An apparatus that authenticates the contents of identification documents provided
by different issuers having machine-readable and/or human readable information
is disclosed. The contents of the identification documents are verified without
encountering any human error. The verified contents of the identification documents
may be used for identification purposes such as age restricted purchases, preordained
organ donors or possible criminal prosecution. The verified contents of the identification
documents may be logged to provide ID checking compliance and/or may be transferred
to a remote computer for additional processing or logging.
