Hotel Registration Card: Required Fields and Digital Options
A hotel registration card is the form a guest fills in and signs at check-in to record who is staying, when and at what rate. It gives the hotel a signed record of the stay, the guest's contact details and their agreement to the rate and house policies. Some US cities and states also require hotels to keep a guest register, so the card does legal work too.
This guide lists the fields a registration card needs and explains the US record rules behind them. It also shows how a digital registration card at online check-in replaces paper and speeds up the registration process.
Key Takeaways
A registration card should capture the guest's name, address, contact details, stay dates, room number, rate, number of guests, payment method and signature.
In the 2015 Patel case, the US Supreme Court reviewed a Los Angeles rule that made hotels keep guest records on site for 90 days.
Florida law requires each transient lodging operator to keep a guest register showing occupancy dates and rates, and it may be kept electronically.
ChargeAutomation can replace the paper card with online check-in that collects ID, a selfie check through Stripe Identity and a legally binding digital signature.
Hotels should confirm current city and state record rules, then build the registration form so every required field is captured before the guest arrives.
What Information Does a Hotel Registration Card Need?
A registration card needs enough detail to identify the guest, prove the agreed terms and meet any local record rules. The core fields are full name, home address, phone number and email. Add arrival and departure dates, room number, room type, number of guests and the nightly rate. Finish with the payment method and the guest's signature.
Many hotels add fields that protect them later. A line confirming the rate, checkout time and house policies, such as no smoking, gives the hotel signed proof if a charge is disputed. ID type and number help where local law asks for them. Vehicle make, model and plate are useful when the hotel offers guest parking.
Some details should never go on the card. PCI rules bar keeping card verification codes once a payment is authorized, so the security code must not be written down. A full card number on a paper form is also a risk, since anyone at the desk can read it. Record the payment method, and keep card data inside a PCI DSS compliant payment system.
A complete hotel registration form usually includes these fields:
Full name, home address, phone and email
Arrival date, departure date and arrival time
Room number, room type and number of guests
Nightly rate and payment method
ID type and number where required
Vehicle make, model and license plate
Agreement to rate, checkout time and house rules
Guest signature and date
Hotel Guest Registration Card Rules: What US Law Asks For
US guest record rules vary by city and state, so the required fields depend on where the hotel operates. Rules abroad differ again, from the UK hotel guest register to Spain's SES.Hospedajes reporting. Two US examples show how wide the range can be.
Florida Statutes section 509.101 requires each operator of a transient establishment to keep a guest register at all times. The register must show the dates guests occupied rental units and the rates charged, in date order. It can be electronic, and it must be open to state inspection at any time. Operators do not have to produce registers older than 2 years.
Los Angeles Municipal Code section 41.49, reviewed by the US Supreme Court in 2015, asked for far more. Hotels had to record each guest's name and address, party size, vehicle details, arrival time, scheduled departure, room number, rate, amount collected and payment method. Walk-in guests, cash payers and stays under 12 hours had to show photo ID, and records stayed on site for 90 days.
In City of Los Angeles versus Patel, the Court struck down the part letting police inspect the register on demand without prior review. It did not question the record keeping itself. Because local codes change, confirm the current rules with your city and state before you design the card.
Depending on location, US record rules can cover:
Guest name and home address
Number of people in the party
Dates of stay and rates charged
Room number and payment method
Vehicle details for on-site parking
Photo ID for walk-ins or cash payers
How long records must be kept
Who may inspect the register
How ChargeAutomation Creates a Digital Hotel Registration Card
ChargeAutomation turns the paper card into a digital registration card that guests complete during online check-in, before they reach the desk. Guests open one link by email, SMS, WhatsApp or QR code, with no app to install. They enter their details, upload an ID or passport and take a live selfie for biometric verification through Stripe Identity. Properties can reach up to 93% online check-in completion.
Custom questions cover the fields your local rules or policies need, such as arrival time, vehicle plate or travel reason. Answers can be pushed back to PMS fields, and ChargeAutomation connects with 50+ PMS platforms, including Cloudbeds, Mews and Opera. Guests then sign a legally binding digital agreement that merges in their name, dates and rate.
The signed record also helps if a stay is disputed, because identity audit trails and digital signatures support chargeback defense. Hotels in Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Bulgaria and Dubai can also send guest data to authorities such as SES.Hospedajes and SIBA automatically. For US hotels, ChargeAutomation collects the data and IDs at online check-in. Launch your online check-in at chargeautomation.com.
ChargeAutomation features that replace the paper registration card include:
Online check-in links by email, SMS, WhatsApp or QR code
ID and passport upload
Live selfie verification through Stripe Identity
Custom questions for local record fields
Legally binding digital signatures with merge fields
Tablet or kiosk mode for walk-in guests
Guest data synced to PMS fields
XLSX and CSV exports of bookings and compliance logs
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a hotel guest registration card?
A hotel guest registration card is the form a guest completes and signs at check-in. It records who is staying, the dates, room, rate and payment method, plus the guest's agreement to hotel policies. Many hotels now collect it digitally during online check-in.
Is a registration card required by law in US hotels?
It depends on the city and state. Florida, for example, requires transient lodging operators to keep a guest register showing occupancy dates and rates. Other places set their own rules, so check your local code before you choose the fields.
Can a hotel registration form be digital?
Yes, in many places. Florida's statute, for example, lets operators keep the guest register in an electronic format. A digital registration card collected at online check-in can capture the same fields, ID and signature as paper.
Should a hotel registration card include credit card details?
It should record the payment method, but never the card security code. PCI rules bar keeping card verification codes after a payment is authorized. Hotels are safer keeping card data inside a PCI DSS compliant payment system rather than on paper.
How long should hotels keep guest registration cards?
It depends on local law, so confirm the rule with your city and state. Florida operators need not produce registers more than 2 years old. The Los Angeles rule reviewed in 2015 required records on site for 90 days. Keep digital records in a secure system with clear access controls.
