From the Department of Retarded State Laws:

I was at Fry's supermarket tonight, about to buy a bottle of $2.99 Boone's sangria (because the poor need to get wasted as much as anybody), when the cashier told me that my New York State non-driver ID wasn't a valid form of identification in Arizona. If it were an NYS driver's license, that would be okay (even though the only, and I mean only, difference between a license and a non-driver card is that one lets you drive; in New York they both require the exact same number of ID "points"). And any Arizona-issued form of ID is fine. But apparently, if you're not an Arizonan and you can't drive, and you don't carry your passport around with you wherever you go, no drinky for kitty. The funny thing is, back when I had an NYS learner's permit, I was told that a learner's permit doesn't carry the same amount of weight as a driver's license or a state ID card. So when the permit expired, and I realized that I wasn't gonna have a car any time soon, I went and got a non-driver card. End of story... until now.

The official spiel on this:

What are the acceptable forms of identification?

(1) A driver's license from any state or Canada provided it includes a picture of the licensee, (2) an Arizona identifications card issued by the Motor Vehicle Division, (3) an armed forces identification card, and (4) a valid passport or border crossing identification card issued by a government, or voter card issued by the government of Mexico which contains a photograph of the person and date of birth. ALL MUST BE UNEXPIRED. [A.R.S. 4-241(A)(1 - 4)]


I dunno man; I like Arizona and it seems like under the right circumstances this'd be a great place to live full-time, but the fates just don't want to throw "the right circumstances" my way.