What are acceptable forms of identification at California Dispensaries?
The Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) has very specific rules on what forms of identification are considered acceptable for use in verifying age and identity when entering into a licensed Cali dispensary.
Despite this, in my many visits to dispensaries across the state, I’ve come across a general lack of understanding by frontline staff when it comes to what forms of identification are valid at California dispensaries. I’ve personally witnessed and experienced being denied the ability to purchase because valid identification was not deemed valid. Given the federal legal status of everything in this industry, it’s understandable that employees act more conservatively than they need to as a rule and in general, any person who experiences a denial at a dispensary should chalk it up to the fact that we’re still technically living under Prohibition.
The Department of Cannabis Control “regulations do not differentiate between primary and secondary forms of identification”
Some state organizations, like the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), will have very specific requirements on what is considered a valid form of identification – and even rank types identification into primary and secondary tiers. The Department of Cannabis Control does not do that, and instead has 3 simple rules to determine if an ID is acceptable for purposes of passing age verification to enter and purchase at a dispensary:
“The following are acceptable forms of identification as outlined in (c) of Section 15404:
(1) A document issued by a federal, state, county, or municipal government, or a political subdivision or agency thereof, including, but not limited to, a valid motor vehicle operator’s license, that contains the name, date of birth, height, gender, and photo of the person
(2) A valid identification card issued to a member of the Armed Forces that includes the person’s name, date of birth, and photo; or
(3) A valid passport issued by the United States or by a foreign government.”
I reached out to the DCC for clarification on what kind of IDs could be used and Media Relations Manager David Hafner confirmed:
“The regulations do not differentiate between primary and secondary forms of Identification.”
Hafner concluded:
“For additional information, the regulations are available on DCC’s website.”
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