If a person attempting to purchase alcohol or tobacco presents a vertical license to you, look extra hard to verify that the person is of legal age! Check theīottom left for the dates that the person turns 18 and 21 years of age.Ĭards issued to people age 21 and over are horizontal in format. The background image is of a dogwood flower. Cards issued prior to implementation of the new format remain valid until expiration.Ĭards issued to minors age 15–21 are vertical in format. In 2009, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles began issuing newly designed, secure driver’s licenses and IDs made of laser engraved polycarbonate. Types of unacceptable IDs include college/university ID, expired ID, social security card, government work ID, resident alien card, green card, international driver's license, INS border crosser card and INS worker's authorization card. In order to be acceptable, an ID should include a photograph of bearer, signature, height of bearer, date of birth and expiration date. Valid photo identification card issued by Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.Valid driver's license issued by any state or Washington, DC.The acceptable types of identification for determining age are: There is no legal requirement that a customer show identification, but the best way to verify the customer's age is to request picture identification. The law states that a customer must be at least 21 years of age to purchase alcohol.