The Form I-9 document number is the alphanumeric identifier printed on whichever government-issued credential you present to prove identity or work authorization. It goes in the “Document Number” field in Section 2, which your employer completes after examining your originals. Every acceptable document carries its own number in its own spot — a U.S. passport in the upper right of the photo page, a driver’s license on the front, a green card on the front — and copying it correctly is what ties your form to a verifiable government record.
Where to Find the Number on List A Documents
A List A document proves identity and work authorization together, so one is enough on its own. Your employer records the document title, issuing authority, number, and expiration date in the List A column of Section 2.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 4.0 Completing Section 2 – Employer Review and Verification
- U.S. Passport: the nine-digit passport number sits in the upper right corner of the data page (the page with your photo). On a U.S. Passport Card, look in the same general area on the front.
- Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551, “green card”): the card number is printed on the front and typically starts with three letters followed by a string of digits. Don’t confuse it with the USCIS number (A-number), which is a separate field on the I-9.
- Employment Authorization Document (Form I-766): the card carries both an A-number and a card number. The card number is the document number for Section 2. Depending on the version of the card, it appears on the front or the back. Look for the longest alphanumeric string that is not your A-number.
- Foreign Passport with Form I-94: when these are presented together as a single List A entry, your employer records both the passport number and the I-94 number using the additional List A document fields in Section 2.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 13.0 Acceptable Documents for Verifying Employment Authorization and Identity
A common transcription problem: the letter “O” and the number zero, or the letter “I” and the number one, are easy to swap. Before recording anything, count the total characters. The physical document is the final authority. Not a photocopy, not a picture on a phone.
Where to Find the Number on List B and List C Documents
If you do not have a List A document, you present one document from List B (identity) and one from List C (work authorization). Each has its own column in Section 2.
List B Identity Documents
The most common is a state driver’s license or state ID card. The document number is your license or ID number, printed on the front. Other List B options include a school ID with a photo, a voter registration card, and a Native American tribal document.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification Each has an identifying number somewhere on the face of the document.
List C Work Authorization Documents
A Social Security card is the most commonly used List C document, and its nine-digit number goes into the List C document number field. Cards printed with restrictions such as “NOT VALID FOR EMPLOYMENT” or “VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION” cannot be used for I-9 purposes.
Birth certificates also qualify. The registration or file number is usually printed near the top or bottom margin. The certificate must be issued by a state, county, or municipal authority; hospital-issued certificates do not count.
Native American tribal documents can serve as either List B or List C, so a tribal member could use two different tribal documents to satisfy both columns. The identifying number varies by tribe and document type.
When a Document Has No Number
Some documents genuinely do not have a number printed on them. Older birth certificates are the usual example. When that is the case, the employer enters “N/A” in the document number field rather than leaving it blank. A blank field looks like an oversight; “N/A” shows the employer checked and found nothing to record.
If You’re Presenting a Receipt Instead of the Real Document
If your document was lost, stolen, or damaged, a receipt showing you applied for a replacement can stand in temporarily. Your employer writes “Receipt” in the document title field and enters the number printed on the receipt in the document number field. If the receipt has no number, they enter “N/A.”4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 4.4 Acceptable Receipts
A replacement receipt is only valid for 90 days. Before those 90 days end, you must present the actual replacement, and your employer updates Section 2 with the permanent document’s number. An employer cannot keep you working on an expired receipt.
Two other receipt types exist. The departure portion of a Form I-94 with an unexpired refugee admission stamp is valid for 90 days. The arrival portion of an I-94 with a temporary I-551 stamp is valid until the stamp’s expiration date, or one year from admission if no date is printed.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 4.4 Acceptable Receipts If your employment will last fewer than three business days, the employer is not required to accept a receipt at all.
Expired Documents and Automatic Extensions
As a general rule, every document presented for the I-9 must be unexpired.5Federal Register. Documents Acceptable for Employment Eligibility Verification An expired passport or driver’s license does not work. Documents with no expiration date, like a Social Security card, are considered unexpired by default.
There are exceptions. Certain Employment Authorization Documents qualify for an automatic extension past the printed expiration date when the holder has filed a timely renewal application, and some Permanent Resident Cards may be considered unexpired past the face date under specific circumstances.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 13.0 Acceptable Documents for Verifying Employment Authorization and Identity If you think your document qualifies, bring supporting paperwork such as a receipt notice for the renewal so your employer can verify.
How to Fix a Wrong Document Number
If the wrong number was entered in Section 2, the employer corrects it, not the employee. The proper method is simple: draw a single line through the incorrect number so it remains legible, write the correct number next to it, then initial and date the change. No correction fluid, no erasing. Concealing what was there before can actually increase legal liability.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Correcting Errors or Missing Information on Form I-9
Attach a brief written note explaining what was wrong and why the correction was made. If a section has so many errors the corrections become hard to read, the employer can redo that entire section on a fresh Form I-9, staple it to the original, and include a written explanation. The point is a clear paper trail.
Why the Number Has to Be Right
Federal regulations treat incomplete or incorrect I-9 documentation as a violation.7eCFR. 8 CFR 274a.2 – Verification of Identity and Employment Authorization If the employer uses E-Verify and the document number does not match federal records, the case comes back as a Tentative Nonconfirmation (mismatch), and you get eight federal working days to contact DHS or visit a Social Security Administration office to resolve it.8E-Verify. Tentative Nonconfirmations (Mismatches) You cannot be fired or have your hours cut solely because of a pending mismatch, but the delay is real, and it almost always traces back to a number copied carelessly.
Employers face their own exposure. Paperwork violations, including wrong document numbers, missing fields, and failure to retain forms, carry penalties ranging from $288 to $2,861 per form under the most recent inflation adjustment.9Federal Register. Civil Monetary Penalties Inflation Adjustments for 2025 Fines are per form, so sloppy practices across many hires add up quickly. A minute spent double-checking one number is the cheapest compliance step available.
One Timing Note
You must complete Section 1 no later than your first day of work, though you can fill it out any time after accepting the job offer. Your employer then has three business days after your first day to examine your documents and complete Section 2.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification Have your documents ready before day one if you can. It gives everyone time to catch a mis-copied number before it becomes a problem.