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In the United States (and possibly many other countries--I don't know for sure, however), when one wishes to declare their belief in the Baha'i Faith they fill out and sign a simple enrollment card which affirms that belief. A card is typically filled out whether transitioning from a Baha'i youth to a "mature" Baha'i at 15, or entering the Faith for the first time. It's a postcard-sized document that basically says "By signing, I declare/affirm my belief in Baha'u'llah and the Baha'i Faith and wish to follow all its laws and rules, including those for burial and funeral" and then has you provide information like name, contact information, community, and so forth. The folks at membership headquarters use the card to assign you your Baha'i ID number, assign you to the correct jurisdiction, notify that jurisdiction of your enrollment, provide you publications, and so forth.
The Baha'i declaration card is only an administrative formality, it is not something used in every country or required by the religion's founders. Since it's been in practice for so long in the USA it's kind of an informal "rite of passage" for many Baha'is, and some have even put together little ceremonies to help celebrate it. But many don't--for example I never signed a card (that I remember), I just kind of transitioned automatically from youth to adult.
There's a slight trend away from using declaration cards, especially now that people can enroll using the Internet.
HTH!
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What's a Baha'i card ?
