William Lipovsky
Short Answer — Some temporary IDs include photos, which means they may qualify as valid photo IDs to cash a check. If your temporary ID doesn’t have a photo, you may need to provide another primary form of ID or two secondary forms of ID. However, some check cashing stores will cash a check for you without a photo ID, so you might want to try there first.
Can You Cash a Check With a Temporary ID?
Check cashing facilities (e.g., banks, credit unions, check cashing stores, and big-box stores with business services like Walmart) typically require you to show a valid photo ID in order to cash a check.
Some states — like Illinois, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and others — include photos on temporary IDs, in which case a temporary ID may qualify as a valid photo ID and you’ll be able to cash a check. For example, TD Bank accepts temporary IDs with a photo, signature, and expiration date as an acceptable form of primary ID and Walmart accepts various forms of ID, subject to approval.
If your temporary ID does not include a photo, you may need to provide another primary form of ID, such as a passport, or two secondary forms of ID. TD Bank lists the following acceptable secondary forms of ID (Since banks comply with the same federal regulations, requirements at most banks will be similar. Check cashing fees may apply, unless you are a bank customer.):
- Employment ID with photo and signature
- U.S. birth certificate
- State-issued driver’s license with signature, no photo
- College ID with photo
- Green Card (or permanent resident card) with photo
- Firearms permit with photo
- Foreign driver’s license with photo
- Alien registration card with photo
- Employment Authorization Document with photo, signature, and expiration date
Some check cashing stores will cash a check for you without a photo ID. If you don’t have a photo ID, Speedy Cash will ask you for basic personal information to verify your identity and The Check Cashing Place only needs a few pieces of personal information to get your check cashed. Check cashing fees may apply.
See our related research on how to cash a check without an ID or bank account.
