Backstage passes came with various border or background colors, and numbered 1 through 3 (sometimes they were instead marked "All access", "Backstage", or "Working", with others left blank). On this site, I've purposely used just one example of each design to keep things manageable.I've tried to reconcile three different views of what the codes meant, and I think all three together give the correct picture. Most of the time it worked this way:

• 1 was all access including stage.
  
• 2 was access to backstage (not including onstage) "secured" or "policed" area, backstage non-secured area (the band's personal areas, like dressing rooms, trailers, eating areas, etc.)
  
• 3 was backstage (secured area) only....sometimes it was "after-show" only.

Your pass number was assigned when you were put on the guest list, and different band members had different levels they could authorize. I'm told that you got a "1" only if two main Beach Boys authorized it, but this is not confirmed. However, at different times and for different reasons, the meaning of the numbers would change. Each venue would have a diagram sheet explaining the meaning of all the passes to the security. Color variations were used if there were multiple shows in a venue, or shows in close proximity, to keep people from reusing passes.

 Laminated passes were for people that were at shows a lot throughout the tour, or employees, and the same numbering system applied. They had your picture if you were an employee, or a penned-in name of the type of pass it was--press, promotion, or the initials/number of the performer of which you were a "semi-permanent" guest.