diff --git a/src/main/edu/wisc/doit/RpcNetidClient.php b/src/main/edu/wisc/doit/RpcNetidClient.php
index 7a6a9004cdcaeb1ca61cc58e9a89f463fc41dc69..db9eb30b37b0409cc7d94a709076a48c207a3e05 100644
--- a/src/main/edu/wisc/doit/RpcNetidClient.php
+++ b/src/main/edu/wisc/doit/RpcNetidClient.php
@@ -1,10 +1,4 @@
-<?php
-
-/**
- * RpcNetidClient interface
- */
-
-namespace edu\wisc\doit;
+<?php namespace edu\wisc\doit;
 
 /**
  * A PHP client for the NetID web service provided by DoIT Middleware.
@@ -39,7 +33,7 @@ interface RpcNetidClient {
 	 * @param string $uid  the uid of the user to search for (typically the NetID)
 	 * @param string $password  the password to be checked for policy adherence and replace current password
 	 * @return bool  true if password was changed successfully, false otherwise
-	 * @throws edu\wisc\doit\RpcNetidClientSoapException if unexpected response code from SOAP service
+	 * @throws RpcNetidClientSoapException if unexpected response code from SOAP service
 	 */
 	function changePassword ( $uid, $password );
 	
@@ -49,7 +43,7 @@ interface RpcNetidClient {
 	 * @param RpcNetidStructQuestion[] $questions  array containing security questions for the user (Number and Answer required)
 	 * @param string $ip  ip address of the user
 	 * @return bool  true if the answers are correct, false otherwise
-	 * @throws edu\wisc\doit\RpcNetidClientSoapException if unexpected response from web service 
+	 * @throws RpcNetidClientSoapException if unexpected response from web service
 	 */
 	function checkAnswers ( $uid, array $questions, $ip );
 	
@@ -102,7 +96,7 @@ interface RpcNetidClient {
 	 * 
 	 * @param string $uid  user's NetID
 	 * @param \DateTime $birthdate  user's date of birth
-	 * @param int $wiscard  user's 11-digit Wiscard number
+	 * @param string $wiscard  user's 11-digit Wiscard number
 	 * @return RpcNetidStructValidationResponse  validation response including reasons for failure.
 	 */
 	function checkLOA( $uid, \DateTime $birthdate, $wiscard = null );
diff --git a/src/main/edu/wisc/doit/RpcNetidClientSoap.php b/src/main/edu/wisc/doit/RpcNetidClientSoap.php
index 7f72644f3776ba64038f17c0d2a03452c65cfbe8..c522dec4d00e14669818f90eee0e1654ae5520ae 100644
--- a/src/main/edu/wisc/doit/RpcNetidClientSoap.php
+++ b/src/main/edu/wisc/doit/RpcNetidClientSoap.php
@@ -100,22 +100,19 @@ class RpcNetidClientSoap implements RpcNetidClient {
 	public function checkLOA( $uid, \DateTime $birthdate, $wiscard = null ) {
 		
 		if ( is_string( $uid ) !== true or empty( $uid ) === true  ) {
-			throw new \InvalidArgumentException( "uid must be a nonempty string" );
+			throw new \InvalidArgumentException( "uid must be a nonempty string. Type given: " . gettype($uid) );
 		}
 		
 		if ( is_null( $wiscard ) === false  ) {
-			if ( is_int( $wiscard ) !== true ) {
-				throw new \InvalidArgumentException( "wiscard must be at least a 10-digit integer");
-			}
-			if ( strlen(strval($wiscard)) < 10 ) {
-				throw new \DomainException( "wiscard must be at least a 10-digit integer");
+			if ( is_string( $wiscard ) !== true ) {
+				throw new \InvalidArgumentException( "wiscard must be a string. Type given: " . gettype($wiscard) );
 			}
 		}
 		
 		$parameters = array();
 		$parameters['uid'] = strval( $uid );
 		$parameters['birthdate'] = $birthdate->format("m-d-Y");
-		if ( is_null( $wiscard ) === false ) { $parameters['cardid'] = strval( $wiscard ); }
+		if ( is_null( $wiscard ) === false ) { $parameters['cardid'] = $wiscard; }
 		
 		$result = $this->getSoapClient()->checkLOA( $parameters );
 		
diff --git a/src/test/RpcNetidClientSoapTest.php b/src/test/RpcNetidClientSoapTest.php
index 06e6761b3eda7ee89d829e167ec1f94effd4dd17..3f3d956b0ef6b8a838fdea4a82b110af77c381ff 100644
--- a/src/test/RpcNetidClientSoapTest.php
+++ b/src/test/RpcNetidClientSoapTest.php
@@ -532,21 +532,6 @@ class RpcNetidClientSoapTest extends PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase {
 	
 	/* checkLOA tests ------------------------------- */
 	
-	/**
-	 * @test Wiscard is less than 10 digits throws exception
-	 * @expectedException DomainException
-	 */
-	function checkLOA_wiscard_less_than_10_digits_throws() {
-		
-		$result = new stdClass();
-		$result->result = 200;
-		
-		$this->mockSoapClient->expects($this->any())->method('checkLOA')->will($this->returnValue($result));
-		$client = new RpcNetidClientSoap($this->mockSoapClient);
-		$client->checkLOA( "jsmith", new \DateTime(), 12345 );
-		
-	}
-	
 	/**
 	 * @test returns false if 400 is returned by web service
 	 */
@@ -557,7 +542,7 @@ class RpcNetidClientSoapTest extends PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase {
 		
 		$this->mockSoapClient->expects($this->any())->method('checkLOA')->will($this->returnValue($result));
 		$client = new RpcNetidClientSoap($this->mockSoapClient);
-		$returned = $client->checkLOA( "jsmith", new \DateTime(), 12345678901 );
+		$returned = $client->checkLOA( "jsmith", new \DateTime(), "12345678901" );
 		$this->assertInstanceOf('edu\wisc\doit\RpcNetidStructValidationResponse', $returned );
 		$this->assertFalse( $returned->getIsValid() );
 		
@@ -573,7 +558,7 @@ class RpcNetidClientSoapTest extends PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase {
 	
 		$this->mockSoapClient->expects($this->any())->method('checkLOA')->will($this->returnValue($result));
 		$client = new RpcNetidClientSoap($this->mockSoapClient);
-		$returned = $client->checkLOA( "jsmith", new \DateTime(), 12345678901 );
+		$returned = $client->checkLOA( "jsmith", new \DateTime(), "12345678901" );
 		$this->assertInstanceOf('edu\wisc\doit\RpcNetidStructValidationResponse', $returned );
 		$this->assertFalse( $returned->getIsValid() );
 	
@@ -589,7 +574,7 @@ class RpcNetidClientSoapTest extends PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase {
 	
 		$this->mockSoapClient->expects($this->any())->method('checkLOA')->will($this->returnValue($result));
 		$client = new RpcNetidClientSoap($this->mockSoapClient);
-		$returned = $client->checkLOA( "jsmith", new \DateTime(), 12345678901 );
+		$returned = $client->checkLOA( "jsmith", new \DateTime(), "12345678901" );
 		$this->assertInstanceOf('edu\wisc\doit\RpcNetidStructValidationResponse', $returned );
 		$this->assertFalse( $returned->getIsValid() );
 
@@ -605,7 +590,7 @@ class RpcNetidClientSoapTest extends PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase {
 	
 		$this->mockSoapClient->expects($this->any())->method('checkLOA')->will($this->returnValue($result));
 		$client = new RpcNetidClientSoap($this->mockSoapClient);
-		$returned = $client->checkLOA( "jsmith", new \DateTime(), 12345678901 );
+		$returned = $client->checkLOA( "jsmith", new \DateTime(), "12345678901" );
 		$this->assertInstanceOf('edu\wisc\doit\RpcNetidStructValidationResponse', $returned );
 		$this->assertFalse( $returned->getIsValid() );
 	
@@ -621,7 +606,7 @@ class RpcNetidClientSoapTest extends PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase {
 	
 		$this->mockSoapClient->expects($this->any())->method('checkLOA')->will($this->returnValue($result));
 		$client = new RpcNetidClientSoap($this->mockSoapClient);
-		$returned = $client->checkLOA( "jsmith", new \DateTime(), 12345678901 );
+		$returned = $client->checkLOA( "jsmith", new \DateTime(), "12345678901" );
 		$this->assertInstanceOf('edu\wisc\doit\RpcNetidStructValidationResponse', $returned );
 		$this->assertFalse( $returned->getIsValid() );
 	
@@ -655,7 +640,7 @@ class RpcNetidClientSoapTest extends PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase {
 		
 		$this->mockSoapClient->expects($this->any())->method('checkLOA')->will($this->returnValue($result));
 		$client = new RpcNetidClientSoap($this->mockSoapClient);
-		$returned = $client->checkLOA( "jsmith", new \DateTime(), 12345678901 );
+		$returned = $client->checkLOA( "jsmith", new \DateTime(), "12345678901" );
 		
 		$this->assertInstanceOf('edu\wisc\doit\RpcNetidStructValidationResponse', $returned );
 		$this->assertTrue( $returned->getIsValid() );
@@ -673,7 +658,7 @@ class RpcNetidClientSoapTest extends PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase {
 		
 		$this->mockSoapClient->expects($this->any())->method('checkLOA')->will($this->returnValue($result));
 		$client = new RpcNetidClientSoap($this->mockSoapClient);
-		$client->checkLOA( "jsmith", new \DateTime(), 12345678901 );
+		$client->checkLOA( "jsmith", new \DateTime(), "12345678901" );
 		
 	}