Military bases will not accept Washington driver’s license as ID

SEATTLE – Washington residents will no longer be able to use their state standard-issue driver’s licenses as identification to get onto military bases.

The Department of Defense said Wednesday that military installations will no longer accept driver’s licenses from Washington, as well as Minnesota, Illinois, Missouri and New Mexico, as proof of identity.

Officials said people may be allowed entry with another form of ID such as a passport. Cards authorized in Defense Department policy are not affected.

Washington state already offers, but does not mandate, enhanced driver’s licenses and IDs that require proof of U.S. citizenship and are valid under the Real ID Act passed by Congress in 2005. That federal law set minimum standards for licenses in response to security concerns following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.