DEF CON 13 Human Badge
A DEF CON 13 human badge documented by a public-domain Wikimedia Commons original photo and an official pre-conference DEF CON forum note that the 2005 badges were ready before registration.
DEF CON
DEF CON 13
The July 29-31, 2005 DEF CON edition represented here by a public-domain photographed human badge from the final pre-electronic-badge era.
Alexis Park Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada · United States · 2005
Lifecycle
Add-ons & Upgrades
Operational history
Issues & Camp Impact
The DEF CON 13 image uses Prosavage2600's Wikimedia Commons public-domain photograph of a DEF CON 13 badge.
The entry has a real rights-cleared documentary photo without introducing generated, placeholder, or uncleared imagery.
DEF CON 13 is modeled as a non-electronic human identity badge because the public source trail proves a physical badge but places DEF CON's first electronic badge at DEF CON 14 in 2006.
The compendium preserves the pre-electronic artifact without inventing LEDs, firmware, microcontrollers, or a badge challenge for 2005.
Resources
Badgelife history
article · VICE/Motherboard history placing the first DEF CON electronic badge at DEF CON 14 in 2006, supporting DEF CON 13's conservative non-electronic classification.
DEF CON 13 event metadata
event page · InfoconDB source for the July 29-31, 2005 DEF CON 13 event dates and Alexis Park Resort, Las Vegas venue context.
DEF CON 13 is a GO!
official forum announcement · Official DEF CON forum announcement where Dark Tangent says the program had gone to printers, badges were done, shirts and stickers were made, and final pre-conference updates were underway.
DC13 Badge Commons photo
public-domain photo · Wikimedia Commons source for Prosavage2600's public-domain original photograph of a DEF CON 13 badge.
Sources
DEF CON Forums: DEF CON 13 is a GO!
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Official pre-event source stating that DEF CON 13 badges were done before registration and that printed schedules would be distributed at registration.
InfoconDB: DEF CON 13 (2005)
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Event-context source for DEF CON 13 dates, schedule archive, and Alexis Park Resort venue metadata.
VICE / Motherboard: A History of Badgelife, Def Con's Unlikely Obsession with Artistic Circuit Boards
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Secondary context source stating that DEF CON 14 in 2006 was the first electronic DEF CON badge, supporting the non-electronic classification of DEF CON 13.
Wikimedia Commons: DC13 Badge.jpg
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Public-domain source image for Prosavage2600's original photograph of a DEF CON 13 badge; used for image provenance and identity-artifact evidence.