ID to vote
From May 2023, voters across England will be required to bring photo ID to vote.
Voter Authority Certificate
The Voter Authority Certificate has been introduced for those who don't have another form of eligible ID.
You only need to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate if:
- you do not have accepted photo ID
- you no longer look like the photo on your ID
- the name on your photo ID is different to your name on the electoral register
Acceptable ID
Common types of ID
96% of people in Great Britain hold some form of recognisable photo ID, with passports and driving licenses being the most commonly held forms - bring yours along on polling day so that you can vote.
ID | Notes |
---|---|
United Kingdom passport | n/a |
Passport issued by an EEA state or a Commonwealth country | n/a |
Licence to drive a motor vehicle granted under (i) Part 3 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, or (ii) the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 (SI 1981/154 (N.I. 1)) | This includes provisional driving licences |
Driving licence issued by any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or an EEA state | n/a |
Biometric immigration document issued in accordance with regulations under section 5 of the UK Borders Act 2007 | n/a |
An identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card) | A wide range of identity documents are PASS accredited including:
|
A Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card) | Commonly known as a MOD90 |
The following concessionary travel passes can be used: Funded by the UK Government:
| This list exhaustively sets out all concessionary travel cards that will be accepted, to avoid any confusion amongst electors |
Badge of a form prescribed under section 21 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 or section 14 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons (Northern Ireland) Act 1978 (blue badge scheme) | n/a |
Electoral identity document issued under section 13BD (electoral identity document: Great Britain) | Referred to as the Voter Card |
Anonymous elector’s document issued under section 13BE (anonymous elector’s document: Great Britain) the holder of which has an anonymous entry at the time of the application for a ballot paper | n/a |
Electoral identity card issued under section 13C (electoral identity card: Northern Ireland) | n/a |
National identity card issued by an EEA state | n/a |
Last updated 12 April 2023