Home Driver's License Washington
Washington Driver's License validator
How the Driver's License format works
- Format
- 12 characters — letters, digits, and asterisk padding derived from the holder's name
- Example
- ABC**DE123F4
Things to watch for
- Format-only check — does not confirm the license actually exists, is valid, or is registered to a real driver
- UNCERTAIN: Washington's number is algorithmically derived from the holder's name (padded with * when the name is short) and sources describe this structure quite differently from each other — this checker only enforces the 12-character length and allowed character set; flag for extra review
- Runs entirely in your browser — nothing you type is transmitted or stored
^[A-Z0-9*]{12}$A Washington driver’s license number is arguably the most distinctive format among all US states: a fixed 12-character string of uppercase letters, digits, and — notably — asterisk (*) padding, issued by the Washington Department of Licensing (DOL), e.g. ABC**DE123F4. Unlike Florida, Illinois, or Michigan, where only a single leading letter is drawn from the holder’s name, Washington’s entire 12-character string is algorithmically derived from the name, with asterisks filling in when a shorter name doesn’t produce enough characters to reach the full length.
Reading the format
Because documented sources describe DOL’s exact name-to-character algorithm quite differently from one another, this checker takes a deliberately narrow approach: it verifies the string is exactly 12 characters drawn from uppercase letters, digits, and asterisks, without attempting to reproduce or verify the underlying name-derivation logic itself.
What a pass doesn’t tell you
A pass confirms the length and character set are right — not that DOL issued that specific number, that the license is currently valid, or that the name it appears to encode is genuine.
Scope: format-only validation, entirely client-side.
Content last reviewed 2026-08-09.
Driver's License FAQ
What is the format of a Washington driver's license number?
A 12-character string of letters, digits, and asterisk padding, algorithmically derived from the holder's name, issued by the Washington Department of Licensing (DOL) — one of the most distinctive license-number structures of any US state.
Why does a Washington license number sometimes contain asterisks?
When the holder's name is too short to fill the algorithm's fixed 12-character output, DOL pads the remainder with asterisks (*) — which is why a real Washington number can include them, and this checker's character set explicitly allows them.
Does this checker decode or verify the name encoded in a Washington number?
No. Sources describe Washington's name-derivation algorithm quite differently from each other, so this checker only enforces the 12-character length and the letters/digits/asterisk character set — it doesn't attempt to reproduce or verify the underlying algorithm.