Custom date format with jQuery validation plugin

Solution 1:

You can create your own custom validation method using the addMethod function. Say you wanted to validate "dd/mm/yyyy":

$.validator.addMethod(
    "australianDate",
    function(value, element) {
        // put your own logic here, this is just a (crappy) example
        return value.match(/^\d\d?\/\d\d?\/\d\d\d\d$/);
    },
    "Please enter a date in the format dd/mm/yyyy."
);

And then on your form add:

$('#myForm')
    .validate({
        rules : {
            myDate : {
                australianDate : true
            }
        }
    })
;

Solution 2:

nickf's answer is good, but note that the validation plug-in already includes validators for several other date formats, in the additional-methods.js file. Before you write your own, make sure that someone hasn't already done it.