You cannot legally start a traditional job in the United States without presenting some form of identification, but getting a job without an ID in the everyday sense — a driver’s license or passport — is entirely possible. Federal law requires every new hire to prove identity and work authorization, and it accepts a fairly wide range of documents to do so. A school ID paired with a Social Security card can be enough. So can a birth certificate paired with a voter registration card. If you have nothing at all right now, you can build back to the minimum combination, and if your documents were recently lost or stolen, a receipt for the replacement can keep you working for up to 90 days.
What Counts as ID for a Job
Every employer must complete a federal Form I-9 for each new hire, verifying both who you are and that you’re allowed to work.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1324a – Unlawful Employment of Aliens The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) publishes three lists of documents that satisfy the form. You need either one document from List A, or one document each from List B and List C.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 13.0 Acceptable Documents for Verifying Employment Authorization and Identity
List A documents prove both identity and work authorization by themselves. A U.S. passport, a passport card, a Permanent Resident Card, and an Employment Authorization Document with a photograph all qualify. If you have any of these, nothing else is needed.
If you don’t have a List A document, you present one item from List B (identity) and one from List C (work authorization). List B includes a state driver’s license or ID card, a school ID with a photograph, a voter registration card, a U.S. military card, and Native American tribal documents. List C includes an unrestricted Social Security card, a U.S. birth certificate with an official seal, and certain other Department of Homeland Security authorization documents.
Two things trip people up. First, the Social Security card has to be unrestricted — cards printed with “NOT VALID FOR EMPLOYMENT” or “VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION” don’t work on their own for the I-9.3Social Security Administration. Types of Social Security Cards Second, everything must be an unexpired original. Photocopies and notarized copies are not accepted, with the single exception of a certified copy of a birth certificate.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 4.0 Completing Section 2 – Employer Review and Verification An expired driver’s license won’t do.
You choose which documents to present. Your employer is not allowed to demand a specific one, such as insisting on a passport, and they cannot ask for more documents than the law requires. Doing either can be an unfair immigration-related employment practice under federal law.5GovInfo. 8 USC 1324b – Unfair Immigration-Related Employment Practices As long as your documents appear on the USCIS lists, look genuine, and are unexpired, the employer must accept them.
If You Have No Documents at All
Starting from zero is inconvenient but not a dead end. The path runs through your birth certificate first, because you can usually get one without a photo ID.
Step 1: Order a Certified Birth Certificate
Contact the vital records office in the state or territory where you were born. Most states accept mail requests with a notarized sworn statement in place of a photo ID. A certified birth certificate is a List C document, so it directly satisfies the work-authorization half of the I-9.
Step 2: Replace Your Social Security Card
An unrestricted Social Security card is also a List C document, so you only need one or the other for I-9 purposes — but the card is useful for other things (state ID applications, tax paperwork), so it’s worth getting. You can apply online, by mail, or in person. If you don’t have a photo ID, the Social Security Administration will consider alternatives such as a current employee ID, school ID, or health insurance card, provided the document shows your name and identifying information like your date of birth.6Social Security Administration. Learn What Documents You Will Need to Get a Social Security Card All submitted documents must be originals or agency-certified copies.
Step 3: Get a List B Identity Document
You still need something from List B. The obvious option is a state ID or driver’s license from your motor vehicle agency, which typically requires your birth certificate and Social Security card along with proof of address.7USAGov. How to Replace Lost or Stolen ID Cards Requirements and fees vary by state.
You don’t necessarily have to wait for that, though. List B also accepts a school ID with a photograph, a voter registration card, a U.S. military card, and a few other items. If any of these applies to you, pair it with your birth certificate or Social Security card, and you have enough to complete the I-9.
If Your Documents Were Lost or Stolen
You don’t have to wait for replacements to arrive before starting work. If your documents were lost, stolen, or damaged, you can present a receipt showing you applied for a replacement. The receipt substitutes for the actual document and is valid for 90 days from your first day of work for pay.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 4.4 Acceptable Receipts It works for List A, List B, or List C, depending on which document you’re replacing.
Before the 90 days end, you must show the employer the actual replacement. If the replacement hasn’t come, you can present a different qualifying document instead — for instance, if you were waiting on a lost passport (List A), you can produce a List B document plus a List C document to satisfy the requirement.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-9 Acceptable Documents – Receipts What you cannot do is stack a second receipt to buy more time.
One important limit: the receipt rule applies only to lost, stolen, or damaged documents. It’s not a way to start work while you’re still applying for your first-ever Social Security card or birth certificate.
How Long You Have to Produce Documents
After you complete your portion of the I-9 (Section 1) on or before your first day of paid work, you have three business days from that first day to present your documents.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification Start on a Monday and you have until Thursday. If the job is scheduled to last fewer than three business days, you have to present them on day one.
If you miss the deadline without presenting an acceptable document or receipt, the employer is allowed to terminate you.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 4.0 Completing Section 2 – Employer Review and Verification Most will, because keeping you on the payroll without a completed I-9 exposes them to federal penalties.
Work That Skips the I-9
A narrow set of work arrangements falls outside the I-9 requirement entirely. Independent contractors — 1099 workers, freelancers, gig workers — do not complete an I-9 for the companies that hire them.11U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 2.0 Who Must Complete Form I-9 Sole proprietors working for themselves also don’t file one on themselves.
Two cautions come with this. First, contractor status depends on the actual working relationship, not the label. If the company controls when, where, and how you work, you may legally be an employee no matter what the paperwork says, and the I-9 would apply. Second, contracting bypasses the I-9 but not the tax system: you’ll still need a Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number to be paid legitimately and to file taxes.
Special Situations
Workers Under 18
A minor who cannot present a standard List B identity document has an alternative. A parent or legal guardian can attest to the minor’s identity in the appropriate portion of the I-9, and the employer records “Individual under age 18” in the List B field.12U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 4.2 Minors – Individuals Under Age 18 The minor still needs a List C document. This accommodation is not available at employers that use E-Verify, where a List A document or a photo-bearing List B document is required.
Individuals With Disabilities in Special Placement Programs
A similar procedure applies when someone with a disability is placed through a nonprofit, association, or rehabilitation program and cannot present a standard List B document. A representative of the placing organization, a parent, or a legal guardian can attest to identity, and the employer writes “Special Placement” in the List B field.13U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 4.3 Employees With Disabilities – Special Placement A List C document is still required, and E-Verify employers cannot use this accommodation.
Remote Hires
If you’re hired for a remote position, you don’t have to travel to the employer’s office. The employer can designate an authorized representative — a notary, an HR professional, or any trusted adult — to examine your original documents in person on the employer’s behalf.14U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Completing Section 2 – Employer Review and Attestation You cannot serve as your own representative. Employers who use E-Verify in good standing also have the option of examining documents through a live video call.
Why Employers Enforce This Strictly
It’s tempting to assume a small employer will look the other way. Most won’t, and it’s worth understanding why. Federal civil fines for hiring an unauthorized worker start at $716 per worker for a first offense and climb to as much as $28,619 per worker for repeat violations.15eCFR. 28 CFR Part 85 – Civil Monetary Penalties Inflation Adjustment Separate fines apply for paperwork errors even when every worker is authorized.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 4.0 Completing Section 2 – Employer Review and Verification Employers who engage in a pattern of violations can also face criminal penalties.16Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1324a – Unlawful Employment of Aliens The financial exposure is why insisting on documents is the norm, and why your best move is gathering the minimum acceptable combination rather than looking for an employer willing to skip the form.