An identification badge is provided for issuance to a transient person requiring temporary access to a facility for a defined period of time. The badge includes a picture of the transient person, an element that encodes machine readable data identifying the transient person, and a designation of a class of transient people, such as a visitor or temporary worker for example. A facility access system that employs the badge has devices for reading the element and using the data obtained thereby to unlock doors or record the arrival and departure of the person. An indicia on the badge visibly changes in appearance after the defined period of time to indicate expiration of the badge.