Bank identification code is a phrase that is asked to mean at least two different things, which is why searching it returns contradictory answers. Sometimes it means the BIC, the international institution identifier. Sometimes it means whatever domestic code the asker's country uses, which is a routing number in the United States and a sort code in the United Kingdom. Working out which one you have been asked for is most of the job.
First decide which code is wanted
If the payment is crossing a border, the answer is almost always the BIC, an eight or eleven character code with the country code in positions five and six. If the payment is domestic and American, it is the nine digit routing number. If it is domestic and British, it is the six digit sort code. The giveaway is the length of the field on the form and whether it accepts letters. A field that accepts letters is asking for a BIC; a numbers only field of nine or six digits is asking for a domestic code.
Finding it in the app
Every banking app has an account details screen intended for exactly this. In a US app it will show the routing number and account number, often with separate routing numbers for direct deposit and for wires, which is a distinction worth reading rather than skipping. In a UK app it will show the sort code and account number on the domestic tab and the IBAN and BIC on the international one. Copy from the app rather than typing from memory, because a transposed digit is the commonest failure.
Finding it on paper
On a US cheque, the routing number is the nine digit block at the bottom left, and the account number is the block beside it. Several US banks publish a page showing which block is which, because the ordering catches people out. On a UK statement, the sort code and account number sit in the header. For an international payment, the IBAN and BIC appear either on the statement or on the bank's own international payments help page.
When someone else is asking you for it
If an employer, a platform or a client is asking, give them the code that matches the payment they are going to make, and say which code it is. Writing sort code, account number, IBAN and BIC each with its label removes an entire class of error, because the person entering them is otherwise guessing from lengths. Never send the details in response to an unexpected request, and never as a change to details somebody already holds without confirming by telephone.
Questions people ask about how to find bank identification code
Is the bank identification code the same as the BIC?
Often, but not always. The phrase is also used for a domestic routing code, which is a nine digit routing number in the US and a six digit sort code in the UK.
How do I know which one a form wants?
Look at the field. A field that accepts letters wants a BIC. A numbers only field of nine digits wants a US routing number, and six digits wants a UK sort code.
Where is it in my banking app?
On the account details or share details screen, with domestic and international details usually on separate tabs.
Does my bank have more than one?
Commonly, yes. US banks often publish different routing numbers for direct deposit and wire transfers, and large banks have several BICs.