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Washington state ID card

Get a Washington ID card so you can stop carrying your passport.

How it goes

  1. 1
    You arriveYou have moved to Washington and you need ID you can carry.
  2. 2
    Your documentsYou gather proof of who you are, where you live, and your status.
  3. 3
    You applyYou take them to the office that issues ID cards.
  4. Your cardYour ID card is issued, and your passport stays at home.

What it costs

A first ID card

A first Washington ID card costs $61 for 6 years, or $81 for 8 years. You choose how long you want it to last. If you qualify for the reduced fee, a standard ID card costs $5. The enhanced ID card costs more: $103 for 6 years, or $137 for 8 years. The law sets the ID card fee at $10 for each year the card is issued. If you are homeless, you can get one free ID card in your lifetime.

Whether you can get one

Who the card is issued to

You can get a Washington ID card if you do not already hold a valid Washington driver's license. You must also prove who you are, and pay the fee. You must give a Washington home address when you apply. The form asks for your full name, your mailing address, your Washington home address, and your phone number. The same application rules cover the driver's license, the learner permit, and the ID card.

If you are not a US citizen

Washington accepts your work permit card (Form I-766) on its own as proof of who you are. Your green card also works on its own as proof of who you are. Your foreign passport together with your I-94 proves who you are. The passport must carry your signature and your photo. The enhanced ID card is only for US citizens. If you are not a US citizen, ask for the standard ID card. A standard Washington ID card is not a REAL ID. It does not meet the federal rules for a REAL ID document. Your standard ID card will say FEDERAL LIMITS APPLY on it. Every standard Washington card says this. It is normal.

Documents you need

  • How much proof is enough
    • You must show at least one identity document. It must have your signature and your photo on it.
    • Your foreign passport with an I-94, an ADIT stamp, or a temporary I-551 stamp is an A-list document.
    • One way to prove who you are is with 4 B-list documents. At least 1 of them must show both your name and your birth date.
  • Proof of who you are
    • An immigration form from USCIS counts as an identity document under Washington law.
    • If you are a student, your Form I-20 or your DS-2019 counts as a B-list document.
    • A Refugee Travel Document (Form I-571) works on its own as proof of who you are.
  • What makes a document count
    • The office can ask you for more documents. It can also check that the documents you brought are real.
    • If the clerk cannot decide from your documents, they must send you to an in-office document reviewer. You can ask for this.
  • If no bill is in your name
    • If you have no address of your own, ask a shelter, a community group, or a church if you can use their mailing address.
    • There is a route for people with no permanent home address. You give a temporary mailing address, and your ID card is posted there.
    • This no-address route is only for people under the age of 18. You must also apply in person.

Your Social Security Number

What proves your number

Washington checks your Social Security number directly with the Social Security Administration. If the law does not require your Social Security number, you can still give it. It helps the office confirm who you are. Your Social Security card also counts as a B-list identity document.

If you cannot get a number yet

If you have no Social Security number, you sign a sworn statement saying you do not have one. You sign it under penalty of perjury. After you sign that statement, the office can ask you for more papers proving your Washington address.

If your status has an end date

When your card expires

Your ID card expires on your birthday, on the eighth anniversary of your birthdate after it is issued.

Where to go

How to apply

You apply in person. You go to a driver licensing office. For an enhanced ID card, gather your documents first. Then book an appointment at a driver licensing office near you. If you are homeless and applying for an ID card, you do not need an appointment. Later, you may be able to renew your ID card by post or online. You cannot do that two times in a row. Washington also runs a mobile unit called DOL2Go. It brings licensing services out to communities. Washington checks your photo against its own photo system. This is to make sure you do not already hold a card under a different name.

Office locations

Washington lists its offices on the page called "Find a driver licensing office" at dol.wa.gov/driver-licenses-and-permits/driver-licensing-offices.

Other states

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Every source, quoted39 sources

Every fact on this page is quoted from the page that publishes it, in the words it uses.

Applying for a state ID card in Washington?

Answer a few questions and see the steps that apply to you.

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