Which IDs a bar can accept
Out-of-state and foreign driver's licenses at a bar
Published October 27, 2026 · 21 sources linked
Do bars have to accept an out-of-state or foreign license?
The state alcohol laws below say which licenses count as proof of age, not which ones a bar has to take; California's alcohol regulator says a business may set a stricter policy, such as California licenses only. A license from another US state counts in most of them, though Michigan's dram shop defense and Maryland's alcohol ID list name no license but their own state's. Licenses from other countries split them: Utah, Vermont, Idaho and Colorado count one; Arizona, Minnesota, North Dakota and Oregon name Canada and no other country; California's regulator rules a foreign license out.
Examples by state
- A license from another country counts
- Utah, Vermont, Idaho, Colorado and Washington, DC
- Canada named, no other country
- Arizona, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oregon and Washington
- Foreign license left off or ruled out
- Massachusetts and California's alcohol regulator
- Only the home state's license named
- Michigan's dram shop defense and Maryland's alcohol ID list
AgeShield ID Scanner
Licenses from the US and Canada and some from other countries
AgeShield reads driver's licenses from the US and Canada and some from other countries. Every scan mode checks the barcode on US and Canadian licenses and state IDs for signs of forgery.
Licenses from another US state
Most of the 15 states in these tables count a license from another state next to their own. Michigan and Maryland are the exceptions, in one rule each.
- State
- Massachusetts
- What the law says
- Staff who reasonably rely on a valid license from another state face no license action or criminal liability for a sale to someone under 21.
- Source
- M.G.L. c. 138, s. 34B
- State
- Michigan
- What the law says
- The defense for a sale to a minor names an operator's license, a military ID or other genuine documents showing age and identity, without naming the issuing state. The dram shop defense, quoted below, names only a Michigan license or state ID card.
- Source
- MCL 436.1701, MCL 436.1801
- State
- Maryland
- What the law says
- The alcohol law says a venue may accept a Maryland license or ID card from a Maryland resident, a US military ID or Maryland's mobile ID, and names no license from another state. The defense in section 6-306 rests on a written false age claim backed by documents, the buyer's appearance and good faith, not on that list.
- State
- Wisconsin
- What the law says
- Its list of official ID cards names Wisconsin licenses and ID cards, a US military ID, a US passport and Wisconsin tribal ID cards, but no license from another state. A licensee may still ask for a license from another jurisdiction.
- Source
- Wis. Stat. 125.085
- State
- Utah
- What the law says
- Proof of age includes a valid driver's license from the state that issued it and a similar ID card from another state, each with a date of birth and photo.
- Source
- Utah Code 32B-1-102(100)
In an action alleging the unlawful sale of alcoholic liquor to a minor, proof that the defendant retail licensee or the defendant's agent or employee demanded and was shown a Michigan driver license or official state personal identification card, appearing to be genuine and showing that the minor was at least 21 years of age, is a defense to the action.
Licenses from another country
Here the laws split three ways. Some count a license from another country, some name Canada's alone and some leave a foreign license off or rule it out.
- State
- Utah
- What the law says
- Proof of age includes a valid driver's license issued under the laws of a country other than the United States, with a date of birth and photo.
- Source
- Utah Code 32B-1-102(100)
- State
- Vermont
- What the law says
- The law names a valid photo license or ID card issued by Vermont, another state or a foreign jurisdiction, a US military ID and a passport or passport card.
- Source
- 7 V.S.A. 589
- State
- Idaho
- What the law says
- Proof of age is a license, ID card or military ID issued by a state, province, national government or similar government, with a photo and date of birth, or a valid passport.
- Source
- Idaho Code 23-615
- State
- Colorado
- What the law says
- The liquor rule counts a driver's license or ID card from any US state, DC, a US territory or any foreign country, including Canada or Mexico, with a picture and date of birth.
- State
- Washington, DC
- What the law says
- A valid ID is an official ID from a local, state, federal or foreign government agency with the holder's name, date of birth, signature and photo. The alcohol regulator's 2016 guide names a foreign driver's license as an example.
- State
- Montana
- What the law says
- The Department of Revenue lists driver's licenses from other states and foreign countries as acceptable when they carry a photo and date of birth and have not been altered.
- State
- Arizona
- What the law says
- The law lists the only IDs accepted for its age check. It names licenses from Arizona, other states, DC, US territories and Canada, plus a passport, but no license from another country.
- Source
- A.R.S. 4-241
- State
- Minnesota
- What the law says
- Proof of age may be established only by the IDs the law lists. They include a license or ID card from Minnesota, another state or a Canadian province, a US military ID, a US passport and a foreign national's valid passport, but no license from another country.
- Source
- Minn. Stat. 340A.503
- State
- North Dakota
- What the law says
- Staff may decide proof of age solely from a license or ID card issued by North Dakota, another state or a Canadian province, a US military ID or a passport the United States issues or recognizes.
- Source
- N.D.C.C. 5-01-08.3
- State
- Oregon
- What the law says
- Only the listed IDs are acceptable alone as proof of age. They include a license from a US state, DC or a Canadian province or territory and a passport or passport card, but no license from another country.
- Source
- OAR 845-006-0335
- State
- Massachusetts
- What the law says
- The protection for staff covers a passport from the United States or a foreign government it recognizes. Its list has no license from another country.
- Source
- M.G.L. c. 138, s. 34B
- State
- California
- What the law says
- The alcohol regulator lists an out-of-state license among IDs that could qualify and a foreign driver's license among IDs that do not qualify as legally acceptable. It says US and foreign passports with a photo are acceptable.
Washington's liquor board also names Canadian provinces and no other country.
WAC 314-11-025Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board, Acceptable Identification
Does a bar have to accept one?
None of the laws or regulator guides above says a venue has to serve a guest because they hold a listed license. They set what counts as proof of age, or what a defense rests on. California's alcohol regulator says “You are never required to sell or serve alcohol to anyone.” Wisconsin's law says a licensee may ask for a license issued by another jurisdiction or any other proof of age it finds acceptable.
A business may have a company policy that is stricter than the law; e.g., “Only California driver licenses/identifications are accepted” or “anyone purchasing alcoholic beverages MUST present an identification, regardless of age.”
Three of these sources also speak to equal treatment. Washington's ID rule says it does not authorize treating anyone differently on the basis of a protected class under the state's anti-discrimination law. DC's alcohol law says that, whatever its ID rule provides, no licensee shall discriminate on any basis DC's human rights law prohibits, and California's regulator says sellers cannot discriminate on grounds that include national origin.
California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, Checking IdentificationWis. Stat. 125.085WAC 314-11-025D.C. Code 25-783
A house rule for licenses from elsewhere
Because the lists differ by state, a house rule can settle which out-of-state and foreign documents the door takes, so every guest gets the same answer. A written door policy is where that line sits.
Each state in the table on licenses from other countries also counts a passport, the document can a bar accept a passport? covers.
How an ID scan handles a license from elsewhere
AgeShield reads driver's licenses from the US and Canada and some from other countries, plus US state IDs, US green cards and passports. US and Canadian licenses and state IDs carry a barcode in the format set by AAMVA, the association of US and Canadian motor vehicle agencies, and every scan mode checks that barcode for signs of forgery.
Passports, US green cards and licenses from elsewhere do not carry that barcode, so they get no barcode forgery result. See which IDs a scan reads and how a scan works for every result the phone can show.
Four emails a year
What changed in ID law, before it takes effect
Many state rules on IDs and age checks take effect on January 1 or July 1. Each quarter we send one short summary of the changes we found, with the source for every line, starting with the states you pick.
Common questions
Can a bar refuse an out-of-state ID?
The state laws in the tables say which licenses count, not which ones a bar has to take. California's alcohol regulator says a business may have a policy stricter than the law, giving "Only California driver licenses/identifications are accepted" as an example. Wisconsin's law says a licensee may ask for any proof of age it finds acceptable.
Is a Canadian driver's license accepted at US bars?
Several state laws name one. Arizona, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oregon and Washington list licenses from Canadian provinces, and Colorado's liquor rule counts a license from any foreign country, Canada and Mexico included. California's alcohol regulator lists a foreign driver's license among IDs that do not qualify, and Massachusetts's list has no license from another country.
Can you buy alcohol with a foreign driver's license?
It depends on the state. Utah, Vermont, Idaho and Colorado count a valid license from another country that carries a photo, and the alcohol regulators in Montana and Washington, DC list one as acceptable. Arizona, Minnesota, North Dakota and Oregon name Canada and no other country, and each of them counts a passport.
Does an ID scanner check a foreign driver's license for forgery?
AgeShield's barcode forgery check runs on US and Canadian licenses and state IDs, which carry the AAMVA barcode. Licenses from other countries do not carry it, so they get no barcode forgery result. The app reads licenses from the US and Canada and some from other countries.
Sources
- MCL 436.1801(6)
- WAC 314-11-025
- Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board, Acceptable Identification
- California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, Checking Identification
- Wis. Stat. 125.085
- D.C. Code 25-783
- M.G.L. c. 138, s. 34B
- MCL 436.1701
- Md. Code, Alco. Bev. & Cannabis 6-305
- Md. Code, Alco. Bev. & Cannabis 6-306
- Utah Code 32B-1-102(100)
- 7 V.S.A. 589
- Idaho Code 23-615
- Colorado Liquor Rules, Reg. 47-912
- D.C. Code 25-101(53)
- DC alcohol regulator, Accepting Foreign Identifications (2016)
- Montana Department of Revenue, acceptable IDs
- A.R.S. 4-241
- Minn. Stat. 340A.503
- N.D.C.C. 5-01-08.3
- OAR 845-006-0335
This page is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal advice. We research each rule and link its source, so you can check it against your own venue. Questions are welcome at support@ageshield.bar.
Still unsure what your state says about licenses from elsewhere?
Tell us what type of venue you run and we'll point you to the published rules we know of that may apply.