Can you use a temporary ID at a bar? Here’s what WA state law says
After moving to Washington a few months ago, it was finally time to get a Washington ID and say goodbye to my Massachusetts driver’s license.
At the Department of Licensing, I was handed my temporary paper ID, and my Massachusetts ID had a hole punched in it.
Later that same day, when going out to a bar with friends, I brought both my temporary ID and my old, hole-punched ID just to be safe, but I was rejected at the first bar I tried.
Since the temporary ID lacked a photo, and my old photo ID had a hole punch in it, I was told that both forms of ID were invalid.
At a second bar, I was accepted without issue. An employee told me it was because I brought in both my temporary ID and my old photo ID, and the hole punch on my old ID didn’t obscure the necessary information — photo, birthday and signature.
So, what does Washington law actually say when it comes to using temporary IDs at 21+ establishments?
Turns out, the second bar was in line with the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board.
LCB guidance states that a temporary ID is an acceptable form of ID if it’s paired with another photo ID, according to Julie Graham, LCB spokesperson, and Josh Bolender, a captain with the Enforcement and Education Division of the LCB.
A hole-punched photo ID alongside a temporary ID is also fine as long as the hole punch doesn’t cover “pertinent information,” according to Bolender.
Also, it’s not legally required for liquor-license holders to check ID — the legal requirement is that liquor-license holders don’t sell alcohol to minors, Bolender said. If the liquor-license holder does decide to check ID, a customer is legally required to present it.
While the LCB does have its own guidance on IDs, liquor-license holders can have their own policies. A bar deciding to reject a customer with a temporary ID isn’t against the law, even if it goes against LCB guidance.
“[Liquor license holders] might have a business policy that is much more restrictive than the law, and most businesses do have policies that are more restrictive rather than less restrictive,” Bolender said.
Some bars and other businesses will blame the LCB for certain policies, but Bolender said that excuse might be a lie.
“Oftentimes, [liquor-license holders] will say, ‘Oh, the liquor and cannabis board requires us to do this’ … that’s fine for them to blame it on us, but it’s not 100% legally accurate.”
All that is to say, for those who find themselves in a similar position with a temporary ID, just know that you might be turned down when getting drinks with friends or buying wine at the store.
“It’s possible that a business may not accept that form of ID, and ultimately, that’s their prerogative,” Bolender said.
