Process for Requesting and Managing Visitor Badges

Overview and History

For many years DOR has used a standard generic visitor badge design for all its divisions and facilities.  While this was more simplistic and easier to create and distribute badges, it often made it harder to track and maintain control of visitor badge issuance and usage.  Many badges were shared among divisions and subsequently lost or misplaced, this made it extremely difficult to determine if badges were still in-use or had been lost and not reported.

Need for Update

DOR Visitor Badge restrictions and requirements are not changing, however, their design and the way they are tracked are being updated. Due to increased security and auditing requirements and compliance directives from the Internal Revenue Service, Colorado Bureau of Investigation and DOR internal auditing processes, it has become necessary to update and revise the DOR Visitor Badge Program.

In order to meet these new compliance requirements and directives, and given past tracking and management difficulties with previous visitor badges, a better system of issuing, tracking and managing visitor badges is needed to ensure accuracy, efficiency and security in our buildings. During and immediately following the COVID-19 Pandemic, visitor badges were rarely used, along with the subsequent closure of several office locations and shifting of staff, many of these visitor badges became lost or unaccounted for.

Redesign and Updated Process

Visitor badges have been redesigned to be identifiable by individual DOR locations.

• Previous versions of visitor badges will no longer be authorized for use and must be returned to FSS or destroyed in accordance with the badge destruction procedures.

• New visitor badges will be assigned to a division and program as well as being facility specific.

• Offices that choose to request visitor badges will designate a badge custodian. This badge custodian will be the one to request visitor badges for their location.

• The badge custodian responsibilities will include requesting new badges, issuing/retrieving badges, maintaining logs, tracking of badges, and the return or destruction of old badges.

• Visitor badges are for single-visit use only and require an employee escort in all areas not open to the general public.

• New visitor badges will be sent to the badge custodian.

• Visitor Badges have a new and distinctive look that is unique to each DOR Office location.

Custodians and Responsibilities

Badge custodians are identified or assigned by the division directors or designee.

Responsibilities include:

• Storing badges in a secure location.

  • Issuing and collecting badges daily, utilizing a check-out and check-in log sheet (for auditing purposes).

  • Reporting lost or stolen badges immediately to FSS.

  • Participating in periodic auditing of badges conducted by FSS for administration and security purposes.

• If the assigned custodian leaves their position, a replacement must be appointed as soon as possible.

• Transition of badge custodians is now part of the employee exiting process.

• Requesting the initial quantity of visitor badges and completing the required badge request form.

Visitor Badge Usage and Limitations

• Visitor Badges should be issued to non-employees, contractors, vendors or any other persons that have not been background checked and are not authorized to be in employee or restricted and secured areas alone.

• Visitor badges do not have any access levels or permissions

• All persons issued a visitor badge must be escorted by an employee whenever in an area not open to the public.

• Visitor badges are for single-visit use only, badges must collected at the conclusion of the visit.

• A log sheet or check-in/check-out log must be kept in case it is requested during an IRS or other agency audit. (Click here to make a copy of the log sheet in your Google Drive in order to edit for your location)

Visitor Badge Request Form

Visitor badges will be requested through a Google Form on the FSS Access Control Intranet page.

• The Badge custodian is the only one allowed to request badges and complete the form

• The Badge custodian must acknowledge they have read and understand the procedures listed on the form (All boxes must be checked)

• A maximum of 10 visitor badges will be allowed for each location

Badge Custodian Acknowledgement Box

Custodian Acknowledgement of Responsibilities.

All Boxes Must Be Checked Or The Request Will Be Denied!

• Visitor badges are for single-visit use only and should be issued to non-employees, contractors, vendors or anyone that has not been background checked and requires an employee escort.

• Visitor badges do not have any access levels or permissions.

• Badge custodian is responsible for storing badges in a secure location.

• Badge custodian shall issue badges per the guidelines and is responsible for collecting the issued badges. (Track with Check-out/Check-in sheet).

• If a badge is lost or stolen, must be reported to FSS immediately.

• Badge custodian agrees to participate in periodic auditing of badges conducted by FSS for administration and security purposes.

Managing Visitor Badges

Badge custodians are responsible for issuing and tracking the use of Visitor Badges.

• Due to periodic IRS and other agency audits, evidence of strict control over access to restricted and secured areas must be kept.

• A check-out and check-in log sheet must be kept and archived, and be available upon request by auditors. (Click here to make a copy of the log sheet in your Google Drive to edit for your location)

• The log should include the name of person receiving badge, date, badge number, check-out time and check-in time.

• Keep badges in a locked drawer or other secure area.

• Conducting regular (daily/weekly) audits to ensure badges are returned.

• Any old visitor badges that are found should be returned to FSS or destroyed.

• Previous visitor badge versions are no longer authorized for use in any buildings.

Contact the Facilities Access Control Office at dor_facilitiesaccessrequest@state.co.us if you have questions about the Visitor Badge Program.