As a general rule, any official documentation that has your full name and verified address on it can be used as proof of residence. This includes cell phone statements, bank statements, vehicle registration, insurance policies, utility bills, voter cards, or other current ID cards.
To get an Enhanced Washington driver's license (EDL) or Enhanced ID card (EID), you will need to provide proof of Washington State residence, along with documentation that can prove your identity.
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4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ drivers What documents can be used as proof of residency in Washington?
You don’t need to provide proof of residency to get a standard Washington driver’s license—you’re already considered a Washington resident if you’re registered to vote in WA, receive state benefits or in-state tuition, or have any resident-rate Washington license plate. However, you will need to provide proof of residency
if you decide to get an enhanced Washington driver’s license (EDL) or an enhanced (EID). To prove WA residency, you’ll need to provide two documents that have your principal Washington residence address and your first and last name on them.
You can also show your marriage certificate along with 2 documents that have your spouse’s name on them instead of yours. If you’re 18 to 25 years old, you can use documents that have your parent or guardian’s name on them, so long as you can show proof of relationship (such as a birth certificate).
Anyone under 18 must have their parent or guardian with them at the licensing office, and they also must provide identification and proof of relationship. A court-assigned guardian must show the court decree assigning guardianship as well as valid proof of identity.
Here’s the official list of documents that you can provide as proof of residency in Washington. Remember: you must provide two of them, and you can’t use the same criteria more than once.
Previous Washington license, ID card, or permit (as long as you haven’t gotten another license in a different state after getting your last WA license)
WA vehicle registration or title
Cell phone bill or statement
Home utility or service bill, statement, or hook-up order for your current WA address
Band/credit card document
WA school transcript or report card
Proof of home ownership such as mortgage, deed, title, or property tax document
WA concealed weapons permit
Consulate ID card or Mexican Federal Electoral card
Paycheck/pay stub—must include employer’s name and phone number or address
Washington professional license
Letter on company letterhead with a phone number from the company providing alternate housing
Certified Washington marriage certificate
Documents cannot be photocopied to be used as valid proof of residency, but they can be printed from the internet if the documents originally existed online.
What documents do not qualify as proof of Washington residency?
Of course, not just anything can be used as proof of Washington residency. It needs to be an official document that requires address authentication. Here are some examples of documents that do not qualify as proof of residency in Washington:
Best to stick to the official list which you can also find here
. What qualifies for proof of identity in Washington?
There are three categories of documents accepted as proof of identity in Washington: Stand-Alone documents, A-List documents, and B-List documents. You’ll need to satisfy one of the following options to satisfy the general ID requirements:
One A-List document and two B-List documents
Here’s what’s included in each group:
Stand-Alone: Refugee verification packet, valid U.S. armed services photo ID, valid U.S. B1/B2 Visa Border Crossing Card, U.S. Citizenship/Naturalization documents, valid U.S. passport or passport card, valid or less than one year expired U.S. Driver License/ID card/photo Instruction Permit, verification ID letter from Department of Social and Health Services Children's Administration for foster youth
A-List: Valid El Salvador ID card, foreign passport (with valid USCBP entry form I-94/I94W, valid temporary I-551 ADIT stamp, Valid US Visa with Temporary I-551 endorsement for 1 year of permanent residence and a valid DHS admission stamp), Guatemala ID/Consulate ID, Honduras ID/Consulate ID, Japan Driver License, Mexico Consular ID/Federal Electoral card, Peru ID, Tribal enrollment ID card, signed U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs photo ID card, with signature and photo, U.S. Citizenship or Naturalization without readily identifiable photo, expired less than one year U.S. passport or passport card, expired one to six years U.S. state or territory issued Driver License/ID card/photo Instruction Permit, U.S. Visa, Verification ID letter from DOC, FDOC, or DSHS JRA, DOC offender ID badge
B-List: adoption papers, birth certificate, birth registration card, valid WA concealed weapons permit, consular report of birth abroad, expired less than six years foreign driver license/ID card/Passport, valid NEXUS/SENTRI/FAST border crossing card, valid/expired less than 6 years U.S. Merchant Mariner's card, valid or expired not more than 6 years, U.S. Military DD Form 214, expired U.S. passport/passport card, expired U.S. state or territory issued Driver License/ID Card/photo Instruction Permit, Veteran Administration Identification (with date of birth), Ward of the Court decree/Order of Dependency
If you want all the details straight from the source, check out this page
on the Washington DOL’s website. MORE: Washington electric vehicle incentives
How to save on Washington car insurance costs
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