From May 2023, all voters will be required to show an accepted form of photo ID at a polling station before they are able to cast their vote.

This includes voting as part of:

• UK Parliamentary general elections
• local elections in England
• local referendums in England
• Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales

Electoral identity

The majority of voters will already have an accepted form of ID. This includes:

• Driver’s licenses
• Passports
• Concessionary travel passes
• PASS cards
• Ministry of Defence identity cards
• Photocard parking permits issued as part of the Blue Badge scheme
• Free Voter Cards

Please check the full list of accepted photo ID on the GOV.UK website.  

Don’t have a valid form of photo ID?

If you are eligible to vote and don't have an accepted form of ID, you can get a newly created form of ID known as a Voter Authority Certificate.

It is free to apply, you will just need a recent digital photo of yourself and your National Insurance number. You can still apply if you do not have a National Insurance number. You’ll need to provide other documents to prove your identity, for example a birth certificate, bank statement and utility bill.

You can also vote for a Voter Authority Certificate if you no longer look like the photo on your ID or the name on your photo ID if different to your name on the electoral register. 

Postal and proxy vote

Postal voters will not be affected and will be issued with their postal ballot papers as usual. If you choose to vote by proxy then the person who you have trusted to vote on your behalf will have to take their own identification to be issued with a ballot paper.

FAQs

Visit the GOV.UK website for a list of frequently asked questions about voter identification.