Proof of identity and residence
When you apply for a Washington State driver license, instruction permit, or identification (ID) card, you must:
- show us proof of identity.
- show us proof of Washington State residence.
- provide your Social Security number if you are applying for a driver license.
- have your photograph taken.
- If you are under 18 years old:
- You can use 1 of the following options to prove your identity:
- Option 1: Show us 1 document from the Stand-alone Documents list below.
- Option 2: Show us 2 documents from List A below.
- Option 3: Show us 1 document from List A and 2 documents from List B below.
- Option 4: Show us at least 4 documents from List B below, including 1 from the list of documents that establish your name and date of birth and 1 showing your name and signature.
- Option 5: Give us a completed
 Parental Authorization Affidavit and your Social Security number. (We will verify your number with the Social Security Administration.)
- Your parent or guardian must come with you to the licensing office to sign the authorization affidavit.
- Before signing the authorization affidavit, your parent or guardian must show us all the documents required to prove his or her identity (for example, their Washington state driver license or U.S. passport) and a document to prove he or she is your parent or guardian (for example, your certified birth certificate, adoption papers, or a school transcript with the parent or guardian’s name).
- If your parent or guardian’s proof of identity is an out-of-state driver license, or if your last name is different than your parent’s or guardian’s, we will require more documents from the list of acceptable documents (for example, a divorce decree or marriage certificate).
- If you are 18–21 years old:
- You can use 1 of the following options to prove your identity:
- Option 1: Show us 1 document from the Stand-alone Documents list below.
- Option 2: Show us 2 documents from List A below.
- Option 3: Show us 1 document from List A and 2 documents from List B below.
- Option 4: Show us at least 4 documents from List B below, including 1 from the list of documents that establish your name and date of birth and 1 showing name and signature.
- Option 5: Show us all of the following:
- 1 document from List B with your name and photo
- A Social Security card with your Social Security number and signature
- Your birth certificate, adoption papers, or Ward of the Court Decree/Order of Dependency that shows your name and date of birth.
- If you are over 21 years old:
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You can use 1 of the following options to prove your identity:
- Option 1: Show us 1 document from the Stand-alone Documents list below.
- Option 2: Show us 2 documents from List A below.
- Option 3: Show us 1 document from List A and 2 documents from List B below.
- Option 4: Show us at least 4 documents from List B below, including 1 from the list of documents that establish your name and date of birth and 1 showing name and signature.
- If you are 18 or older and have been assigned court guardians:
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You may prove your identity by coming to a licensing office with your parent or guardian and showing us all of the following:
- all the documents required to prove your parent or guardian’s identity.
- a court document assigning guardianship.
- your birth certificate, adoption papers, or Ward of the Court Decree/Order of Dependency that shows your name and date of birth.
- your Social Security number.
- If you are enrolled in Job Corps:
- You can use 1 of the following options to prove your identity:
- Option 1: Show us 1 document from the Stand-alone Documents list below.
- Option 2: Show us 2 documents from List A below.
- Option 3: Show us 1 document from List A and 2 documents from List B below.
- Option 4: Show us at least 4 documents from List B, including 1 from the list of documents that establish your name and date of birth and 1 showing name and signature.
- Option 5: Show us all of the following:
- Your valid Job Corps ID Card
- A Social Security card with your Social Security number and signature
- Your birth certificate, adoption papers, or Ward of the Court Decree/Order of Dependency that shows your name and date of birth.
Acceptable documents
We accept only original documents or certified copies of the documents listed below. Temporary or altered documents aren’t acceptable. When necessary, we may ask you to show us more documents. Multiple documents issued by the same agency, business, or institution will be considered one document. The list of acceptable documents may change without notice.
- Stand-alone Documents
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- Washington State driver license — A valid, or expired within 1 year, Washington State driver license, instruction permit, or ID card that contains your signature, date of birth, and photo.
- Military ID with photo and signature — A valid military ID card from a branch of the United States armed services that contains your photo and signature.
- U.S. passport — A valid United States passport that contains your signature and photo.
- Immigration ID with signature — A valid immigration document from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) that contains your signature and photo (I-327, I-551, I-766). Your signature and photo must be readily identifiable, or the document must contain a notation “Signature Waived.”
- U.S. Certificate of Citizenship or Naturalization — An original U.S. Certificate of Citizenship or U.S. Certificate of Naturalization with your signature and photo readily identifiable.
- Out-of-state Enhanced Driver License or Enhanced ID Card — A valid Enhanced Driver License or Enhanced ID Cardfrom a U.S. state other than Washington that contains your signature, date of birth, and photo.
- Department of Social and Health Services Children’s Administration (DSHS CA) ID letter — If you are in court-ordered foster care with DSHS or another supervising Washington agency as your legal custodian, you may establish your identity with an identification letter from DSHS CA.
- List A
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- Out-of-state license — A valid, or expired within 60 days, out-of-state driver license, identification card, or photo instruction permit.
- Driver license from a foreign country — A valid, or expired within 60 days, driver license from a foreign county. The license must have security features and be verifiable.
- Government ID — A valid federal or state agency employee ID card that contains your signature and photo.
- Foreign passport — A valid foreign passport with a valid and stamped U.S. Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) entry form I-94/I94W or Temporary I-551 ADIT stamp.
- Tribal enrollment ID — A federally recognized Indian tribal enrollment card or a U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs ID card that contains your signature and photo.
- Military ID without signature — An valid active-duty U.S. military ID card with no signature.
- Immigration ID with encrypted signature — A valid immigration document from United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) in the new format where your signature is encrypted.
- U.S. Certificate of Citizenship or Naturalization — An original U.S. Certificate of Citizenship or U.S. Certificate of Naturalization where your signature and photo aren’t readily identifiable.
- Verification letter — If you are on work release, are supervised by an agency, or are in one of their eligible programs, you may provide a verification letter from any of the following agencies (we won’t accept letters from any other sources):
- Washington State Department of Corrections (electronic version only)
- United States Federal correction authorities
- DSHS Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration
- DSHS Children and Family Services
- City police or county police employee ID — A valid Washington city or county police employee ID card containing your signature and photo.
- U. S. Passport Card — A valid United States passport card that contains your name and photo.
- List B
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Documents that establish your name and date of birth
- Certified birth certificate
- Certified Washington Birth registration card
- A valid concealed weapons permit issued by a county in Washington
- Consular report of birth abroad
- Court-issued adoption papers
- Military DD 214
- Photo driver license from another state (invalidated or expired within the past 5 years)
- U.S. passport (expired within the past 5 years)
- Valid U.S. visa
- Veteran Administration ID with your name, photo, and date of birth
- Ward of the Court decree/Order of Dependency
- Washington State driver license or ID card (invalidated or expired within the past 5 years)
Other acceptable List B documents with your name and date of birth, signature, or photo
- Divorce decree that contains your name and signature (filed with the county)
- Driving record from another state issued within the past 30 days
- Foreign passport that has expired within 5 years, or without an I-94/I-94W form or temporary I-551 ADIT stamp
- Foreign driver license expired not more than 5 years. The license must have security features and be verifiable.
- Valid Guatemala Consulate ID card
- Marriage license or certificate (filed with the county)
- Medicare card
- Valid Mexican Matricula Consular ID card
- Mexican school record with a seal and your photo at the age when issued
- School transcript with your date of birth
- School yearbook with your recognizable photo
- Social Security card with your signature. We will verify your number with the Social Security Administration.
- Transportation Worker Credential (TWIC)
- U.S. Merchant Mariner’s card (valid or expired within the past 5 years)
Foreign documents
If you present authentic foreign documents, we will make every effort to read and interpret them. This may require that we fax your document to another location. If no bilingual staff members are available, we may ask you to provide a certified English translation by an approved translator along with the original document.
Unaccepted documents
If we cannot accept your identification documents, you may request an additional document review by speaking with the driver licensing office ID Review Specialist. If the specialist is unable to determine positive identification, we may refer your documents for further evaluation.
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2. Proof of Washington State residence
When you apply for your first Washington State driver license, instruction permit, or ID card, you must prove you have a Washington State residential address. The street address you give us will appear on your driver license or instruction permit.
Acceptable documents
We accept only original documents or certified copies of the documents listed below. The documents must contain your name and current Washington residential address. When necessary, we may ask you to show us more documents. The list of acceptable documents may change without notice.
Use 1 of the following options to prove you live in Washington State:
- Option 1: Show us 1 document from this list.
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- Parental address. If you are under 18 and your parent or guardian shows proof of your identity and relationship, you may use their Washington residential address.
- Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor (J-1) Form DS2019
- Valid concealed weapons permit issued by a county in Washington
- Homeowner’s insurance policy or invoice showing the address of the insured property or residence
- Home utility bill (such as gas, electricity, water, garbage, landline telephone, or cable) or hook-up work order dated within the past 60 days. You must be the only person named on the bill or work order.
- Mortgage documents
- Property tax bill or statement dated within the past 12 months
- Your name and address in a current phone book made by a telephone book publisher
- Moorage bill or contract showing you live on a boat in a marina
- Federal or state government agency-issued check
- Tribal ID that contains your current residential address
- A filed property deed or title for your current residence
- Option 2: Show us 2 documents from this list.
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- Auto insurance policy (not the proof of insurance card)
- Business license from Washington State or a Washington city
- Business mail dated within the past 60 days. Mail must include your first and last name, and must be from state or federal revenue departments, the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Treasury, or the IRS. It cannot be addressed “in care of,” “for,” or “parent of.”
- Current Washington State voter card
- Home utility bill (such as gas, electricity, water, garbage, landline telephone, or cable) or hook-up work order dated within the past 60 days. Two or more unrelated people may be named on the bill or work order.
- Medical record paid by insurance or a medical bill dated within the past 60 days.
- DSHS medical coupon dated within the past 60 days
- Pay stub dated within the past 60 days that contains your name, your current residence address, your employer’s name, and your employer’ phone number or address
- Professional license (nurse, physician, engineer, etc.) issued by Washington State
- Selective service card showing a Washington State address
- Professionally-filed tax return or filed copy sent to you by the IRS for the most recent tax filing year
- Transcript or report card for the current school year from an educational institution in Washington State
- W-2 form for the previous year
- Washington Agency Earnings and Deductions Statement
Unacceptable documents
We won’t accept temporary or altered documents, Internet printouts, or any documents from the list below:
- Unacceptable documents
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- Adjudication form or ticket citation
- Bank account statement
- Bank card or credit card
- Baptismal certificate
- Cell phone bill
- Flagger card
- Food handler card
- Hunting or fishing license
- Medicaid card
- Personal check
- Rental or lease agreement
- Renters insurance policy
- Vehicle insurance card
- Vehicle registration
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3. Social Security number
You must provide your Social Security number when you apply for a driver license. If you haven’t been issued a Social Security number, you may sign a declaration form when you visit the driver licensing office.
How your Social Security number is used
Your Social Security number is used to help enforce child support laws. We will verify your Social Security number with the Social Security Administration, but it will not appear on your driver license.
Commercial driver license (CDL)
When you apply for a commercial driver license, you must provide your Social Security number. We cannot issue you a CDL if you don’t have a Social Security number.
Related laws
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4. Your photograph
Your new driver license, instruction permit, or ID card will include a photo showing a full front view of your face.
Before we take your photo, we will ask you to remove anything that covers your face or head (like a hat or sunglasses). If you choose not to remove it, your license will be marked “Not Valid for Identification.” We will make exceptions for medical and religious reasons.
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