I always get a feeling of dread when it comes to having to provide records, particularly of things I did 30 or 40+ years ago. I'm not really good at keeping those things, particularly when decades go by without any need for them.
A few years ago, thanks to the "anti-terrorism" laws, I, a 50+ year old citizen, having worked for at a govt installation for over 30 years, and having held a "Q" level clearance (a couple levels above "top secret" was required to provide "proof" of my citizenship.
There was a full page list of acceptable documents, in three columns. One needed either a document from list A, or one each from lists B & C.
A driver's license wasn't enough. Your birth certificate alone wasn't enough. A Passport was. Through mere chance, I had an old passport, issued in 73 (expired in 78). They had to accept it, although it was older than the people doing the asking.
(I haven't left the US, even to Canada, since 79)
A couple years later, they came back again, this time with new rules, and the old passport was no long acceptable. I had to go to the Social Security people, and get a new card issued to me (just the card, not a new number), as the original card I got in the 70s was long gone. The new card was acceptable to the Homeland Security types, which was humorous to me, as the ID that I needed to get my new card was my driver's license, which the security types would not accept.
My point is, that what constitutes the "legal" or acceptable doesn't always have a close relationship to reality, or many of our day to day lives. It is what ever a bunch of office workers/staffers writing a regulation think proper, and may not be something of actual value, other than compliance with the written rule.
