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.