What is in a SIN, as in, the number itself Options

[Sengir]

Can't let Redjack start all the SIN threads (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

First of all, a few assumptions:

• A SIN is a string of letters and digits, which serves as an index for ID data in one or more databases. All of this usually gets subsumed under "SIN", but in this case "SIN" refers just to the letters and digits
• The SIN also contains some basic ID information itself, to facilitate quick offline checks
• A SIN is supposed to be a unique, life-long thing which is usually assigned at birth. Information subject to change (height, photo...) can be stored in the attached databases, but the SIN itself should remain unchanged
• SINs were introduced in 2036 and have not changed much since then

So given these assumptions, which data could be encoded into a SIN? Here is what I though of so far:

• Date and location of birth: Pretty obvious
• Nationality/issuing authority: Also obvious
• Sex: Probably still "permanent enough", hindrances for transgender individuals depend on issuing authority
• Name: From weddings to initiation rites, in many cultures a good part of the population changes their name at least once
• Race: "How much melanin qualifies as 'black'?"
• Eye/Hair color: Bwahaha. Also difficult to assess on newborns.
• Metatype: Problematic due to goblinisation. On the other hand, lawmakers might just not have cared for those damn trogs (or even liked the idea of them being stuck with the "wrong" SIN)
• A few prominent points of fingerprints; ear shape, retina etc.: Not too precise but easy to check
• DNA: Again maybe half a dozen specific regions which show high diversity; probably provides better identification than biometrics and is unaffected by cyberware, but also more complicated to scan

Comments/More ideas?