When completing I-9 Form 2025, Employment Eligibility Verification, employers must verify an employee’s identity and authorization to work in the United States. Acceptable forms of identification are categorized into three lists: List A, List B, and List C. Here are the details:
List A: Documents that Establish Both Identity and Employment Authorization
- U.S. Passport or U.S. Passport Card
- Permanent Resident Card or Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-551)
- Foreign passport with a temporary I-551 stamp or temporary I-551 printed notation on a machine-readable immigrant visa
- Employment Authorization Document (EAD) that contains a photograph (Form I-766)
- Foreign passport with Form I-94 or Form I-94A indicating nonimmigrant status and authorization to work for a specific employer
- Passport from the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) or the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) with Form I-94 or Form I-94A
List B: Documents that Establish Identity
For individuals 18 years of age or older:
- Driver’s license or ID card issued by a state or outlying possession of the United States, provided it contains a photograph or information such as name, date of birth, gender, height, eye color, and address
- ID card issued by federal, state, or local government agencies or entities, provided it contains a photograph or information such as name, date of birth, gender, height, eye color, and address
- School ID card with a photograph
- Voter’s registration card
- U.S. military card or draft record
- Military dependent’s ID card
- U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Card
- Native American tribal document
- Driver’s license issued by a Canadian government authority
For individuals under 18 years of age who are unable to present a document listed above:
- School record or report card
- Clinic, doctor, or hospital record
- Day-care or nursery school record
List C: Documents that Establish Employment Authorization
- Social Security Account Number card (unless it says not valid for employment)
- Certification of Birth Abroad issued by the U.S. Department of State (Form FS-545)
- Certification of Report of Birth issued by the U.S. Department of State (Form DS-1350)
- Original or certified copy of a birth certificate issued by a state, county, municipal authority, or outlying possession of the United States bearing an official seal
- Native American tribal document
- U.S. Citizen ID Card (Form I-197)
- Identification Card for Use of Resident Citizen in the United States (Form I-179)
- Employment authorization document issued by the Department of Homeland Security
Key Points to Remember
- Employees must present one document from List A, or one from List B and one from List C.
- Documents must be original; photocopies are not acceptable.
- The documents should be presented to the employer within three business days of the employee’s first day of employment.
Employers are responsible for ensuring the documents appear genuine and relate to the individual presenting them. This process helps to verify the employee’s identity and employment authorization status.
