All current students, employees, and eligible affiliates are required to obtain a Cal 1 Card.
How do I obtain a Cal 1 Card?
Cal 1 Card issuance for all patrons requires the provision of a valid government-issued photo identification card (e.g. driver license, passport, etc.) as well as confirmation of the corresponding student, employee, or affiliate identification number.
Cal 1 Card photos must be submitted online (
learn how to submit your photo online).
Incoming degree-seeking undergraduate students starting in the Fall and living in residential housing will receive their initial Cal 1 Card at the corresponding housing location on move-in day as long as a compliant photo was submitted online.
Incoming degree-seeking undergraduate students starting in the Fall and
not living in residential housing will receive their initial Cal 1 Card at the designated Golden Bear Orientation distribution location as long as a compliant photo was submitted online.
Incoming degree-seeking undergraduate students starting early in Summer Sessions and living in residential housing will also receive their initial Cal 1 Card at the corresponding housing location on move-in day as long as a compliant photo was submitted online.
Incoming non-degree-seeking visiting Summer Sessions students living in residential housing will receive their initial Cal 1 Card at the corresponding housing location on move-in day as long as a compliant photo was submitted online.
Incoming degree-seeking graduate students in programs with pre-approved remote distribution authorizations will receive their Cal 1 Card from their program coordinators. The coordinators in the corresponding units will communicate this process directly to the applicable student cohorts.
Students in all other cohorts as well as employees and eligible affiliates
must visit the Cal 1 Card office in person to receive a Cal 1 Card. The office is located at 212 Sproul Hall. The office is open Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m (excluding
administrative holidays).
For cross-registered students
Issuance of Cal 1 Cards to cross-registered students is based on approval from the Office of the Registrar. All other requirements are the same.
For UC Extension concurrent enrollment students
Issuance of Cal 1 Cards to UC Extension concurrent enrollment students is based on approval from UC Extension. International concurrent enrollment students who have
uploaded their photo will receive their IDs at orientation. All other concurrent enrollment students will need to go to the Cal1Card office.
For Employees and Affiliates (excluding Visiting Scholars and Visiting Student Researchers)
Issuance of Cal 1 Cards to employees and Affiliates (excluding Visiting Scholars and Visiting Student Researchers) is based on approval from Human Resources (HR). HR approval is contingent on compliance with applicable HR requirements. After compliance with these requirements, HR will create / update a record with an appointment start date. Cal 1 Card eligibility will almost always begin on 2 - 3 days after HR creates / updates the corresponding record; the only exception will be when the applicable appointment start date happens to be in the future on that date. All other requirements are the same.
For Visiting Scholars and Visiting Student Researchers
Issuance of Cal 1 Cards to visiting scholars and visiting student researchers is based on approval from Human Resources (HR) and the Visiting Scholar and Postdoc Affairs (VSPA) program.
HR approval is contingent on compliance with applicable HR requirements. After compliance with these requirements, HR will create / update a record with an appointment start date. Cal 1 Card eligibility will almost always begin on the day after HR creates / updates the corresponding record; the only exception will be when the applicable appointment start date happens to be in the future on that date.
VSPA approval is contingent on payment of the University Services Fee and acceptance of the Patent Acknowledgement prior to the release of the Cal 1 Card. After compliance with these two requirements, VSPA will process the payment and Cal 1 Card eligibility begins on the day after VSPA processes the payment. All other requirements are the same. For more information, visit the
VSPA Program.