What Forms of ID Can You Use For an I9?

When completing the I-9 form for employment eligibility verification in the United States, you are required to provide documents that prove both your identity and your legal authorization to work. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has categorized acceptable documents into three lists: List A, List B, and List C. Employees have the option to present one document from List A, or one document from List B along with one from List C.

Table of Contents

List A: Documents that Establish Both Identity and Employment Authorization

Providing one document from List A is sufficient as it verifies both your identity and your work authorization. Examples include:

U.S. Passport or U.S. Passport Card
Permanent Resident Card or Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-551)
Employment Authorization Document (EAD) that contains a photograph (Form I-766)
Foreign passport that contains a temporary I-551 stamp or temporary I-551 printed notation on a machine-readable immigrant visa
Passport from the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) or the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) with Form I-94 or Form I-94A indicating nonimmigrant admission under the Compact of Free Association Between the United States and the FSM or RMI

List B: Documents that Establish Identity Only

If you choose not to present a List A document, you must provide one document from List B for identity and one document from List C for employment authorization. List B documents include:

Driver’s license or ID card issued by any U.S. state or outlying possession
ID card issued by federal, state, or local government agencies, provided it includes 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

List C: Documents that Establish Employment Authorization Only

To complement a List B document, you must also present a document from List C that verifies your authorization to work in the U.S. Examples of List C documents include:

Social Security card issued by the Social Security Administration (other than a card stating it is not valid for employment)
Certification of Birth Abroad issued by the Department of State (Form FS-545)
Certification of Report of Birth issued by the Department of State (Form DS-1350)
Original or certified copy of birth certificate issued by a state, county, municipal authority, or territory of the U.S. bearing an official seal
Native American tribal document

Important Notes:

Original Documents Required: You must present original documents; photocopies and expired documents are not accepted, except for certain documents specified by USCIS that may be accepted if expired.
Freedom to Choose: You have the right to choose which documents to present from the lists provided. Employers cannot require you to provide specific documents from these lists.
Employer’s Role: Employers are responsible for examining the documents to ensure they reasonably appear to be genuine and relate to the person presenting them.

These guidelines ensure that both the identity and employment eligibility of workers are appropriately verified, complying with federal regulations and helping maintain legal work practices.