SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
LABORATORY SECURITY CONCERN: How it affects visitors

The following tips are provided in the hope that they will assist both hosts and visitors in making the visit experience to Los Alamos a positive one.

Select a Topic:

Directions

General Visitor Information

Host Responsibilities

The Badge Office

Badging Services

Miscellaneous Requirements

• Indicate estimated driving time from Los Alamos, Santa Fe, or another location where your visitors may be lodging.
  
  
• Provide a map of the route from Albuquerque to Los Alamos.
  
  
• Most visitors need to make their first stop the Badge Office: provide clear directions (blue and white directional signs to the Badge Office appear on State Highways 502, 4, and 501 (the "Truck Route").

• Provide the Web address for current local weather information
  
  
• Provide a copy of the LANL Visitor Guide brochure or suggest your visitors check the Laboratory's Visitor Web page.

• Make sure your visitors have specific information on how to contact you (telephone, pager numbers, etc.) before they arrive and where/when they are to meet you, if it is not at the Badge Office, or how to proceed to the event they will be attending, once badged, etc.
  
  
• Ensure that any required paperwork, approvals, etc., for the visit have been submitted and obtained in advance - if not, the visitor is likely to be substantially delayed, to the dissatisfaction of all concerned.

• The Badge Office is open 7:15 - 4:30, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and 7:15 - 3:30, Tuesday and Friday.  In very unusual situations, after hours arrangements can be made.
  
  
• If your visitor needs to stop first at the Badge Office, the waiting time, assuming any necessary prior arrangements are in place, generally varies from 5 to 15 minutes.

• Make sure a Laboratory visitor comes to the Badge Office with valid photo identification if the visitor needs to be badged.
  
  
• All U.S. visitors coming for a classified visit and all uncleared foreign nationals must be badged. Visitors coming for a classified visit, if visiting for 10 days or less, may receive a non-photo visitor badge; all uncleared foreign nationals and those cleared visitors who will receive a photo badge must have their photograph taken but upon arrival.
  
  
• Unclassified visits by U.S. citizens do not require badging if certain conditions are met.
  
  
• Non-photo badges and photo badges based on a digital photo provided prior to the visit by the visitor's organization can be printed in advance, ready for issuance to the visitor upon arrival.
  
  
• Visitors from other DOE sites who have a valid DOE Standard badge from their site can be enrolled into the Laboratory's security area automated access control system for up to one year (or the expiration date on the badge, whichever comes first).  Such visitors will first have their clearance verified.  The badgeholder's badge must be in good physical condition (no cracks, significant peeling, damaged magnetic stripe).  The enrollment process involves data entry into the badging system and capturing the visitor's hand geometry template.  Allow at least 10 minutes, possibly longer if the visitor is part of a large group. NOTE: Enrollment into property protection badge readers (e.g., at the Research Library) is handled by CCN-4, not by the Badge Office. Consult the procedures if such enrollment is needed.

• If applicable, make sure your visitor is aware of the Laboratory's policy on prohibited and controlled articles and do not bring any controlled articles into security areas without prior approval.
  
  
• The Badge Office does not hold personal property of visitors (e.g., laptop computers, cellular telephones) while visiting the Laboratory. Personal items should be left in the visitor's hotel room, vehicle, or other arrangements should be made with the host/sponsor.
  
  
• Laboratory policy is that visitors who spend more than 10 days (consecutively or cumulatively) must take VGET (Visitor General Employee Training).