Voter ID in polling stations

From 4 May 2023 all voters are required to show photographic identification at polling stations before they are given a ballot paper.

You are not required to provide photo ID for postal voting.

Acceptable forms of photo ID will include:

• passport issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, a British Overseas Territory, an EEA state or a Commonwealth country
• driving licence issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or an EEA state
• biometric immigration document
• identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card)
• Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)
• blue badge
• national identity card issued by an EEA state
• Older Person’s Bus Pass
• Disabled Person’s Bus Pass
• Oyster 60+ Card
• Freedom Pass
• Scottish National Entitlement Card issued in Scotland
• 60 and Over Welsh Concessionary Travel Card issued in Wales
• Disabled Person’s Welsh Concessionary Travel Card issued in Wales
• Senior SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
• Registered Blind SmartPass or Blind Person’s SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
• War Disablement SmartPass or War Disabled SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
• 60+ SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
• Half Fare SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
• Electoral Identity Card issued in Northern Ireland
• Voter Authority Certificate or a temporary Voter Authority Certificate

If your photo ID has expired, it will still be accepted as long as the photograph is still a good likeness of you.

If you do not have any of the accepted forms of photo ID, you will be able to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate in person, by post or online from January 2023.

This is a free photo ID document specific for the purposes of voting.

We recommend that you do this in good time ahead of voter identification first being required in polling stations. The first time this will be asked for will be the local elections on Thursday 4 May 2023.

The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate is 5pm on Tuesday 25 April. You can apply online on the GOV.UK website.