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Argonne National Laboratory

Site Entry Requirements

Identification credentials are required to access the Laboratory

All visitors and users must be pre-authorized by a host and issued a visitor gate pass or user badge prior to entry.

General Guidelines

  • Effective May 3, 2023, a REAL ID compliant identification will be required for individuals 18 years of age or older.
  • Access by foreign nationals (non-U.S. citizens) 16 years of age or older involves an extra step of obtaining approval through the Foreign National Access Program’s (FNAP) FAVOR system. Note that this may add an additional 5-7 days of processing time and plan accordingly.
  • You may be required to upload copies of documents during the registration process. When you arrive at Argonne for the first time and come to the Argonne Welcome Center (AWC), Building 224, to pick up your badge or pass, be prepared to show originals of those documents. 
  • Argonne supports the inclusion of minors (any individual who is under the age of 18 at the time of their visit) in educational opportunities, and certain minors may visit the Laboratory for purposes such as a personal visit; tours hosted by divisions, directorates, or user facilities; educational/outreach visit; or a research-focused visit or a user facility/partnership visit. Minors under sixteen (16) years of age are not required to obtain a visitor gate pass.

Required Identification

Visitors and users must provide a form of unexpired photo identification (except for those under the age of 16). The following is a list of acceptable forms of photo identification:

  • REAL ID compliant driver’s license/state identification card
  • U.S. passport or passport card
  • Foreign government issued passport
  • HSPD-12 PIV/PIV-I card (Note: cardholders must still obtain a gate pass to be admitted to the site)
  • Permanent resident card (I-551)
  • School- or university-issued ID if under the age of 18
  • DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
  • U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
  • Border crossing card
  • State-issued enhanced driver’s license (Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, Washington)
  • Federally recognized, tribal-issued photo ID
  • Canadian provincial driver’s license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
  • Transportation worker identification credential
  • U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
  • U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential
  • Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)

If an individual does not possess one of the above-mentioned identifications, they may present one document from this selection of List B and one document from this selection of List C of the USCIS Form I-9 acceptable documents as detailed below.

USCIS- FORM I-9
LIST B LIST C
Non-compliant State Issued ID/DL Birth Certificate
Voter’s Registration Card Certification of Report of Birth
U.S. Military Card U.S. Citizen ID Card (I-197)
School or University ID (if over 18) ID- Resident Citizen (I-179)
  DHS Employment Authorization
  Social Security Card

For more information on site access for U.S. citizens, contact the AWC at 630-252-5755 or your Laboratory host.

Additional Documentation for Foreign Nationals (non-U.S. citizens)

Foreign national (non-U.S. citizen) visitors and users must also present documentation of their lawful status and if applicable, lawful work authorization. Examples of required documentation for common types of U.S. immigration status include:

  • B-1: visa and I-94 record
  • F-1: visa, I-20 (all pages), if applicable EAD cards
  • H-1: visa and I-797
  • J-1: visa and DS-2019 (all pages)
  • O-1: visa and I-797
  • TN: visa (Mexican citizens only) and I-797 or I-94 record
  • WB (“Visa Waiver - Business”): I-94 record
  • Lawful permanent resident (“green card”): LPR card. If a card extension is pending, original LPR card and I-797 receipt for extension or I-551 stamp in passport

If your immigration status or work authorization documents will expire during the course of your employment or appointment at Argonne, you will be prompted to provide updated documents in advance of that expiration; your host division will facilitate this process.

If you become a U.S. citizen, please contact the FNAP team at fnap_​administrators@​anl.​gov. You will be asked to provide a copy of your evidence of citizenship (U.S. passport, passport card, or Certificate of Naturalization).

Entering Campus

Consult our Directions and Maps page for driving directions to our campus in Lemont, Illinois. For navigating on campus, consult this Campus Map.

When you arrive on campus for the first time, navigate to the Argonne Welcome Center (AWC), Building 224, (right turn before the Security gate on Northgate Road) to obtain your pass or badge. Please allow at least 20 minutes or more for this process.

Hours of operation for the AWC are Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. If you arrive outside of those hours, please drive directly to the security gate and the officer on duty will assist you.

For individuals arriving using a taxi, limo, or rideshare service, note that drivers require a pass to enter campus as well. That pass can be issued on arrival: from the AWC during business hours or from the security gate officer during off-hours. Visitors checking in to the Argonne Guest House can request a shuttle from the AWC to the Guest House between the hours of 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday – Friday.

Note that all vehicles entering or leaving campus are subject to search. Signs posted at all Laboratory entrances specify prohibited articles that cannot be introduced to the site (e.g., firearms, dangerous weapons, destructive devices, explosives/incendiary devices, radioactive sources, open containers of alcoholic beverages, drugs, and pets or other animals).

While You Are Here

While on campus you are required to comply with all Argonne policies and procedures. Please see our Visiting Argonne page for an overview of these requirements. Contact your Argonne host, or contact the AWC at 630-252-5755, if you have any questions about these items.

Gate Pass and Badge Identification
  • All individuals while on Laboratory property are required to wear their gate pass or badge conspicuously, photo side out, in a location above the waist and on the front of the body.
  • Keep the gate pass or badge in good condition and have it replaced if it is damaged or there is a change in your legal name or appearance.
  • Protect the gate pass or badge against loss, theft, or misuse.
  • Report lost or stolen gate passes or badges immediately to the Argonne Protective Force at 630-252-5730.
  • Gate passes or badges should not be altered, photocopied, counterfeited, reproduced, photographed, or posted on the internet.
  • When not on U.S. Department of Energy-owned or leased property, gate passes/badges should be removed or obscured from visual access.
  • For rideshare and carpool drivers, you are required to drive to the worker’s building, drop them off / pick them up and proceed directly to the exit gate. Drivers are prohibited from exiting their vehicle, entering buildings and accessing common areas.