The government department did not accept a Hong Kong Identity (HKID) Card copy with hand-written words
The Enquiry
The enquirer added notes on the restrictions on the use of information to his/her HKID Card copy submitted to the government department, so as to protect privacy and prevent misuse of personal data. However, the government department did not accept a HKID Card copy with hand-written words. The enquirer would like to know whether this is reasonable.
Our Response
Concerning the collection and processing of HKID Card copies, data users must comply with the relevant requirements under the Code of Practice on The Identity Card Number and Other Personal Identifiers (the Code).
Data users should adopt measures to ensure the accuracy of the personal data collected. For example, when collecting HKID Card copy from the data subject, the data user should check the copy against the original HKID Card. As a HKID Card copy is an important document, data users are responsible for ensuring the document is authentic, clear and unaltered.
Besides, data users should adopt sufficient security measures to safeguard the HKID Card copies collected. In particular, the Code requires data users to mark the word “copy” on the HKID Card copy. If the HKID Card copy applicable to the above requirement is collected by the data user in the presence of the holder, such marking of “copies” should be made at the time of collection.
Therefore, when deciding whether to accept a HKID Card copy with hand-written words, data users must consider how to ensure the accuracy and security of the information.
(Uploaded in February 2026)