I have had the exact same thing happen at Avis at SEA. I had a real physical passport and a scanned copy of my DL - and no amount of DMV verification would get them to rent the car. I had to fly back to CA and get the paper no-photo replacement license and fly back to SEA. I was told that the law in WA is that every driver must be in physical possession of their license and thus no rental car agency was willing to rent to me.

So, if the law is similar where you were your post should be about how YOU caused this nightmare and National was forced to educate you on the law. Sorry.