Washington Driver's License Issue Date: Where to Find ISS and What It Means
Look at the front of a Washington driver's license and you'll find the issue date next to the label ISS. That's the field to use any time a form asks when your license was issued. Here's a rundown of every code and date printed on a Washington card.
Where to find the issue date on a Washington driver's license
Washington's Department of Licensing (DOL) stamps ISS on the current card design to show exactly when that card was produced. Renewing doesn't change your driver license number, but it does reset ISS to the renewal date.
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Date fields on a Washington driver's license
Three dates appear on a Washington license:
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- ISS: Issue date. When DOL printed your current card.
- DOB: Date of birth. Confirms your identity and age.
- EXP: Expiration date. Washington is unusual in letting you pick a 6-year or 8-year standard term at each renewal.
A form asking for your "driver's license issue date" wants the number next to ISS, not DOB. They're printed close together and easy to mix up at a glance.
What does DD mean on a Washington driver's license?
DOL also prints a Document Discriminator (DD) on the card: a card-specific serial number that changes with every reissue, separate from your driver license number. It's how rental agencies and banks verify a card is the real, unaltered one.
If a form wants a "document number" that isn't your license number, DD is what it's asking for.
Restrictions on a Washington driver's license
DOL prints restriction codes on the card when they apply; no code shown means no restrictions. Washington doesn't publish a single clean letter-code list for standard licenses the way some states do, so if your card shows a code you don't recognize, DOL customer service or your local licensing office can tell you exactly what it means and why it's there.
Washington's Enhanced Driver License: skip the passport at the Canadian border
Beyond standard and REAL ID options, Washington offers an Enhanced Driver License (EDL) with an embedded RFID chip that lets U.S. citizens cross back into the country by land or sea from Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean without a passport. It is not valid for air travel of any kind, domestic or international. Applicants must prove U.S. citizenship in addition to the usual identity and residency documents.
EDL costs more than a standard license: $103 for 6 years or $137 for 8 years, compared to $61 or $81 for a standard card. REAL ID compliance is a separate track from EDL; a standard REAL ID license still requires a passport for any international travel, including to Canada by land.
How to renew a Washington driver's license
Washington's online system, License eXpress, lets eligible drivers renew a standard or EDL license without visiting an office, generally up to a year before expiration. In-person renewal is required for first-time REAL ID or EDL issuance and for any change to your legal name or photo.
Standard renewal runs $61 for 6 years or $81 for 8 years. A late fee of $10 applies if you renew more than 60 days after your license expires.
- ISS is the label for the issue date on your Washington license. It shows when DOL produced your current card.
- ISS is not your date of birth (DOB) and not your expiration date (EXP): use the date next to ISS when a form asks for "license issue date."
- Renewing resets ISS to the renewal date; it does not reflect when you were first licensed.
- The DD field (Document Discriminator) is a card serial number, not a date: never enter it as an issue date.
How to find your original Washington licensing date
ISS shows when your current card was made, not when you first got licensed in Washington. If you need your original licensing date for insurance, employment, or a CDL application, request your official driving record through DOL. It lists your complete licensing history, original issue date included.
Common mistakes when entering your Washington license issue date
- Use the date next to ISS whenever a form asks for your "license issue date" or "date issued"
- Check which date format a form expects: MM/DD/YYYY and YYYY-MM-DD both come up
- If your license has been renewed, use the ISS date from your current card, not an earlier one
- Decide between the 6-year and 8-year term based on cost per year, not just the sticker price
- Bring proof of citizenship if you're applying for an EDL, in addition to standard ID documents
- Renew through License eXpress before your EXP date to avoid the $10 late fee
- Don't enter your DOB (date of birth) when a form asks for the issue date: they're different fields
- Don't enter your EXP (expiration date) as the issue date: expiration is when it ends, not when it began
- Don't use the issue date from an old, expired license if you have a current one
- Don't enter the DD (Document Discriminator) as your issue date: it's a serial number, not a date
- Don't try to use an EDL for air travel: it only works for land and sea crossings
- Don't assume REAL ID and EDL are the same upgrade: they're separate credentials with different uses
