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Oxford ID Card

Hi, this is my first post (and I guess I should be apologetic that it's so self-serving!), I was wondering if someone already at Oxford could tell me whether the ID card we'll be getting in October as freshers is accepted as proof of age for pubs and clubs round Oxford. I look really young for my actual age (18) and I always get IDed as a result. Not having a driver's licence etc. (and not being keen on the idea of carrying my passport round on a night out), I was hoping that the Uni card would save me from having to get one made up specially.

Thanks for any help you can give me!

Reply 1

D-503

1

Yeah I'm sure that would be fine, might not work in your home city though because student cards from non-local unis can easily be faked. Why don't you apply for a Provisional licence? You don't have to do anything with regards to driving (if you choose not to learn at all) and everywhere takes it.

Reply 2

shinyhappy

14

The 'Bod Card' was accepted last year, although we did get an email from Rock Oxford (the organisers of several of the club nights around the city) at the end of last year, advising that we carried alternative ID because the police were cracking down on underage drinking -hence IDing in the future would be more strict. I don't know whether this will really be the case, but I think it's probably a good idea to apply for a provisional licence - as Pechorin said.

Reply 3

hobnob

14

Your bod card doesn't actually state your age, though. Seeing as Oxford accepts students who are younger than 18, I wouldn't be so sure it'll be recognised as proof everywhere.

Reply 4

WestEndGal

OP

Thanks all for your help! How exactly would one go about getting a provisional license - I presumed they were for people who were in the process of learning to drive (something I don't plan to do for a long time, if at all).

Reply 5

caustic87

3

WestEndGal

Thanks all for your help! How exactly would one go about getting a provisional license - I presumed they were for people who were in the process of learning to drive (something I don't plan to do for a long time, if at all).

You get the forms at the Post Office. You have to have one before you start learning to drive, and anyone who is of the age to do so can apply for one. I would say it's a good idea - most larger clubs just want Bod Cards, as they run student nights, but some of the pubs and smaller places want actual ID ie. with your date of birth on.

Reply 6

Jahmez23

WestEndGal

Thanks all for your help! How exactly would one go about getting a provisional license - I presumed they were for people who were in the process of learning to drive (something I don't plan to do for a long time, if at all).

I think you can probably do it online, if not visit your local post-office - they'll have a form to fill in. (it's a government thing, so it'll be one of those nice long ones that asks you about the dietry habbits of your pets, and the colour of your jumpers for no apparent reason, over 45 pages)

Reply 7

heliotrope

1

generally, yes. but sometimes they ask for real id. but then again, i pretty much only got id'd in clubs, asking for student id. pubs and shops dont seem to so much, so go figure.

but basically, get a driving licence anyway. you really do need id, because sometimes you will get id'd and it will suck not to have it.

Reply 8

thomasjtl

9

you get a form from the post office- you probably won't find one online, since you need a photo for it and the form has a cool sticky window on it and stuff. You'll need to get your local vicar/doctor/librarian to sign the back of it for you, too.

Reply 9

Quistis

Yes, do get a provisional driving licence - it will save you a lot of hassle. I am 20 but am often mistaken for somebody aged 16/17, so I feel your pain. I didn't tend to get IDed in pubs and bars, but in supermarkets the staff are told to ID anyone who looks under 21, so I had trouble - I hate carrying my passport around with me, for both convenience and security reasons, but didn't have a provisional licence until this summer. I wish I'd got one two years ago and saved myself a lot of hassle and embarrassment. They cost, I think, £45, but they last for ten years so it'll be fine for learning to drive as long as you pass your test before you're 28!

Reply 10

LatinMachine

1

I love my Bod Card. I want to keep it when I leave and have it framed. It's possibly my most valued possession. Rivalled only by my final acceptance letter maybe...

Reply 11

Onemandisaster

As a barman both in and out of oxford, I can tell you that any reputable establishment will not accept anything other than a valid current government ID, basically either passport or driving license.

Occasionally you can win people over by flashing a uni id card, but I wouldnt get my hopes up.

Reply 12

F1 fanatic

16

hobnob

Your bod card doesn't actually state your age, though. Seeing as Oxford accepts students who are younger than 18, I wouldn't be so sure it'll be recognised as proof everywhere.

yes exactly, I've tried it before and it didn't work. Provisional license is the way forward, I didn't have one to begin with and it made things very difficult in having to carry a passport round with me

Reply 13

WestEndGal

OP

OK, thanks to everyone enormously for your help - looks like I'll have to get one of those provisional licenses asap. Now if only the govt hadn't closed my local post office down!

Reply 14

thomasjtl

9

it wasn't the government, it was the royal mail who closed it. And only because not enough people were using it.

Oxford ID Card

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