There is another way to accomplish this without the requirement to send in ID, which in the age of ID theft may seem too risky for most folks. PADI has a Dive Check and Pro Check features on the PADI PROs web-site. While you do have to be an active PADI Pro to use the sight, every PADI diver and Pro can be verified there. NAUI and SSI have similar features and the others may as well. That covers most of us. Then all you need is name and dob, or diver number.