Form I-9 Acceptable Documents

Form I-9 verifies two things about every new employee. It confirms identity, and it confirms authorization to work in the United States. To prove both, the form uses three lists of acceptable documents. This page explains how those lists work so you can prepare with confidence, whether you are a new hire choosing what to bring or an employer reviewing what is presented.

Which documents can you use? Pick your situation

Choose what you have, and see exactly what it proves. Remember: the employee always chooses which valid documents to present, and the employer must accept any valid choice.

How the lists fit together

There are two ways to satisfy Form I-9. You present one document from List A, or you present one document from List B together with one document from List C. You do not need documents from all three lists. You only follow one of the two paths.

This design gives people flexibility. Someone with a passport can satisfy the whole form with one document. Someone without a List A document can combine an everyday photo ID with a work-authorization document instead. Both paths carry equal weight under the form.

List A: identity and work authorization

A List A document is a one-stop proof. It establishes both who you are and that you may work. Because a single document covers everything, many people use this path when they have one of these on hand.

• A U.S. passport or U.S. passport card.
• A Permanent Resident Card, often called a green card.
• A foreign passport that has an I-551 stamp, or that is presented with a Form I-94.

This is not the complete List A. The form's full Lists of Acceptable Documents include other items. If your document is not shown here, check the current list on the form or at uscis.gov. The key idea is that any single List A document answers both questions the form asks at once.

List B: identity only

A List B document proves your identity but says nothing about your right to work. That is why a List B document never stands alone. It must be paired with a List C document. The most common List B documents are everyday photo IDs.

• A driver's license issued by a state or outlying possession.
• A state-issued identification card.

Form I-9 lists more options than these two. The idea behind List B is deliberately narrow: it answers one question, whether you are who you say you are, and says nothing at all about work authorization. That is why it always needs a partner from List C.

One consequence catches people out. Because a List B document proves identity only, an expiring driver's licence is not a reason to reverify anyone. Reverification is triggered by expiring work authorization, which List B never establishes.

List C: work authorization only

A List C document proves your authorization to work but does not prove identity on its own. That is why it pairs with a List B document. Common List C documents include:

• A Social Security card that does not say it is restricted for work.
• A U.S. birth certificate.

Together, a List B identity document and a List C work-authorization document do the same job as one List A document. Neither half works by itself. You need both halves of the pair for Path 2 to be complete.

The receipt rule

What if a needed document was lost, stolen, or damaged right when you start work? The receipt rule covers this.

The receipt is a temporary bridge. It lets verification move forward while you wait for the real document, and the receipt itself is recorded in Section 2 of Form I-9 like any other document.

Two limits are worth knowing. The rule covers a document that was lost, stolen or damaged, not one you never had and are applying for the first time. And it is time-limited, so the actual document has to follow. Ask your employer for the date they have recorded and diarise it, because the gap is theirs to close and yours to be affected by.

Document abuse: the rule employers must follow

One rule protects employees during this process. The choice of which documents to present belongs to the employee, not the employer.

For employers, this matters twice over. Document abuse is unlawful on its own. Separately, incomplete document information in Section 2, such as a missing document title, number, or expiration date, is now treated as a substantive error after the March 16, 2026 ICE reclassification. So employers should record document details fully and accept the employee's lawful choice without steering it. The safe habit is to write down each document's title, number, and expiration date exactly as shown.

A note on remote verification

Employers may examine documents in person. Since August 1, 2023, some may instead use the DHS-authorized alternative procedure over live video, published at 88 FR 47990. Three conditions apply and all three are required: the employer must be an E-Verify participant in good standing, the alternative-procedure box in Section 2 Additional Information must be checked, and clear copies of the documents must be retained.

The lists of acceptable documents are identical either way, so nothing on this page changes based on how the review happens. What changes is the employer's paperwork, not your choice of document.

When in doubt about a specific document, check the current Lists of Acceptable Documents on the form or at uscis.gov. For a complicated personal situation, it is fine to consult an immigration attorney.

By the Easy Guides Editorial Team