Washington law spells out exactly which forms of ID are acceptable for verifying a customer’s age at the point of alcohol sale or service. This isn’t a list the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) keeps track of informally – it’s written directly into WAC 314-11-025, and it applies to every server, bartender, and cashier who checks ID in the state.
This article covers what makes an ID valid, the full current list of acceptable forms of ID for Washington State, two tricky situations that come up often, and the story behind the two newest additions. This is the alcohol list only – cannabis sales follow a separate (and slightly different) list under WAC 314-55-150.
📋 Download Your Free Printable Washington ID Guide
Post it behind the bar or by your register – a free, one-page reference guide covering every acceptable form of ID in Washington.
What Makes a Washington ID Valid
Per WAC 314-11-025, every acceptable ID must show:
- A photo
- The holder’s date of birth
- A signature (except on certain federally issued IDs that don’t require one)
There’s also a timing requirement, separate from what’s printed on the ID: if it has an expiration date, it can’t be used to verify age once that date passes.
Legally Acceptable Forms of ID in Washington
As of November 2025, WAC 314-11-025 recognizes the following forms of identification for alcohol age verification:
- Driver License, Instruction Permit or ID Card (issued by any U.S. state, Canadian province, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia)
- U.S. Military ID
- U.S. Merchant Marine ID
- Passport, Passport Card, NEXUS Card, Global Entry Card, or Permanent Resident Card
- Federally Recognized Tribal Enrollment Card (must be pre-approved by the LCB)
Your establishment may create house policies that restrict this list, but it can’t choose to accept any additional forms of ID that are not included on the list.
Sample Forms of ID
Knowing the list is one thing – recognizing the ID in someone’s hand is another. Below are sample images of each acceptable form, so your team knows exactly what to look for. Click any image to enlarge it.
Unacceptable Forms of ID in Washington
As an alcohol server, you’ll come across all kinds of ID – some may even be issued by federal or state agencies and some may be hard to come by. But being an official, government-issued card doesn’t mean it’s accepted for alcohol sales. Here’s a list of the most commonly presented forms of ID that don’t make the cut.
- Birth certificates
- Social Security cards
- School, work, or college student IDs
- Voter registration cards
- Inmate ID cards
- Driver’s licenses from any country other than the U.S. or Canada (a passport from any country is still accepted – just not a foreign driver’s license)
Two Situations Worth Knowing
If you serve alcohol long enough, you’re eventually going to be handed a hole-punched ID or a paper temporary ID. Both can feel like something you should turn away – but Washington accepts each of them, within limits.
That said, your establishment doesn’t have to accept either one – house policy can be stricter than what the law requires.
Hole-Punched IDs
A hole punch doesn’t necessarily disqualify an ID. As long as it isn’t expired and the punch doesn’t cover critical information like the photo, date of birth, or expiration date, it’s still acceptable for liquor sales.
Paper Temporary IDs
On its own, a paper temporary ID isn’t acceptable – it has no photo or signature. However, an unexpired paper temporary ID is acceptable when presented with an expired ID. See the sample below.
(click to enlarge)
Why Washington’s Alcohol ID List Grew
The two newest additions – the Global Entry Card and the Permanent Resident Card – trace back to a petition, not a Board initiative.
In April 2023, a member of the public submitted a petition asking the LCB to add another federally issued form of ID to the acceptable list. The LCB accepted the petition and opened formal rulemaking.
A public hearing followed on August 14, 2025. The amendment to WAC 314-11-025 took effect November 8, 2025, formally adding the Global Entry Card and Permanent Resident Card to the list of IDs valid for alcohol age verification in Washington.
Keeping Your Team Current on Washington ID Rules
Craft Serving updated our Washington MAST Permit Course on November 20, 2025 to reflect both new ID types. The update included revised lesson content, updated ID reference material, and new quiz questions covering the Global Entry Card and Permanent Resident Card.
If your team hasn’t taken MAST training recently, this is a good time to confirm they’re working from the current list.
📋 Grab the Free Printable Washington ID Guide
Post it by your employee bulletin board or POS station – the same one-page reference guide we include in our MAST course.
⚖️ Washington Laws and Rules Referenced in This Article
📚 Related Resources for Washington Alcohol Servers
MAST Permit Updates for Minors and Felony Convictions
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