Faculty

All faculty are eligible to have a PennCard. There is no charge for your initial PennCard or renewal if it expires; other fees may apply for replacement cards. Please note: In many cases, you may have to wait one business day after you start your employment.

You may apply for your first PennCard online and then make an appointment to pick up your card at the PennCard office.

Important Note

Your PennCard is used to access buildings and spaces, for campus payments, and identification. It is University property and should receive the same care as your housekeys, your credit card, and government-issued ID card.

Important: You must produce a valid Passport or a valid photo ID issued by a U.S. state, territory, or the U.S. Federal Government to receive your first PennCard.

You must bring one of the following to the PennCard office:

  • A valid passport.
  • A valid photo ID issued by a U.S. state, territory, or the U.S. Federal Government (examples: driver's license, state-issued photo ID card, U.S. military ID)

No other documentation can be accepted other than those above. Unacceptable documents include, but are not limited to:

  • Reproductions or photographs of documents;
  • Expired or otherwise invalid documents;
  • Identification cards issued outside of the United States and its territories;
  • International driving licenses;
  • Voting registration cards;
  • Visas or other immigration documents;
  • Photo identification from another educational institution.
Adjunct and Visiting Faculty

Adjunct and Visiting faculty must be sponsored by their School/Center/Department in order to receive a PennCard. The sponsoring department must first complete a PennCard Request Form.  Please consult the Guest Page for additional details. 

Retired Faculty

All retired faculty members of the University of Pennsylvania are eligible for a PennCard. A PennCard Request form is not needed.

There is no charge for your initial PennCard or renewal when it expires after five years; other fees may apply for lost/stolen or damaged replacement cards.

To obtain a Retired Faculty PennCard, come to the PennCard Center at least one day after the date you officially retire.

Note on Building Access

It can take up to two (2) hours for building access privileges to become available again after receiving a new PennCard. This applies for most campus buildings.

If you previously had access to Perelman School of Medicine buildings and recently received a new or renewed PennCard, you must contact PSOM Security to have your access restored. Visit 109 Stellar-Chance Laboratories or call 215.898.0196. You must contact this office to renew your access each time you receive a new PennCard.

Preferred Name

To receive a PennCard with a preferred name, you must first contact your HR partner for assistance with changing your preferred name in Penn's systems of record. Once your preferred name is on file, you can trade in your PennCard for one with your new name at no charge.