Required Identification and Documents

About 28 minutes · s. 480.0535, F.S. (cross-references: s. 480.043(14)(d) and (f); Rule 64B7-26.0035(3), F.A.C.)

14.1 The purpose

Section 480.0535 begins with a statement of purpose that explains everything else in the section: the requirements exist "to provide the department and law enforcement agencies the means to more effectively identify, investigate, and arrest persons engaging in human trafficking."

The provision was first enacted in 2012 and was amended in 2021 and again in 2024 (Chapter 1 traced the history). The 2024 amendments, in a package aimed at illicit businesses operating as massage establishments, increased the penalties for failing to present identification. The logic is simple. Trafficking victims are often moved from place to place, kept without identification, or working under false names. A rule that requires every person working in an establishment to be able to prove who they are, and requires the establishment to keep identification copies, makes it harder to hide victims and easier for investigators to identify them.

This chapter is short because the statute is short, but it has teeth. Chapter 13 taught the records an establishment must keep (including a copy of each employee's government ID). This chapter teaches what happens when an investigator asks to see them.

14.2 Who must carry what, and who must produce what

The statute assigns duties to three kinds of people, and the duties are different. Putting them in a table prevents the common mistake of thinking that "the ID rule" is one rule for everyone.

Three observations follow from the table.

The employee's duty is personal. It does not depend on the employer's help. An employee who has no valid listed document on her person when an investigator asks has not met the statute, whatever the reason. A worker should treat the carrying of her own identification the way a driver treats the carrying of a license.

The operator's duty has two parts. The first part is about producing documents, the operator's own identification, copies of each worker's documentation and the records required by the Chapter 13 provisions. The second part is an outcome duty. The operator must see that every worker can in fact produce valid identification at once. Keeping a binder of copies does not satisfy the second part if the workers do not have their documents with them.

The investigator's duty protects fairness. The statute requires the investigator to request identification from all employees. An investigator is not free to pick and choose among the people in the room. This feature of the statute helps ensure that everyone is treated the same way.

The people covered are broad. The definition of employee includes independent contractors, lessees and unpaid helpers, as earlier chapters have explained. The identification rule therefore reaches the front-desk worker, the therapist who rents a room and the relative who helps on a busy weekend.

14.3 Who must present identification

Subsection (1) applies to two groups:

• "An employee" of the establishment (Chapter 2 gave the broad statutory meaning: anyone whose duties involve any aspect of the establishment, including independent contractors, lessees and unpaid helpers); and
• "Any person performing massage therapy in a massage establishment."

They "must immediately present, upon the request of an investigator of the department or a law enforcement officer, unexpired.">valid government identification while in the establishment."

Three words carry the rule. "Immediately" means there is no time to go home and fetch it, to phone a relative, or to produce it "tomorrow." "Upon the request" means the duty is triggered by a request from one of two kinds of officials: a Department investigator or a law enforcement officer. And "while in the establishment" means the identification must be with the person at work.

The subsection adds a duty for the Department: "An investigator of the department must request valid government identification from all employees while in the establishment." During an inspection, an investigator is not free to ask only some of the people present.

14.4 What counts as valid government identification

Subsection (1) lists six documents, and only these qualify:

Four consequences follow from the text.

• "Valid, unexpired." An expired license is not valid identification for this purpose, even if the person is the lawful holder. People working in establishments should check their expiration dates the way therapists check their license renewal dates (Chapter 9).
• The list is closed. A foreign passport is not on the list, and neither are a work badge, a student card, a birth certificate, a photocopy or a photograph of an ID on a phone. A person whose only available document is not on the list does not satisfy the statute.
• Issued by a U.S. jurisdiction. Items (a) and (b) must be issued by a state, territory or district of the United States. A foreign driver's license is not on the list.
• Federal immigration documents are included. Items (d) through (f) mean that a person who is not a U.S. citizen but is lawfully present and authorized to work can satisfy the statute using the appropriate federal document.

The statute does not address how it applies to employees who may lack any listed document. That is a question for the Board or the Department, and for an attorney in the case of an actual dispute; this course teaches what the text says.

14.5 Checking identification at hiring: a practical procedure

The statute and the Chapter 13 record rules require an establishment to have a copy of each employee's identification before the employee provides any service. A consistent procedure makes the requirement routine, respectful and fair. The steps below are a model.

Step one: explain the rule first. Before you ask for any document, tell the person why. A short explanation works: "Florida law requires everyone who works in a massage establishment to have unexpired.">valid government identification with them at work and requires us to keep a copy. Any of the following six documents satisfies the law." Then show the list. People are more comfortable when they know the reason and understand that the rule applies to everyone.

Step two: ask for a listed document. The six documents are a state driver license, a state identification card, a United States passport, a naturalization certificate, an alien registration receipt card and an employment authorization card, as the statute describes them. A fair practice is to say that any listed document is acceptable and to avoid demanding one particular type. Questions about how this statute interacts with federal employment verification rules, which this course does not cover, should be directed to an attorney.

Step three: check the details. Look at the document with the person in front of you. Is it one of the six? Is it unexpired, unless it is a naturalization certificate, as to which the statute does not use that word? Does the name match the name she gave on her application? Does the photograph, if there is one, appear to be of the person in front of you? If something seems wrong, do not accuse. Say that you need to resolve a question, and ask a supervisor or the owner to review it.

Step four: copy it. Make a legible copy and place it in the employee's file. The statute and the rule treat the copy as part of the record that must be complete before the employee provides any service. Return the original to the person at once.

Step five: record the expiration date. Write the date on your ID calendar, and set a reminder to ask for a replacement before the date arrives.

Step six: tell her what she must carry. Explain that she must have a valid listed document with her at work, and that she must be able to produce it immediately to an investigator or an officer. Explain that the establishment will never hold her identification, and that she may keep it at all times.

Step seven: file securely. Employee files contain sensitive personal information. Store them in a locked cabinet or a protected electronic system, limit who may see them and train staff on their care.

Step eight: sign off. The manager initials the checklist to show that the steps were completed before the first service.

A procedure like this protects the establishment and the worker. It shows that the establishment took the rule seriously and treated each person the same way.

14.6 The identification calendar

Because most of the listed documents must be valid and unexpired, expiration dates matter. An identification calendar is a small tool that prevents a surprising number of violations.

What goes on it. For each person working in the establishment, record the type of document she presented, the expiration date, and the date you will remind her to renew. If a person's document does not expire, note that. For a naturalization certificate, note that the statute does not use the word unexpired.

How it works. Review the calendar monthly. When a document will expire within the next sixty days, speak privately with the person and remind her. Ask that she provide the renewed document, and make a copy for the file when it arrives. Update the calendar.

What if the document expires? An expired document is not valid for this purpose. If a person's only listed document has expired, the establishment should ask her to obtain a valid document, and should consider whether she may work in the meantime. The safest course is to ask the Board or the Department how to handle the situation, and to consult an attorney if the circumstances are complicated. Do not wait for an investigator to find the problem.

What if the document is lost or stolen? Ask the person to apply for a replacement at once and to keep proof that she has done so. A lost document is a practical problem, and the establishment should help the person to solve it. As with an expired document, ask the Board or the Department how the statute applies during the gap.

A shared responsibility. The calendar is the establishment's tool, but the duty to carry valid identification is personal. Encourage each worker to keep her own reminder.

Keep it private. An ID calendar contains dates of birth or other personal information in some cases. Store it securely, and limit access to the manager and owner.

14.7 What the person operating the establishment must do

Subsection (2) places further duties on "a person operating a massage establishment." That phrase reaches the owner, the designated establishment manager and anyone else who is operating the establishment. The person must do two things.

(a) Immediately present, on request of a Department investigator or law enforcement officer:

1. unexpired.">Valid government identification of the operator, while in the establishment.
2. A copy of the documentation specified in subsection (1) "for each employee and any person performing massage therapy in the establishment."
3. A copy of the documents required under s. 480.043(14)(d) and (f), that is, the employee records and the client/service records you studied in Chapter 13.

A drafting note: paragraph (2)(a)2. as written refers to "the documentation specified in paragraph (1)(a)," which is only the first item on the list (the driver license). Subsection (1) lists six kinds of document, and the statute's evident purpose is that the establishment hold a copy of whichever listed document each person uses. If you operate an establishment, keep a copy of the actual identification each person relies on, whatever its type, and ask the Board if you have any doubt about the cross-reference.

(b) Ensure that each employee and each person performing massage therapy is able to immediately present valid government identification on request, while in the establishment.

That second duty is an outcome duty. The operator is not only responsible for keeping copies; the operator must see that every person working there actually has the ID on hand. The Board's rule for the designated manager makes the same point. A therapist serving as manager must ensure that "each licensed massage therapist and any person working in the massage establishment has unrestricted access to their own personal valid government identification" (Rule 64B7-26.0035(3)(d), Chapter 12). "Unrestricted access" is aimed at a familiar abuse: an employer who holds workers' identification documents. The rule makes it a compliance failure for the establishment to keep a worker's ID locked away where the worker cannot reach it.

The proper uses of the copies. An establishment's files of ID copies are sensitive personal information. Keep them secure, restrict access, and produce them only to the officials the statute names. (The general confidentiality principles of s. 456.057 in Chapter 10 apply to patient records; treat employee identification with comparable care.)

14.8 Why holding documents is so serious

The statute and the Board's rule treat the holding of workers' documents as a compliance failure, and later chapters will treat it as a sign of a much larger problem. Understanding why helps owners and managers avoid even well-meant practices that cross the line.

The ordinary reasons people give. Some employers say that they hold documents for safekeeping, to make copies, to prevent loss or because the worker asked. These reasons may be sincere, but they create a risk. A worker whose documents are in someone else's office cannot show them to an investigator, cannot leave easily and cannot prove who she is if she needs help.

The harm the law is aimed at. Trafficking and coercion often involve the control of a person's identification. A person who has no access to her documents may be unable to travel, seek help or change jobs. The rule therefore makes unrestricted access a requirement and treats the withholding of documents as a failure by the establishment.

What to do instead. Make a copy, return the original at once and tell the worker to keep it. If a worker wants the establishment to hold a document, for example because she is afraid of losing it, the safest practice is to say no and to explain that the law requires her to be able to show it immediately. Suggest that she keep the document in a secure place that she controls and can reach during working hours.

Warning signs for managers. A manager who notices that workers' documents are collected by someone, that a worker says she cannot get her own identification or that someone controls a worker's access to her documents should treat it as serious. Chapter 15 explains the signs of trafficking and the reporting procedure.

Warning signs for workers. A worker who cannot get her identification back, who is told that she owes money for its return or who is threatened if she asks for it should seek help. Chapter 15 lists the reporting channels, including a national hotline.

Culture matters. An establishment in which workers feel free to ask questions, raise concerns and keep their own documents is more compliant and safer. Owners set the tone.

14.9 Penalties

Subsection (3) establishes a ladder of criminal penalties. "A person who violates this section commits":

The jump to a felony on a third violation matters for the establishment and everyone connected to it. Chapter 20 explains what those offense levels mean in terms of possible punishment.

Two observations about how the statute works.

• "A person who violates this section." The subject is any person, which includes the operator, the employee who cannot produce ID, and others. The statute does not spell out whether repeat violations are counted per individual or per establishment. A repeat count can therefore matter to a business and to its owner personally; treat every request seriously.
• A separate criminal exposure. Quite apart from these penalties, a failure to keep proper records may also be a basis for discipline or license consequences (Chapters 18 and 19), and a pattern of noncompliance can contribute to the larger concerns about trafficking (Chapter 15).

14.10 Counting violations: why every request matters

The penalty ladder is easy to read and hard to apply with certainty. The statute states that a person who violates the section commits a second-degree misdemeanor for a first violation, a first-degree misdemeanor for a second violation, and a third-degree felony for a third or subsequent violation. It does not explain how violations are counted.

Several questions arise, and the course does not claim to answer them. The statute does not say whether the count is tied to the person or to the establishment. It does not say how much time may pass between violations. It does not say whether two failures during the same inspection are one violation or two. These are questions for the courts and for the Department, and an owner who faces a charge should consult an attorney at once.

What the statute does make clear is the direction of the ladder. Each repetition increases the seriousness. An establishment that has been cited once is in a more dangerous position than one that has never been cited, and the owner's personal exposure may grow with each citation. The wise response is to treat the first citation as a signal to fix the system, and not as a one-time embarrassment.

Consider how this works in practice. Suppose an investigator visits and two workers cannot present valid identification. The operator may face a charge, and the workers may too. Suppose the establishment corrects its practice, but a year later a different worker is without identification during another visit. The history may matter. Suppose a third incident follows. The felony level is then in view.

The practical lessons are three. Fix the cause, not the symptom. If workers did not have their identification with them, adopt a rule that they must. If documents were held, return them. If copies were missing, complete the files. Second, keep records of corrections. A record that shows you fixed a problem promptly is evidence of good faith. Third, consult an attorney after any citation. The consequences are too serious to handle without advice.

14.11 When the investigator arrives: the first minutes

An investigator's visit can be stressful, especially for staff who have never experienced one. A calm, prepared response helps. The following approach is a model for the first minutes.

Greet and ask for identification. A Department investigator or a law enforcement officer should present identification and state the purpose of the visit. Ask politely to see the identification, and note the name and agency.

Call the manager or owner. The person operating the establishment bears the duties in subsection (2). If the manager or owner is not present, call her at once. Do not delay the visit, and do not tell the investigator to come back later.

Produce what the statute requires. The operator should present her own valid identification and the folder that contains copies of each worker's identification and the employee and service records required by the earlier chapter. Each worker should be able to present her own valid listed document at once.

Be courteous and prompt. Delay or obstruction of an investigation or inspection can create separate violations, as Chapter 18 explains. Answer the questions asked. Do not argue, and do not volunteer information beyond what is asked.

Know when to ask for advice. If the visit involves anything beyond a routine inspection, or if the investigator makes allegations, the operator may politely say that she wishes to consult an attorney, and ask how to proceed. Courtesy and a request for advice are compatible.

Take notes. After the visit, write down the date, the names of the people present, what was asked, what was produced and what was said. Keep the notes with your records.

Follow up. If the investigator gave instructions or left a document, read it carefully, note any deadline and respond promptly.

Protect the workers. Some workers may be anxious. Reassure them that the visit is routine if it is, that they should answer truthfully and that they have the right to ask what is required of them. Do not coach anyone to give false information, and do not tell anyone to leave.

Do not interfere. An owner or manager must not hide records, send workers away to avoid the visit or alter documents. Doing so can create serious offenses.

The way you handle the first minutes sets the tone for the entire visit. An establishment that is ready, organized and courteous can usually complete an inspection quickly.

14.12 The "records ready" folder

The statute requires the operator to present, on request and immediately, a set of documents. The only way to do that reliably is to keep them together and ready. A "records ready" folder is a simple solution.

What goes in it. The folder should hold the establishment license, the operator's own identification, a copy of the valid identification each employee and each person performing massage therapy relies on, the employee records required by section 480.043(14)(d) and the service records required by paragraph (14)(f). It may also hold the insurance policy copy and the human trafficking procedure, since those are often requested during inspections.

How to organize it. Use tabs for each category and put employees in alphabetical order. Include an index at the front that lists each employee, the document type and the expiration date. Update the index whenever someone joins or leaves.

Where to keep it. Keep it where the manager or owner can reach it at once. If the manager is out, make sure that another responsible person knows where it is. A folder locked in a safe to which no one is present has the same effect as no folder.

Paper or electronic. Either works if it can be produced immediately. If you use electronic records, make sure a person can open them without delay, that the system is secure and that a printout can be made. A system that requires a password no one remembers is not a records-ready system.

Test it. Once a quarter, ask someone to request the folder as an investigator would. Time the response. If it takes more than a minute or two, improve the system.

Protect it. The folder holds sensitive personal information. Keep it secure, limit who may see it and produce it only to the officials the statute names.

Update it. When a worker leaves, follow a consistent rule about her records. The statute and the earlier chapter set retention rules for some records, and for others the text reviewed here does not state a period. Ask the Board before destroying anything.

14.13 The federal notice

Subsection (4) says that "the department shall notify a federal immigration office if a person operating a massage establishment, an employee, or any person performing massage therapy in a massage establishment fails to provide unexpired.">valid government identification as required under this section."

Two things stand out. First, the verb is "shall": notification is mandatory once the failure occurs. Second, the trigger is a failure to provide valid government identification as required. A person who produces a listed, valid, unexpired document does not trigger it. A person who cannot produce one, for whatever reason, does. This is part of the Legislature's effort to give investigators leverage, and it is a reason establishments should verify, before anyone starts work, that each person has a listed document and can carry it.

14.14 What the federal notice means in practice

The federal notice provision is among the most sensitive in the chapter, and it deserves a careful and fair explanation. The statute provides that the Department shall notify a federal immigration office if a person operating an establishment, an employee or a person performing massage therapy fails to provide unexpired.">valid government identification as required by the section.

What triggers the notice. The trigger is a failure to provide valid government identification as required. A person who produces a listed, valid document does not trigger it. The statute does not say that the notice depends on a person's immigration status, and it does not describe any further process.

Why it matters to establishments. The statute makes the notice mandatory. An establishment that cannot show that each worker has valid listed identification risks bringing the notice about for the worker and for the operator. The best prevention is to verify identification before work begins, to keep the calendar and to see that workers carry their documents.

Why it matters to workers. A worker who knows that she may be asked at any time, and who keeps her valid document with her, protects herself. A worker who has questions about her own situation should seek advice from a qualified immigration attorney or a legal aid organization, and should not rely on rumors.

What this course does not do. This course teaches what the statute says. It does not give immigration advice, and it does not predict what any agency would do in a particular case. If you or someone you work with has a question about immigration status, a licensed attorney or an accredited representative is the right source of help.

Fairness and non-discrimination. An establishment should apply the identification procedure to all workers in the same way, and should not treat people differently because of their national origin or appearance. Questions about how this statute fits with other laws on employment practices should go to an attorney.

Dignity. Whatever the rule, people should be treated with respect. A worker who cannot produce a document should be treated as a person with a problem to solve, and not as a suspect. A calm, private conversation is better than a public confrontation.

14.15 The worker's point of view

Most of this chapter has spoken to owners and managers, but the statute applies to every worker, and a worker has her own practical concerns.

Know what you must carry. Keep a valid listed document with you whenever you are in the establishment. If you drive, your license is usually enough, but make sure it is unexpired. If you do not drive, a state identification card or another listed document will do.

Keep it yourself. Do not give your identification to an employer, a manager or a coworker to hold. The establishment may keep a copy. You should keep the original.

Know the date. Look at the expiration date on your document and put a reminder on your phone for two months before. Renewing takes time.

If you lose it. Apply for a replacement at once, keep proof that you applied and tell your manager. Ask how the establishment will handle the gap, and ask the Board or the Department if you need a clear answer.

If an investigator asks. Show the document immediately and calmly. Answer the questions you are asked truthfully. You may ask what the visit concerns. If you are afraid or unsure, you may ask to speak with the owner or an attorney.

If something feels wrong. If someone controls your documents, if you are told you cannot leave or if you feel unsafe, seek help. Chapter 15 explains how to reach the national human trafficking hotline and other resources. You do not need anyone's permission to ask for help.

Your rights as a licensee. A licensed therapist who works in an establishment remains personally responsible for following the Act. If you see practices that violate the law, you may raise them with the manager and, if necessary, the Department.

14.16 Training your staff: a fifteen-minute session

Rules help only when people know them. A short session at the start of employment and once a year keeps the identification rule in everyone's mind. The outline below can be delivered in about fifteen minutes.

Minutes one to three: why the rule exists. Explain that the statute was written to help investigators identify and stop human trafficking, and that every person in the establishment shares in protecting the people who work there. A rule with a clear and humane purpose is easier to follow.

Minutes four to six: the six documents. Show the list. Make clear that only these six qualify, that most must be valid and unexpired and that a photocopy or a picture on a phone does not count. Ask each person to check the date on her own document.

Minutes seven to nine: what happens at a visit. Describe the first minutes of an investigator's visit. Explain that anyone asked must present her document at once, that the manager or owner will handle the questions about records and that everyone should be courteous. Reassure staff that a routine visit is a normal part of a licensed business.

Minutes ten to twelve: keeping documents. Explain that each worker keeps her own original, that the establishment keeps only a copy and that no one may hold another person's documents. Invite workers to tell the manager, or the Department, if anyone ever does.

Minutes thirteen to fifteen: questions and practice. Ask two volunteers to role-play the first minutes of a visit, one as the investigator and one as the worker. Then answer questions. If you do not know an answer, say so and promise to find it from the Board or the Department.

After the session, write down the date, who attended and what was covered. Keep the record with your training file. Repeat the session when anything changes, such as a new rule, a new hire or an incident.

A final tip: ask staff what worries them. A worker who is anxious about being asked for identification may need reassurance, or may have a real problem to solve. A manager who listens will learn about issues before an investigator does.

14.17 Frequently asked questions

Does the identification rule apply to clients? The statute applies to employees, persons performing massage therapy and persons operating the establishment. Chapter 13 separately requires the establishment to confirm the identity of a client before service as part of its service records. The two rules are different.

May an establishment accept a photocopy as the employee's identification? The statute requires the person to present unexpired.">valid government identification. A photocopy or a photograph on a phone is not on the list. The establishment keeps a copy in the employee file, but the worker must be able to show the original.

Is a student identification card acceptable? It is not on the list of six. A person whose only document is not listed does not satisfy the statute.

What if a person's document is valid but the name differs from her work name? The records require the full legal name. Use the legal name in the employee file and on the displays, and ask the person to confirm it. If a name has changed, ask her to update the document and to give you a copy.

Do volunteers and relatives who help at the front desk have to show identification? The Act's definition of employee includes unpaid helpers. They are covered.

Who is the person operating the establishment? The phrase reaches the owner, the designated manager and anyone else who is operating the establishment at the time. If you are unsure whether you fall within it, assume you do.

May the establishment keep identification copies after a worker leaves? The text reviewed here does not state a retention period for employee records. Ask the Board before destroying them, and keep them secure.

14.18 More scenarios to practice

Scenario F: The new hire's passport. A candidate offers a foreign passport and says she is waiting for her work authorization. The owner wants to start her this week. What should the owner do?

Discussion. A foreign passport is not on the statutory list, so it does not satisfy the statute. Because the statute and the record rules require valid listed identification before a person provides any service, the owner should not start her until she can present a listed document. The owner should be courteous, explain the rule and suggest that the candidate obtain advice about her situation. The owner may also ask the Board or the Department how the statute applies.

Scenario G: The locked drawer. A manager keeps employees' identification cards in a locked drawer "so nothing gets lost." During an inspection, an investigator asks a therapist for her identification, and the manager has to unlock the drawer. What are the problems?

Discussion. The statute requires each employee to present identification immediately, and the operator to ensure that each can. The Board's rule requires unrestricted access to a worker's own identification. A worker who depends on a manager to unlock a drawer does not have unrestricted access, and the delay may mean she did not present the document immediately. The manager should return all originals at once and keep copies only.

Scenario H: The expired card. An employee's state identification card expired three weeks ago. The manager's calendar showed the date, but no one reminded her. During an inspection she shows the expired card. What happened?

Discussion. An expired card is not valid for the statute. The establishment's calendar was a good idea, but the reminder step failed. The employee may be cited, and the establishment faces exposure because the operator must ensure that each employee can present valid identification. The manager should review the system, add a sixty-day reminder and speak with the Department about how to handle the gap.

Scenario I: The owner without papers. The owner of a small establishment is not at the establishment when an investigator arrives, and no one knows where the employee files are kept. What does the statute require, and what should change?

Discussion. The statute requires the person operating the establishment to present, immediately on request, her own valid identification, copies of identification for each employee and the required records. With no one available, the establishment cannot comply, and the person operating it, which may include whoever is in charge at the time, may be cited. The establishment should adopt a records-ready folder, tell staff where it is and make sure that a responsible person is present or reachable during business hours.

Scenario J: The third citation. An establishment was cited for missing employee files, and later cited again for failing to present a worker's identification. A year after the second citation, another inspection finds that an employee's file is missing the identification copy. What is the exposure?

Discussion. The ladder increases with repetition. A third violation can be a third-degree felony. The statute does not explain how violations are counted, so the owner should consult an attorney at once. The establishment should also find the cause of the repeated problem, fix the system and keep records of the correction. The owner may face licensing consequences as well.

Chapter summary

Section 480.0535 exists to give the Department and law enforcement the means to identify, investigate and arrest persons engaged in human trafficking. It requires any employee, and any person performing massage therapy in an establishment, to immediately present unexpired.">valid government identification on request of a Department investigator or a law enforcement officer while in the establishment. The investigator must request identification from all employees.

Only six documents qualify: a driver license or an identification card issued by a state, territory or district of the United States, a United States passport, a naturalization certificate issued by the Department of Homeland Security, an alien registration receipt card and an employment authorization card issued by the Department of Homeland Security. The documents must be valid and unexpired, except that the statute's text for the naturalization certificate does not use that word. The list is closed.

A person operating an establishment must present her own valid identification, copies of the documentation for each employee and person performing massage therapy, and the employee and service records required by section 480.043(14)(d) and (f). She must also ensure that each employee and person performing massage therapy can present valid identification immediately. A therapist who serves as manager must ensure unrestricted access to each person's own identification, so holding workers' documents is a compliance failure.

A first violation is a misdemeanor of the second degree, a second violation is a misdemeanor of the first degree and a third or subsequent violation is a felony of the third degree. The statute does not explain how violations are counted. The Department shall notify a federal immigration office if a person fails to provide valid government identification as required. Practical steps include verifying documents at hiring, keeping an expiration calendar, never holding workers' documents, keeping a records-ready folder and treating every request courteously and promptly.