Voter ID

Find out what identification you need to vote in person at polling stations on election day.

From 4 May 2023 onwards, all voters are required to show photographic identification (photo ID) at polling stations before they are given a ballot paper.

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

Photo ID you can use

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.

Get free photo ID for voting

If you do not have any of the accepted forms of photo ID, you can get a free photo ID document specific for the purposes of voting. This is called a Voter Authority Certificate. You can apply online, by post or in person.

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.

Register to Vote

You can apply online if you are registered on the electoral register.

Apply for photo ID to vote (called a ‘Voter Authority Certificate’) – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Related content

Ways to vote

Contact details

Elections, Municipal Offices, Town Hall Square, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, DN31 1HU

[email protected]

Telephone: 01472 324160