What are the Library Card Requirements?

Question: 
What are the Library Card Requirements?

Card Registration

To be eligible for a Monroe County Public Library card, an adult or minor must appear in person and provide accepted documentation verifying their identity and their Monroe County address. 

 The following documents, if current and valid, will fulfill both of these requirements:

  • Driver's license
  • State ID

If a patron does not have one of the above forms of ID with a current Monroe County address, they must use a combination of accepted documentation to verify identity and address. 

Adults (18 and older)

Must provide name verification AND address verification (one from each list).

If the patron is 18 years old or older and lives in Monroe County, they must provide one item to verify name and one to verify address for the lists below. For residents under 18 years of age, no ID is required; but may be requested for application. (NOTE: If driver's license, state ID or Mexican Consular ID has current address, no second document will be required.)

Name Verification
  • Must provide photo ID for name verification
  • Choose one from the following list:
    • Drivers License
    • Learner's Permit
    • Mexican Consular ID
    • Mexican voter's card
    • Military ID
    • Passport or Passport card
    • State ID
    • Student ID
Address Verification
  • Must be current; expired document will not be accepted
  • PDF versions of these documents will be accepted
  • Choose one from the following list:
    • Bank statement*
    • Bill (credit card, phone, utility, etc.)*
    • Bursar’s statement for campus housing
    • Car registration
    • Fishing or hunting liscence
    • Insurance card
    • Lease Agreement; signed
    • Pay check*
    • Personal mail*
    • Pre-printed checks
    • Property tax statement or receipt
    • State of Indiana Alcohol Server’s permit
    • Statement–signed and on agency letterhead–indicating current participation in a Monroe County social service agency
    • Utility bill for service at Monroe County address; online statement accepted
    • Voter registration card
*Must be post-marked and/or issued within the last 90 days

Minors (0–17 years old)

Must provide name verification AND address verification (one from each list).

Name Verification
  • Choose one from the following list:
    • Birth certificate
    • Drivers License
    • K–12 report card
    • Learner's Permit
    • Mexican Consular ID
    • Mexican voter's card
    • Military ID
    • Passport or Passport card
    • School or student ID (name and photo)
    • Social Security card*
    • State ID
    • Yearbook photo with name (current of previous year)
*Social Security card will be used for the purpose of verification only. Social Security numbers are not included in patron accounts.		Address Verification
  • Must be current; expired document will not be accepted
  • PDF versions of these documents will be accepted
  • Choose one from the following list:
    • Bank statement*
    • Bill (credit card, phone, utility, etc.)*
    • Bursar’s statement for campus housing
    • Car registration
    • Fishing or hunting liscence
    • Insurance card
    • Lease Agreement; signed
    • Pay check*
    • Personal mail*
    • Pre-printed checks
    • Property tax statement or receipt
    • State of Indiana Alcohol Server’s permit
    • Statement–signed and on agency letterhead–indicating current participation in a Monroe County social service agency
    • Utility bill for service at Monroe County address; online statement accepted

*Must be post-marked and/or issued within the last 90 days.

Youth Starter Card

If a minor living in Monroe County cannot meet the name and address verification requirements,

AND is not accompanied by a parent or guardian, he or she may apply for a Youth Starter Card. 

This card allows minors to check out one item at a time as long as the account remains in good standing.  The previous item must be returned before another item can be checked out.

To obtain a Youth Starter Card, the minor must:

  • reside in Monroe County
  • provide full name and birth date
  • provide contact information for the purpose of receiving notifications

The Youth Starter Card may be updated at any time to a regular account once the child meets the identification requirements.

All Others

Please call the Main Library, Circulation at (812) 349-3090 or Ellettsville at (812) 876-1272 for information on library card requirements.

Updated by webczar1 on September 04, 2012
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