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What does 30 mil mean on an ID card?

Answered by NameBadge.com · Updated August 2026
30 mil means an ID card is 0.030 inches (about 0.76 mm) thick, since one mil equals one thousandth of an inch. It is the industry-standard thickness for durable, credit-card-style ID badges used in slot punches, badge clips, and access readers. Thinner 10 to 20 mil cards flex and wear out faster.
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30 mil means an ID card is 0.030 inches (about 0.76 mm) thick, because one mil equals one thousandth of an inch. It is the industry-standard thickness for durable, credit-card-style ID badges.

Why is 30 mil the standard?

At 30 mil a card is rigid enough to survive daily handling, slot punches, badge reels, and swipe or tap readers without bending. It matches the ISO/IEC 7810 thickness used by credit cards and access credentials, so it fits standard holders, laminators, and card printers.

What about thinner cards?

Thinner 10 to 20 mil cards cost less and suit short-term event or visitor passes, but they flex, crease, and wear out faster, and they cannot be reliably slot-punched at the top edge. For long-term employee IDs, 30 mil is recommended.

NameBadge.com prints durable 30 mil ID cards in full color, made in-house in the USA.

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