What to include on an emergency contact card

The essentials — every card should have these

• Your name and photo. The photo is what ties the card to the person holding it, which matters most for kids, non-verbal adults, and anyone who can't confirm their own identity.
• Two to five emergency contacts, ranked. Name, relationship, and phone number. Relationship matters: a responder treats 'Mother' differently than 'Coworker'. Rank them by who should be called first.
• Blood type. One line, front of card. It's fast context in a trauma situation, and it costs nothing to print.
• Allergies. Especially drug allergies — penicillin, sulfa, latex, NSAIDs — plus anaphylaxis triggers like peanuts or bee stings. If an EpiPen is carried, say where.
• Current medications. Blood thinners, insulin, anticonvulsants, and heart medications change treatment decisions immediately. List drug names, not just conditions.
• Medical conditions. Diabetes, epilepsy, asthma, pacemaker, dementia, autism. These explain behavior that could otherwise be read as intoxication or non-compliance.

Worth adding, depending on who carries it

• Primary physician or clinic. Useful for seniors and anyone with a complex medication list, since the clinic can confirm history a family member may not remember.
• School, daycare, or care facility. For a child's card, the office number is often answered faster than a parent's cell during the workday.
• Preferred hospital or insurance member ID. Speeds up intake, though it should never crowd out medical details.
• Language spoken, or communication notes. 'Non-verbal', 'reads lips', or 'Spanish preferred' prevents a responder from misreading silence.
• Organ donor status or a DNR reference. Note that a card is not a legal directive — it points to a document, it doesn't replace one.

What to leave off

A wallet card can be lost, photographed, or found by someone who isn't trying to help. Assume anything printed on it is public.

• Social Security or driver's license numbers. No responder needs them, and they're the most valuable thing an identity thief could find.
• Your home address. City and state give enough context. A full address plus a photo tells a stranger where you live.
• Sensitive diagnoses that don't change emergency treatment. If it won't alter what a paramedic does in the first ten minutes, it can stay in your medical record instead.
• Passwords, PINs, or bank details. There is no emergency scenario where these belong in a wallet.
• A child's last name, in some cases. Many parents print a first name and photo only, so a stranger can't address the child by name as if they know the family.

How to lay it out so it's readable fast

• Medical block on the front. Blood type, allergies, medications, and conditions each on their own line, in the same order every time.
• Contacts on the back, numbered. Numbering signals call order without anyone having to guess.
• Spell out 'In Case of Emergency'. Not everyone reads 'ICE' as an acronym, and the guess costs seconds.
• High contrast, no small print. Assume dim light, a shaking hand, and no reading glasses.
• Keep it wallet size. Standard CR80 (credit card) size fits a wallet, a backpack pocket, a hydration vest, or a glove box.

Who should carry one

The people who benefit most are the ones least able to speak for themselves in the moment.

• Kids & school →
• Seniors & caregivers →
• Athletes & outdoors →

Common questions

How many emergency contacts should be on a card?

Two to five. One is a single point of failure — if that person doesn't answer, the trail ends. Five is the practical ceiling before the card becomes hard to read at a glance. List them in the order you want them called.

Should I put my full address on the card?

Usually not. A lost wallet with a home address and a photo tells a stranger where you live and that you're not home. City and state are enough context for most situations.

Is a card still useful if I have a phone with Medical ID?

Yes. A phone's medical ID depends on a charged battery, an intact screen, and a responder knowing where to look. A printed card is readable in any condition, including when the phone is locked, dead, or gone.

What should a child's card include that an adult's doesn't?

A parent or guardian's name and number first, the school or daycare office, and the pediatrician. Many parents deliberately omit the child's last name and address and list only a first name plus a photo.