PIV Registrar shall
electronically verify the authenticity of the source document, when such services are offered by
the issuer of the source document. When electronic verification is not offered, the PIV Registrar
shall use other available tools to authenticate the source and integrity of the identity source
documents. The PIV Registrar shall subsequently compare the picture on the source document
with the Applicant to confirm that the Applicant is the holder of the identity source document. If
all of the above checks are deemed to be successful, the PIV Registrar shall record the following
types of data for each of the two identity source documents presented, sign the record, and keep it
on file:

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

–

Document title

–

Document issuing authority

–

Document number

–

Document expiration date (if any)

–

Any other information used to confirm the identity of the Applicant.

The PIV Registrar shall compare the Applicant’s information contained in the PIV Request (e.g.,
full name, date of birth, contact information) with the corresponding information provided by the
Applicant.

The PIV Registrar shall capture a facial image of the Applicant and retain a file copy of the
image. In PIV-II, if an electronic facial image is captured, it shall conform to the facial image
specifications in [SP800-76].

The PIV Registrar shall fingerprint the Applicant, obtaining all the Applicant’s fingerprints as
defined in Section 4.4, and retain a copy. Additionally in PIV-II, two of the Applicant’s
fingerprints shall be collected in an electronic format compliant with Section 4.4.

The PIV Registrar shall initiate a National Agency Check with Inquiries (NACI) on the Applicant
as required by Executive Order 10450 [EO10450]. Appendix C provides further detail on NACI
and National Agency Check (NAC). Any unfavorable results of the investigation shall be
adjudicated to determine the suitability of the Applicant for obtaining a PIV credential.

When all of the above requirements are completed, the PIV Registrar shall notify the Sponsor and
the designated PIV Issuer that the Applicant has been approved for the issuance of a PIV
credential. Conversely, if any of the required steps are unsuccessful, the PIV Registrar shall send
appropriate notifications to the same authorities.

The PIV Registrar shall make available the following information to the PIV Issuer through a
secure process:

–

Applicant’s facial image

–

Copy of the results of the Applicant’s background investigation

–

Other data associated with the Applicant (e.g., employee affiliation).

In PIV-II, the PIV Registrar shall make available the following information to the PIV Digital
Signatory through a secure process:

–

Electronic biometric data for card personalization

–

Other data associated with the Applicant that is required for the generation of signed objects
for card personalization.

The PIV Registrar shall be responsible for maintaining the following:

–

Completed and signed PIV Request

–

Completed and signed SF 85 (or equivalent) form received from the Applicant

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

–

Information related to the identity source documents checked

–

Results of the required background check

–

Copies of the facial image and fingerprints

–

Any other materials used to prove the identity of the Applicant.

All applicable Federal regulations for security, privacy, and records archival shall be followed in the
implementation of the storage and access control mechanisms used to maintain the above data, including
the privacy policies specified in Section 2.3.
A.1.1.3 Identity Proofing and Registration of Current Employees and Contractors
The identity proofing process described in Section A.1.1.2 shall be followed to issue or reissue PIV
credentials to current employees and contractors. However, background checks are not required if the
background check results can be referenced in the application process and verified by the PIV Registrar.
A.1.2 PIV Issuance
The PIV credential issuance process shall meet the functional and security requirements defined below.
Departments and agencies may enhance the issuance process to meet their local constraints and
requirements; however, the resulting process shall meet the requirements below.
+

The PIV Issuer shall confirm the validity of the PIV Request received from the Sponsor, and the
approval notification received from the PIV Registrar. The PIV Issuer shall also confirm that the
approval notification is consistent with the results of the background investigation.

The PIV Issuer shall control the creation and personalization of a new PIV credential using the
information provided by the PIV Registrar. In PIV-II, the PIV Issuer shall initiate the creation of
a CHUID for the new PIV credential. This CHUID shall be made available to the PIV Digital
Signatory through a secure mechanism.

In PIV-II, the Digital Signatory shall create digitally signed credential elements (biometric and
CHUID) needed for the card personalization process, using the data supplied by the PIV Registrar
and the newly assigned CHUID. The digitally signed credential elements shall comply with the
relevant specifications in Sections 4.2.2 and 4.4.2. The signed credential elements shall be made
available to the PIV Issuer.

The Applicant shall appear in person to the PIV Issuer (or an authorized delegate) to collect the
PIV credential. Before the newly created PIV credential is given to the Applicant, the PIV Issuer
shall verify that the individual who collects the identity credential is indeed the Applicant through
the following steps:

–

The individual shall present a state or Federal government-issued picture identity source
document. The PIV Issuer (or an authorized delegate) shall validate that the picture and
name on this source document matches the picture and name on the new PIV credential being
personalized. Additionally, the PIV Issuer (or an authorized delegate) shall also validate that
the appearance of the individual matches the picture being printed on the PIV credential.

–

In PIV-II, the PIV Issuer (or their authorized delegate) shall also check that the fingerprint of
the individual matches the biometric credential embedded in the PIV credential.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

In PIV-II, the Applicant may be asked to provide a PIN, or the PIV Issuer may generate a PIN on
their behalf.

The PIV Issuer shall personalize the PIV credential. The personalized PIV credential shall meet
all of the technical and interoperability specifications in Section 4 for compliance with PIV-II
requirements.

In PIV-II, the Applicant may generate cryptographic key pair(s) for the PIV credential and obtain
the corresponding certificates from the PIV Authentication CA at this time. Alternatively, the
Applicant may be supplied a one-time authenticator7 for use in a subsequent certificate request to
the PIV Authentication CA. In the latter case, the Applicant will generate their key pair(s) at a
local workstation8 rather than at the PIV Issuer location.

In PIV-II, the recipient’s name, issuer identity, card number, and possibly PKI certificate
identification information shall be enrolled and registered with back-end data stores that support
the PIV system. Depending on the infrastructure design, the back-end data stores may be
centralized or decentralized.

The PIV Issuer (or an authorized delegate) shall obtain a signature from the Applicant (now PIV
credential holder) attesting to the Applicant’s acceptance of the PIV credential and the related
responsibilities.

When all of the above requirements are completed, the PIV Issuer shall notify the PIV Sponsor
and the designated PIV Registrar signifying that the personalization and issuance process has
been completed. Conversely, if any of the required steps are unsuccessful, the PIV Registrar shall
send appropriate notifications to the same authorities.

The PIV Issuer shall be responsible for maintaining the following:

–

Completed and formally authorized PIV Request

–

The approval notice from the PIV Registrar

–

The name of the PIV credential holder (Applicant)

–

The credential identifier. In PIV-II, this identifier is the Agency Card Serial Number

–

The expiration date of the PIV credential

–

The signed acceptance form from the PIV credential holder

The issuing agency must ensure the necessary PKI management functions are supported and implemented in conformance
with the security policy objectives mandated in [COMMON].
The issuing agency is responsible for the necessary PKI certificate management.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

A.2

System-Based Model

Organizations that possess an automated identity management system may choose to employ the system
based identity proofing, registration and issuance process set. This section is provided by the
Government Smart Card Interagency Advisory Board.
A.2.1

PIV Identity Proofing and Registration

For compliance to the PIV control objectives in Sections 2.2 and 5.2 of this standard, at a minimum,
agencies employing the system-based identity proofing, registration and issuance process set using an
Automated Identity Management System shall follow the identity proofing and registration process
defined in Sections A.2.1- A.2.4 when issuing PIV credentials. Figure A-1, PIV Identity Verification and
Issuance, shows the logical components that comprise a PIV identity proofing and credential issuance
process. This diagram illustrates the minimum mandatory components and roles required to support PIV
control objectives and requirements.

PIV Identity Verification and Issuance
1

Approval
Authority

Employer/
Sponsorship

Identity
Identity Verification
Verification
¾1:n
¾1:nbiometric
biometricsearch
search
¾Confirm
¾Confirmemployment
employment

¾ID
¾IDValidation
Validationthrough
through
standard
standardgovernment
governmentwide
wide
services
services

Employee
Application
Employee
Enrolls

¾Government
¾GovernmentDB’s
DB’s
¾Threat
risk
¾Threat risk

Identity
Management
System (IDMS)

Enrollment

Numbers Indicate Functional Areas of
Responsibility
Green functions manage
Chain of Trust for Identity Verification

7
8

Card Production &
Personalization

Issuer Card Activation
PIV Activated for
Operational Use

Figure A-1. PIV Identity Verification and Issuance

A.2.2

Roles and Responsibilities

The roles associated with the system-based PIV identity proofing, registration and issuance process are
defined below:
+

Applicant—The individual to whom a PIV credential is to be issued. Individuals shall provide
the necessary supporting identity-source documents to prove the claimed identity.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

Employer/Sponsor— The individual who substantiates the relationship to the Applicant and
provides sponsorship to Applicant. The employer/sponsor shall authorize the request for a PIV
credential.

Enrollment Official— The individual who initiates the chain of trust for identity proofing and
provides trusted services to confirm employer sponsorship, bind the Applicant to their biometric,
and validate the identity-source documentation. The Enrollment Official delivers a secured
enrollment package to the IDMS for adjudication.

Approval Authority—The entity that establishes organizational chain of command within the
Identity Management System (IDMS) for PIV application approvals. This includes establishing
approved Employer/Sponsors. May designate automated or manual approval processes for
completed PIV applications. Shall manage the total scope of the chain of trust established in
functional process. Shall manage appropriate privacy and security controls.

Issuing Authority (Issuer) —The entity that issues the PIV credential to the Applicant after all
identity proofing, background checks, and related approvals have been completed.

The issuer shall complete the chain of trust by performing 1:1 biometric check of the applicant against the
PIV enrollment record. Upon confirmation of correct individual, the issuer shall activate the card. The
issuer shall then release the credential to the individual.
Roles are not defined to mandate that a single individual within an organization must fulfill any given
role. All roles and processes may be provided by accredited service providers compliant with this
standard.
The Approval Authority shall practice best practices for separation of roles and responsibilities according
to risk. The Approval Authority shall ensure the system has at least two persons performing different
functions in the chain of trust processes. The principle of separation of duties shall be enforced to ensure
that no single individual has the capability to issue a PIV credential without the participation of another
authorized person. Card production may be accomplished either centrally or at a distributed issuer facility,
provided security and quality control objectives for card stock management are fully met. The Applicant
must appear in-person at least once before the issuance of a PIV card.
The components associated with the PIV identity proofing and issuance are:
+

Identity Management System—The Approval Authority shall maintain the IDMS that shall be the
system of records for PIV credentials issued. It performs the identity proofing, verification and
validation to establish identity claim validity. Shall provide a 1:many search to ensure the
applicant has not enrolled under a different name. Shall confirm employment appropriate to the
PIV request. Shall manage identity validation and verification services through government-wide
standardized services (6) which shall be provided in accordance with HSPD-11. Shall manage
adjudication of identity claim. Shall approve issuance of PIV to applicant upon successful
adjudication of identity claim.

Enrollment System—Initiates the chain of trust for identity proofing. Enrollment shall be
provided trusted services to confirm employer sponsorship, bind the Applicant to their biometric,
and validate identity claim documentation. Enrollment delivers a secured enrollment package to
the IDMS for adjudication.

Card Production and Personalization System—Shall provide full inventory controlled process to
print and personalize PIV credentials per approval of the IDMS. Shall provide mechanisms to

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

track status, control inventory, and protect blank card stock and personalized/printed card stock
prior to activation.
PIV Identity Proofing and Issuance Requirements and Workflow are:
+

Applicant—The individual to whom an identity credential is to be issued. Individual shall
provide supporting enrollment documentation for claimed identity.

Employers/Sponsors—Shall substantiate the relationship to the Applicant and provide
sponsorship of Applicant. Shall authorize the request for a PIV credential.

Approval Authority—Is responsible for and shall manage the total scope of the chain of trust
established in functional process areas 4 through 8 in Figure A-2.

Enrollment—Initiates the chain of trust for identity proofing. Enrollment shall provided trusted
services to confirm employer sponsorship, bind the Applicant to their biometric, and validate
identity claim documentation. Enrollment delivers a secured enrollment package to the IDMS for
adjudication.

Identity Management System—The Approval Authority shall maintain an IDMS that shall be the
system of records for PIV credentials issued by that Approval Authority. The IDMS performs the
identity proofing, verification and validation to establish identity claim validity. Shall provide a
search to ensure the applicant has not enrolled under a different name. Shall confirm employment
appropriate to the PIV request. Shall manage identity validation and verification services through
government-wide standardized services (6) which shall be provided in accordance with HSPD-11.
Shall manage adjudication of identity claim. Shall approve issuance of PIV to applicant upon
successful adjudication of identity claim.

Card Production and Personalization—Shall provide full inventory controlled process to print and
personalize PIV credentials per approval of the IDMS. Shall provide mechanisms to protect
blank card stock, consumable supplies, and personalized/printed card stock prior to activation.

Issuer—The entity that issues the identity credential to the Applicant
after all identity proofing, background checks, and related approvals have been
completed. The issuer shall complete the chain of trust by: performing 1:1 biometric check of
applicant against PIV enrollment record, verifying photograph in enrollment record matches the
individual. Upon confirmation of correct individual, the issuer shall activate the card. Upon
activation, the issuer shall close the chain of trust by having the individual verify their biometrics
against the PIV credential. The issuer shall then release the credential to the individual.

A.2.3

Identity Proofing and Enrollment

All actions taken for approval/denial of requests by all participants in this process shall have an auditable
trail that can support both forensic and system management capabilities. This audit trail shall provide a
critical control component for the chain of trust for PIV issuance and management.
A.2.4

Employer/Sponsor

Employer/Sponsors must be pre-registered in the IDMS. The Approval Authority must establish roles for
Employer/Sponsors. These may be government organizations or contractor organizations. The Approval
Authority shall establish appropriate delegation of authority to Employer/Sponsors to approve PIV
applications of Applicants.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

A.2.5

PIV Application Process

The PIV Application Process has four components:
1. The Applicant request and claimed identity documentation,
2. The Employer/Sponsor approval of Applicant request,
3. The approval authority confirms and approves PIV application, appropriate sponsorship, and shall
approve the PIV request,
4. The enrollment to bind the submissions from (1), (2) and (3) for formal submission to the IDMS
initiating the identity verification and validation process.
The Applicant shall provide a formal request for a PIV.
The Employer/Sponsor shall approve the Applicant request.
Once the Applicant has gained the sponsorship and approval of the Employer, the Applicant shall appear
for Enrollment. The Applicant shall provide a minimum of two forms of identification from the list of
acceptable documents included in the Form 1-9, OMB No. 1115-0136, Employment Eligibility Verification
to the PIV Registration Authority. At least one of the documents shall be a valid State or Federal
Government-issued picture ID.
A.2.6

PIV Enrollment Process

The PIV Enrollment process shall provide the following minimum steps:
1. Applicant shall appear for enrollment with supporting documentation;
2. Enrollment shall inspect and confirm all supporting documents using automated means if
available;
3. Enrollment shall establish that the individual present matches the supporting documents;
4. Enrollment shall confirm Employer/Sponsor approval for PIV; and
5. Enrollment shall scan all supporting documents.
The PIV Binding process shall provide the following minimum steps:
1. Enrollment shall take biometric samples and photograph of the Applicant;
2. Enrollment shall manage the quality assurance process of the biometric and photographic capture.
The biometric samples shall be verified to ensure proper performance; and
3. Enrollment shall bind the completed electronic enrollment package with a digital signature and
forward the enrollment application to the IDMS for identity verification and validation.
The completed PIV enrollment package shall include:
+

Scanned documents supporting identity claim;

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

Biometric samples and digital photograph;

Personal biographic and organizational information; and

Digital signature of Enrollment Official.

A.2.7

Identity Verification Process

The IDMS shall receive the completed package for PIV from Enrollment. The IDMS shall verify the
integrity of that package by confirming completeness, accuracy, and digital signatures.
The IDMS shall provide a means to confirm employment and sponsorship as identified in the package.
The IDMS shall perform a 1:many search to assure that the individual identified in the package has not
applied previously under a different name.
The IDMS shall conduct the appropriate identity verification and validation using government-wide
databases and services in accordance with HSPD-11.
The Approval Authority shall provide adjudication of identity claim should any of these three core checks
identify a potential risk.
After successful completion of the appropriate identity verification process, the Approval Authority shall
approve card production for the credential. The Approval Authority may approve issuance of a PIV
credential prior to completion of all core checks for identity verification and validation if these processes
exceed ten days.
The IDMS shall be responsible to maintain:
1. Completed and signed PIV enrollment package;
2. Copies of the identity source documents;
3. Completed and signed background form received from the Applicant;
4. Results of the required background check;
5. Any other materials used to prove the identity of the Applicant;
6. The credential identifier such as an identity credential serial number;
7. The expiration date of the identity credential;
8. Unique minimal identity record for each approved Applicant;
9. Separated database indexed to the minimal identity record containing the original biometric data
captured at enrollment. These data shall be encrypted at rest; and
10. Separated database of biometric data indexed to the minimal identity record supporting AFIS for
1:many identity checking.
The IDMS shall provide services that:
1. Notify the Employee/Contractor Applicant of status of the PIV;

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

2. Notify the Employer of status of the PIV; and
3. Enable validation by anyone inquiring if an issued credential is still valid.
The IDMS shall provide complete personalization and printing information for card production for all
approved PIV credentials as required by the supporting card production facility’s requirements. This
information shall be provided to enable the full chain of trust between the individual, the issuer, the
identity verification performed, the credential and the biometric.
A.2.8

Card Production, Activation and Issuance

Card production may be performed either centrally or in a distributed location. The IDMS shall track the
status of a PIV credential throughout its life cycle, from initial production request, personalization and
printing, activation and issuance, suspension, revocation and destruction.
Card production services shall—
1. Maintain full inventory control of blank initialized or pre-issued (e.g. with the manufacturers
keys) stock, consumables and manufacturing materials;
2. Maintain a list of approved IDMS systems that can submit PIV requests for card production,
3. Provide acknowledgement of IDMS request to produce a PIV;
4. Notify the IDMS upon completion of PIV credential production;
5. Maintain a list of approved Issuers that can activate and issue PIV credentials;
6. Only send information regarding production of PIV credentials to approved authorities;
7. Only send fully completed and personalized PIV credentials to approved Issuing Agents; and
8. Document, implement, and maintain a Card Production, Activation and Issuance Security Policy.
At time of activation, the Issuer shall establish that the individual seeking to activate their PIV credential
is the individual who applied for the PIV with a 1:1 biometric verification to the IDMS. Once confirmed,
the Issuer shall activate the credential.
A.2.9

Suspension, Revocation and Destruction

It is important to keep track of active cards as well as lost, stolen and expired cards. A card registry for all
cards issued shall be established and maintained.
A.2.10

Re-issuance to Current PIV Credential Holders

When issuing or re-issuing identity credentials to current employees, the Issuing Authority shall—
1. Insure the IDMS record for this individual states the credential is not expired;
2. Verify the individual with a 1:1 biometric match against the IDMS record;
3. Verify the individual against the IDMS record digital photograph;
4. Recapture biometrics;

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

5. Issue a new credential and update the IDMS record; and
6. The recaptured biometrics and new credential record shall be digitally signed by the Issuing
Authority.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

Appendix B—PIV Validation, Certification, and Accreditation
B.1

Accreditation of PIV Service Providers

[HSPD-12] requires that all cards be issued by providers whose reliability has been established by an
official accreditation process. Funding permitting, NIST will establish detailed criteria that PIV Card
issues must meet for accreditation. Additionally, NIST will (again, funding permitting) establish a
government-wide program to accredit official issuers of PIV Cards against these accreditation criteria.
Until such time as these are completed, agencies must self-certify their own issuers of PIV Cards.

B.2

Security Certification and Accreditation of IT System(s)

In order to accomplish the accreditation of PIV service providers as described above, and to be compliant
with the provisions of OMB Circular A-130, App. III, the IT system(s) used by PIV service providers
must also be certified in accordance with NIST SP 800-37, Guide for the Security Certification and
Accreditation of Federal Information Systems. Security certification is a comprehensive assessment of
the management, operational, and technical security controls in an information system. NIST SP 800-37
provides a formal framework for certification, along with specific requirements for validating and
obtaining certificates for the PIV modules described below. [SP800-37]

B.3

Conformance of PIV Components to this Standard

NIST plans to develop a PIV validation program that will test implementations for conformance with this
standard. Note that the following is not requirements until NIST establishes a program. Information on
this program will be published at http://csrc.nist.gov/npivp as it becomes available.
A PIV system is FIPS 201-compliant after each of its constituent components (card, reader, issuer
software, and registration database) has met its individual validation requirements. Because these
individual validation requirements are based on different standards and no single test laboratory is
accredited for validating products built to all these standards, a PIV system has to undergo testing and
consequent validation through multiple validation facilities. The PIV components and currently available
validation requirements are summarized in Table B-1.

Table B-1. PIV System Components and Validation Requirements
PIV Component

B.4

Validation Requirement(s)

PIV ICC

ISO/IEC 7816, ISO/IEC 10373 (Parts 1 and 3)
ISO/IEC 14443 (Parts 1-4), ISO/IEC 10373 (Part 6)
Crypto Modules—FIPS 140-2

PIV Reader
Card Issuance and Maintenance System

PC/SC
Crypto Modules—FIPS 140-2

Cryptographic Testing and Validation (FIPS 140-2 and algorithm standards)

All the cryptographic modules in the PIV system (both on-card and issuer software) shall be validated to
FIPS 140-2 with an overall Security Level 2 (or higher). [FIPS140-2] The facilities for FIPS 140-2
testing are the Cryptographic Module Testing (CMT) laboratories accredited by the National Voluntary
Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) program of NIST. Vendors wanting to supply

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

cryptographic modules for the PIV system can select any of the accredited laboratories. The tests
conducted by these laboratories for all vendor submissions are validated and a validation certificate for
each vendor module is issued by the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP), a joint program
run by NIST and Communications Security Establishment (CSE) of the Government of Canada. The
details of the CMVP and NVLAP programs and the list of CMT laboratories can be found at the CMVP
Web site at http://csrc.ncsl.nist.gov/cryptval.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

Appendix C—Background Check Descriptions
The following describes the details of a National Agency Check (NAC) and a National Agency Check
with Inquiries (NACI).
+

NAC. The NAC is part of every NACI. Standard NACs are Security/Suitability Investigations Index
(SII), Defense Clearance and Investigation Index (DCII), FBI Name Check, and FBI National
Criminal History Fingerprint Check.

NACI. The basic and minimum investigation required on all new Federal employees consisting of a
NAC with written inquiries and searches of records covering specific areas of an individual’s
background during the past five years (inquiries sent to current and past employers, schools attended,
references, and local law enforcement authorities). Coverage includes:

–

Employment, 5 years

–

Education, 5 years and highest degree verified

–

Residence, 3 years

–

References

–

Law Enforcement, 5 years

–

NACs

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

Appendix D—PIV Object Identifiers and Certificate Extension
D.1

PIV Object Identifiers

Table D-1 lists details for PIV object identifiers.
Table D-1. PIV Object Identifiers
ID

Object Identifier

Description

PIV eContent Types
id-PIV-CHUIDSecurityObject

2.16.840.1.101.3.6.1

The associated content is the concatenated contents
of the CHUID, excluding the authentication key map
and the asymmetric signature field.

id-PIV-biometricObject

2.16.840.1.101.3.6.2

The associated content is the concatenated
CBEFF_HEADER + STD_BIOMETRIC_RECORD.

pivCardholder-Name

2.16.840.1.101.3.6.3

The attribute value is of type DirectoryString and
specifies the PIV cardholder’s name.

pivCardholder-DN

2.16.840.1.101.3.6.4

The attribute value is an X.501 type Name and
specifies the DN associated with the PIV cardholder
in the PIV certificate(s).

pivSigner-DN

2.16.840.1.101.3.6.5

The attribute value is an X.501 type Name and
specifies the subject name that appears in the PKI
certificate for the entity that signed the biometric or
CHUID.

pivFASC-N

2.16.840.1.101.3.6.6

The pivFASC-N OID may appear as a name type in
the otherName field of the subjectAltName extension
of X.509 certificates or a signed attribute in CMS
external signatures. Where used as a name type,
the syntax is OCTET STRING. Where used as an
attribute, the attribute value is of type OCTET
STRING. In each case, the value specifies the
FASC-N of the PIV card.

id-PIV-content-signing

2.16.840.1.101.3.6.7

This specifies that the public key may be used to
verify signatures on PIV CHUIDs and PIV
biometrics.

id-PIV-cardAuth

2.16.840.1.101.3.6.8

This specifies that the public key is used to
authenticate the PIV card rather than the PIV
cardholder.

PIV Attributes

PIV Extended Key Usage

D.2

PIV Certificate Extension

The PIV NACI indicator extension indicates the status of the subject’s background investigation at the
time of credential issuance. The PIV NACI indicator extension is always non-critical, and SHALL
appear in all PIV authentication certificates. The value of this extension is asserted as follows:
+

TRUE if, at the time of credential issuance, (1) the FBI National Criminal History Fingerprint
Check has completed successfully, and (2) a NACI has been initiated but has not completed.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

FALSE if, at the time of credential issuance, the subject’s NACI has been completed and
successfully adjudicated.

Note that PIV authentication certificates MUST NOT be issued to a subject if —
+

a NACI has been completed unsuccessfully;

the FBI National Criminal History Fingerprint Check has not completed; or

a NACI has not yet been initiated.

The PIV NACI indicator extension is identified by the id-piv-NACI object identifier. The syntax for this
extension is defined by the following ASN.1 module. See an important change notice at the end of this
document.
PIV_Cert_Extensions { 2 16 840 1 101 3 6 10 1

}

DEFINITIONS EXPLICIT TAGS ::=
BEGIN
-- EXPORTS ALL --- IMPORTS NONE -id-piv-NACI

OBJECT IDENTIFIER

::= { 2 16 840 1 101 3 6 9 1 }

NACI_indicator ::= BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE
END

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

Appendix E—Physical Access Control Mechanisms
The Government Smart Card Interagency Advisory Board’s Physical Security Interagency
Interoperability Working Group publication Technical Implementation Guidance: Smart Card Enabled
Physical Access Control Systems (PACS) provides guidance on physical access for various assurance
profiles. Table C-1 describes the relationship between the PACS assurance levels and the PIV identity
authentication levels defined in Section 6.1.

Table E-1. PIV Support of PACS Assurance Profiles
PACS Assurance Profile

PIV Identity Authentication Assurance Levels

PACS Low

SOME confidence

PACS Medium

SOME confidence

PACS High (without PIN)

SOME confidence

PACS High (with PIN)

VERY HIGH confidence

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

Appendix F—Glossary of Terms, Acronyms, and Notations
F.1

Glossary of Terms

The following terms are used throughout this standard.
Access Control: The process of granting or denying specific requests: 1) obtain and use information and
related information processing services; and 2) enter specific physical facilities (e.g., Federal buildings,
military establishments, border crossing entrances).
Applicant: An individual applying for a PIV Card/credential. The Applicant may be a current or
prospective Federal hire, a Federal employee, or a contractor.
Application: A hardware/software system implemented to satisfy a particular set of requirements. In
this context, an application incorporates a system used to satisfy a subset of requirements related to the
verification or identification of an end user’s identity so that the end user’s identifier can be used to
facilitate the end user’s interaction with the system.
Approved: FIPS approved or NIST recommended. An algorithm or technique that is either (1) specified
in a FIPS or a NIST recommendation or (2) adopted in a FIPS or NIST recommendation.
Architecture: A highly structured specification of an acceptable approach within a framework for
solving a specific problem. An architecture contains descriptions of all the components of a selected,
acceptable solution while allowing certain details of specific components to be variable to satisfy related
constraints (e.g., costs, local environment, user acceptability).
Asymmetric Keys: Two related keys, a public key and a private key, that are used to perform
complementary operations, such as encryption and decryption or signature generation and signature
verification.
Authentication: The process of establishing confidence of authenticity; in this case, in the validity of a
person’s identity and the PIV Card.
Biometric: A measurable, physical characteristic or personal behavioral trait used to recognize the
identity, or verify the claimed identity, of an Applicant. Facial images, fingerprints, and iriscan samples
are all examples of biometrics.
Biometric Information: The stored electronic information pertaining to a biometric. This information
can be in terms of raw or compressed pixels or in terms of some characteristic (e.g., patterns).
Biometric System: An automated system capable of the following:
+

Capturing a biometric sample from an end user

Extracting biometric data from that sample

Comparing the extracted biometric data with data contained in one or more references

Deciding how well they match

Indicating whether or not an identification or verification of identity has been achieved.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

Capture: The method of taking a biometric sample from an end user. [INCITS/M1-040211]
Cardholder: An individual possessing an issued PIV Card.
Certificate Revocation List: A list of revoked public key certificates created and digitally signed by a
Certification Authority. [RFC 3280]
Certification: The process of verifying the correctness of a statement or claim and issuing a certificate as
to its correctness.
Certification Authority: A trusted entity that issues and revokes public key certificates.
Claimant: A party whose identity is to be verified using an authentication protocol.
Comparison: The process of comparing a biometric with a previously stored reference. See also
“Identification” and “Identity Verification”. [INCITS/M1-040211]
Component: An element of a large system, such as an identity card, PIV Issuer, PIV Registrar, card
reader, or identity verification support, within the PIV system.
Conformance Testing: A process established by NIST within its responsibilities of developing,
promulgating, and supporting FIPS for testing specific characteristics of components, products, and
services, as well as people and organizations for compliance with a FIPS.
Credential: Evidence attesting to one’s right to credit or authority; in this standard, it is the PIV Card
and data elements associated with an individual that authoritatively binds an identity (and, optionally,
additional attributes) to that individual.
Cryptographic Key (Key): A parameter used in conjunction with a cryptographic algorithm that
determines the specific operation of that algorithm.
Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS): A standard for adoption and use by Federal
departments and agencies that has been developed within the Information Technology Laboratory and
published by NIST, a part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. A FIPS covers some topic in
information technology to achieve a common level of quality or some level of interoperability.
Framework: A structured description of a topic of interest, including a detailed statement of the
problem(s) to be solved and the goal(s) to be achieved. An annotated outline of all the issues that must be
addressed while developing acceptable solutions to the problem(s). A description and analysis of the
constraints that must be satisfied by an acceptable solution and detailed specifications of acceptable
approaches to solving the problems(s).
Graduated Security: A security system that provides several levels (e.g., low, moderate, high) of
protection based on threats, risks, available technology, support services, time, human concerns, and
economics.
Hash-Based Message Authentication Code (HMAC): A message authentication code that uses a
cryptographic key in conjunction with a hash function.
Hash Function: A function that maps a bit string of arbitrary length to a fixed length bit string.
Approved hash functions satisfy the following properties:

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

1. One-Way. It is computationally infeasible to find any input that maps to any pre-specified
output.
2. Collision Resistant. It is computationally infeasible to find any two distinct inputs that map to
the same output.
Identification: The process of discovering the true identity (i.e., origin, initial history) of a person or
item from the entire collection of similar persons or items.
Identifier: Unique data used to represent a person’s identity and associated attributes. A name or a card
number are examples of identifiers.
Identity: The set of physical and behavioral characteristics by which an individual is uniquely
recognizable.
Identity Binding – Binding of the vetted claimed identity to the individual (through biometrics)
according to the issuing authority. Represented by an identity assertion from the issuer that is carried by a
PIV credential.
Identity Management System (IDMS) – Identity management system comprised of one or more
systems or applications that manages the identity verification, validation and issuance process.
Identity Proofing: The process of providing sufficient information (e.g., identity history, credentials,
documents) to a PIV Registrar when attempting to establish an identity.
Identity Registration: The process of making a person’s identity known to the PIV system, associating a
unique identifier with that identity, and collecting and recording the person’s relevant attributes into the
system.
Identity Verification: The process of confirming or denying that a claimed identity is correct by
comparing the credentials (something you know, something you have, something you are) of a person
requesting access with those previously proven and stored in the PIV Card or system and associated with
the identity being claimed.
Information in Identifiable Form (IIF): Any representation of information that permits the identity of
an individual to whom the information applies to be reasonably inferred by either direct or indirect means.
[E-Gov]
Interoperability: For the purposes of this standard, interoperability allows any government facility or
information system, regardless of the PIV Issuer, to verify a cardholder’s identity using the credentials on
the PIV Card.
Issuer: The organization that is issuing the PIV Card to an Applicant. Typically this is an organization
for which the Applicant is working.
JPEG: A standardized image compression function originally established by the Joint Photographic
Experts Group.
Key: See “Cryptographic Key”.
Match/Matching: The process of comparing biometric information against a previously stored biometric
data and scoring the level of similarity.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

Message Authentication Code (MAC): A cryptographic checksum on data that uses a symmetric key to
detect both accidental and intentional modifications of the data.
Model: A very detailed description or scaled representation of one component of a larger system that can
be created, operated, and analyzed to predict actual operational characteristics of the final produced
component.
Off-Card: Refers to data that is not stored within the PIV Card or to a computation that is not performed
by the Integrated Circuit Chip (ICC) of the PIV Card.
On-Card: Refers to data that is stored within the PIV Card or to a computation that is performed by the
Integrated Circuit Chip (ICC) of the PIV Card.
One-to-Many: Synonym for “Identification”. [INCITS/M1-040211]
Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP): An online protocol used to determine the status of a public
key certificate. [RFC 2560]
Personal Identification Number (PIN): A secret that a claimant memorizes and uses to authenticate his
or her identity. PINs are generally only decimal digits.
Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Card: A physical artifact (e.g., identity card, “smart” card) issued
to an individual that contains stored identity credentials (e.g., photograph, cryptographic keys, digitized
fingerprint representation) so that the claimed identity of the cardholder can be verified against the stored
credentials by another person (human readable and verifiable) or an automated process (computer
readable and verifiable).
PIV Issuer: An authorized identity card creator that procures FIPS-approved blank identity cards,
initializes them with appropriate software and data elements for the requested identity verification and
access control application, personalizes the cards with the identity credentials of the authorized subjects,
and delivers the personalized cards to the authorized subjects along with appropriate instructions for
protection and use.
PIV Registrar: An entity that establishes and vouches for the identity of an Applicant to a PIV Issuer.
The PIV Registrar authenticates the Applicant’s identity by checking identity source documents and
identity proofing, and ensures a proper background check has been completed, before the credential is
issued.
PIV Sponsor: An individual who can act on behalf of a department or agency to request a PIV Card for
an Applicant.
Population: The set of users for the application. [INCITS/M1-040211]
Public Key: The public part of an asymmetric key pair that is typically used to verify signatures or
encrypt data.
Public Key Infrastructure (PKI): A support service to the PIV system that provides the cryptographic
keys needed to perform digital signature-based identity verification and to protect communications and
storage of sensitive verification system data within identity cards and the verification system.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

Recommendation: A special publication of the ITL stipulating specific characteristics of technology to
use or procedures to follow to achieve a common level of quality or level of interoperability.
Reference Implementation: An implementation of a FIPS or a recommendation available from
NIST/ITL for demonstrating proof of concept, implementation methods, technology utilization, and
operational feasibility.
Registration: See “Identity Registration”.
Secret Key: A cryptographic key that must be protected from unauthorized disclosure to protect data
encrypted with the key. The use of the term “secret” in this context does not imply a classification level;
rather, the term implies the need to protect the key from disclosure or substitution.
Standard: A published statement on a topic specifying the characteristics, usually measurable, that must
be satisfied or achieved to comply with the standard.
Trustworthiness – Security decision with respect to extended investigations to determine and confirm
qualifications, and suitability to perform specific tasks and responsibilities.
Validation: The process of demonstrating that the system under consideration meets in all respects the
specification of that system. [INCITS/M1-040211]
Verification: See “Identity Verification”.

F.2

Acronyms

The following acronyms and abbreviations are used throughout this standard:
ACL
AES
AIA
AIM
ANSI

Access Control List
Advanced Encryption Standard
Authority Information Access
Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility
American National Standards Institute

CA
CBEFF
CHUID
CIA
CMS
CMT
CMTC
CMVP
COTS
CRL
CSE
CTC
CTE

Certification Authority
Common Biometric Exchange Formats Framework
Cardholder Unique Identifier
Cryptographic Information Application
Cryptographic Message Syntax
Cryptographic Module Testing
Card Management System to the Card
Cryptographic Module Validation Program
Commercial Off-the-Shelf
Certificate Revocation List
Communication Security Establishment
Cardholder to Card
Cardholder to External System

DCII
DN

Defense Clearance and Investigation Index
Distinguished Name

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

dpi
DUNS

Dots Per Inch
Data Universal Numbering System

ECC
ECDH
ECDSA
ERT

Elliptic Curve Cryptography
Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman
Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm
Emergency Response Team

FASC-N
FBCA
FBI
FICC
FIPS
FIPS PUB
FISMA

Federal Agency Smart Credential Number
Federal Bridge Certificate Authority
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Identity Credentialing Committee
Federal Information Processing Standards
FIPS Publication
Federal Information Security Management Act

HMAC
HR
HSPD
HTTP

Hash-Based Message Authentication Code
House of Representatives
Homeland Security Presidential Directive
Hypertext Transfer Protocol

I&A
IAB
ICC
ID
IDMS
IEC
IETF
IIF
INCITS
ISO
IT
ITL

Identification and Authentication
Interagency Advisory Board
Integrated Circuit Chip
Identification
Identity Management System
International Electrotechnical Commission
Internet Engineering Task Force
Information in Identifiable Form
International Committee for Information Technology Standards
International Organization for Standardization
Information Technology
Information Technology Laboratory

JPEG

Joint Photographic Experts Group

LDAP

Lightweight Directory Access Protocol

MAC
MQV

Message Authentication Code
Menezes-Qu-Vanstone

NAC
NACI
NIST
NISTIR
NVLAP

National Agency Check
National Agency Check with Inquiries
National Institute of Standards and Technology
National Institute of Standards and Technology Interagency Report
National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program

OCSP
OID
OMB
OPM

Online Certificate Status Protocol
Object Identifier
Office of Management and Budget
Office of Personnel Management

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

PACS
PC/SC
PDF
PIA
PIN
PIV
PKI
pt

Physical Access Control System
Personal Computer/Smart Card
Portable Data File
Privacy Impact Assessment
Personal Identification Number
Personal Identity Verification
Public Key Infrastructure
Point

RFC
RSA

Request for Comment
Rivest Shamir Adleman

SF
SHA
SII
SP
SSP REP

Standard Form
Secure Hash Algorithm
Security/Suitability Investigations Index
Special Publication
Shared Service Provider Repository Service Requirement

URI

Uniform Resource Identifier

F.3

Notations

The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", "SHOULD",
"SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this standard are to be
interpreted as described in IETF RFC 2119.
Additionally, this standard uses the following typographical conventions in text:
+

Terms (word or concatenated words) in Italics represent ASN.1 data types. For example,
SignedData or SignerInfo are data types defined for digital signatures.

Letters or words in CAPITALS separated with underscore represent CBEFF-compliant data
structures. For example, CBEFF_HEADER is a header field in the CBEFF structure.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

Appendix G—References
[ANSI322] ANSI INCITS 322 Information Technology, Card Durability Test Methods, ANSI, 2002.
[CBEFF] NISTIR 6529-A, Common Biometric Exchange Formats Framework (CBEFF), NIST, 2003.
[COMMON] X.509 Certificate Policy for the U.S. Federal PKI Common Policy Framework, Version 2.0,
November 1, 2004. Available at http://www.cio.gov/ficc/documents/CommonPolicy.pdf.
[E-Gov] E-Government Act of 2002, U.S. Public Law 107-347, 2002.
[EO10450] Executive Order 10450, Security Requirements for Government Employees, April 17, 1953.
Available at http://www.dss.mil/nf/adr/10450/eo10450T.htm.
[FIPS140-2] FIPS Publication 140-2, Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules, NIST, May 25,
2001. Available at http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/fips/fips140-2/fips1402.pdf.
[G155-00] ASTM G155-00, Standard Practice for Operating Xenon Arc Light Apparatus for Exposure of
Non-metallic Materials, Vol. 14.04, ASTM, July 2000.
[G90-98] ASTM G90-98, Standard Practice for Performing Accelerated Outdoor Weathering of Nonmetallic Materials Using Concentrated Natural Sunlight, Vol. 14.04, ASTM, 2003.
[HSPD-12] HSPD 12, Policy for a Common Identification Standard for Federal Employees and
Contractors, August 27, 2004.
[INCITS/M1-040211] ANSI/INCITS M1-040211, Biometric Profile—Interoperability and Data
Interchange—Biometrics-Based Verification and Identification of Transportation Workers, ANSI, April
2004.
[ISO10373] ISO/IEC 10373, Identification Cards—Test Methods. Part 1—Standard for General
Characteristic Test of Identification Cards, ISO, 1998. Part 3—Standard for Integrated Circuit Cards
with Contacts and Related Interface Devices, ISO, 2001. Part 6—Standard for Proximity Card Support
in Identification Cards, ISO, 2001.
[ISO14443] ISO/IEC 14443-1:2000, Identification Cards—Contactless Integrated Circuit(s) Cards—
Proximity Cards, ISO, 2000.
[ISO7810] ISO/IEC 7810:2003, Identification Cards—Physical Characteristics, ISO, 2003.
[ISO7816] ISO/IEC 7816, Identification Cards—Integrated Circuits with Contacts, Parts 1-6, ISO.
[NISTIR7123] NISTIR 7123, Fingerprint Vendor Technology Evaluation 2003: Summary of Results and
Analysis Report, NIST, June 2004.
[OMB322] OMB Memorandum M-03-22, Guidance for Implementing the Privacy Provisions of the EGovernment Act of 2002, OMB, September 26, 2003.
[OMB404] OMB Memorandum M-04-04, E-Authentication Guidance for Federal Agencies, OMB,
December 2003.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

[PACS] PACS v2.2, Technical Implementation Guidance: Smart Card Enabled Physical Access Control
Systems, Version 2.2, The Government Smart Card Interagency Advisory Board’s Physical Security
Interagency Interoperability Working Group, July 27, 2004.
[PCSC] Personal Computer/Smart Card Workgroup Specifications. Available at
http://www.pcscworkgroup.com.
[PRIVACY] Privacy Act of 1974, U.S. Public Law 93-579, 1974.
[PROF] X.509 Certificate and CRL Profile for the Common Policy, Version 1.1, July 8, 2004. Available
at http://www.cio.gov/ficc/documents/CertCRLprofileForCP.pdf.
[RFC2560] RFC 2560, X.509 Internet Public Key Infrastructure Online Certificate Status Protocol
(OCSP), Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), June 1999. Available at
http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2560.txt.
[RFC3280] RFC 3280, Internet X.509 Public Key Infrastructure Certificate and Certificate Revocation
List (CRL) Profile, IETF, April 2002. Available at http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc3280.txt.
[RFC3852] RFC 3852, Cryptographic Message Syntax (CMS), IETF, July 2004. Available at
http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc3852.txt.
[SP800-37] NIST Special Publication 800-37, Guide for the Security Certification and Accreditation of
Federal Information Systems, NIST, May 2004.
[SP800-53] NIST Special Publication 800-53, Recommended Security Controls for Federal Information
Systems, NIST, September 2004 (2PD).
[SP800-63] NIST Special Publication 800-63, Electronic Authentication Guideline, Appendix A, NIST,
June 2004.
[SP800-73] NIST Special Publication 800-73, Integrated Circuit Card for Personal Identity Verification,
NIST, February 2005.
[SP800-76] NIST Special Publication 800-76, Biometric Data Specification for Personal Identity
Verification, NIST, February 2006.
[SP800-78] NIST Special Publication 800-78, Cryptographic Algorithms and Key Sizes for Personal
Identity Verification, NIST, March 2005.
[SSP REP] Shared Service Provider Repository Service Requirements, January 23, 2004. Available at
http://www.cio.gov/ficc/documents/SSPrepositoryRqmts.pdf.

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

FIPS 201-1, PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL
EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS
CHANGE NOTICE 1
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY
Gaithersburg, MD 20899
DATE OF CHANGE: June 23, 2006
Questions regarding this change notice may be directed to piv_comments@nist.gov or to William
MacGregor (william.macgregor@nist.gov, 301-975-8721).
The Homeland Security Presidential Directive HSPD-12 called for a common identification
standard to be adopted governing the interoperable use of identity credentials to allow physical
and logical access to Federal government locations and systems. The Personal Identity
Verification (PIV) of Federal Employees and Contractors, Federal Information Processing
Standard 201 (FIPS 201-1) was developed to establish standards for identity credentials. This
standard specifies the architecture and technical requirements for a common identification
standard for Federal employees and contractors. The overall goal is to achieve appropriate
security assurance for multiple applications by efficiently verifying the claimed identity of
individuals seeking physical access to Federally controlled government facilities and electronic
access to government information systems.
FIPS 201-1 was developed to satisfy the requirements of HSPD 12, approved by the Secretary of
Commerce, and issued on March 2006. This change notice provides changes to the graphics on
the back of the PIV card and the ASN.1 encoding of NACI indicator as follows:
Date

Section, Page

Clarification

6/23/06

4.1.4.2, Pg. 18

Variable placement of Agency Card Serial Number
along the outer edge of the back of the PIV Card is
allowed. Revised Figure 4-6 and Figure 4-8 below
further clarifies the placement of Agency Card
Serial Number.

6/23/06

D.2, Pg. 68

Delete “DEFAULT FALSE” to the ASN.1 module for
the NACI indicator extension and replace
underscores with dashes as follows:
PIV-Cert-Extensions { 2 16 840 1 101 3 6 10 1 }
DEFINITIONS EXPLICIT TAGS ::=
BEGIN
-- EXPORTS ALL --- IMPORTS NONE -Id-piv-NACI OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { 2 16 840 1
101 3 6 9 1 }
NACI-indicator ::= BOOLEAN
END

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

Zone 2 – Issuer
identification number
6pt Arial Bold
Right-justified

Zone 1 – Agency
card serial number
6pt Arial Bold
Left-justified. Variable
placement along the
outer edge is allowed
IAW other FIPS 201
requirements. This
figure provides an
example of possible
placement.
65.5

Figure 4-6. Card Back—Printable Areas and Required Data

PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION (PIV) OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

31.5

37.5

Serial Number

Zone 9 – Agency
specific text
Used instead of zones
6 & 7 (Medical
example shown)

Zone 10 – Agency specific
text
Used instead of zones 4 & 5
(DOB, ID, Geneva example
shown)

Figure 4-8. Card Back—Optional Data Placement—Example 2

File Type	application/pdf
File Title	FIPS 201
Author	Computer Security Division
File Modified	2006-06-26
File Created	2006-06-26