The government has introduced a new form of photo ID for use in elections called the Voter Authority Certificate.

You can use a free Voter Authority Certificate just like one of the pre-approved forms of photo ID when you’re voting at a polling station. Unlike many other forms of photo ID, like driver's licenses and passports, it’s free to apply for and is valid for 10 years.

It’s important to note that you won’t be able to use a Voter Authority Certificate for any other reason than voting in an election.

In order to apply, first you’ll need to register to vote, a process which takes just a few minutes. You can’t apply for a Voter Authority Certificate unless you’ve begun this process. You don’t need confirmation of your registration; you can still apply for a VAC if your registration is pending. Register to vote here.

The deadline for applications for a free Voter Authority Certificates is 5pm, six working days ahead of a poll.

You can then apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate via the online portal. 

You’ll need to provide the following information:

• Name
• Address
• Date of birth
• National Insurance number (you can still apply without your NI number if you do not have it with you)
• A recent digital photo of yourself’
• If you don’t know your National Insurance number, then you can find it on payslips, a P60, official letters about tax, pensions or benefits. If you own none of these documents, then you can apply for a National Insurance number here, though it is worth noting that this application requires you to provide forms of ID like a passport or EU national identity card. 

You can still apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate if you don’t know your National Insurance number, but you might be asked to provide additional documentation like a birth certificate, bank statement or utility bill. 

You can also apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate by post. Print out the relevant form from this webpage and post it to your local Electoral Registration Office. You can find the office nearest to you here.

The free Voter Authority Certificate and LGBTQ+ people

The free Voter Authority Certificate is potentially useful for trans and gender nonconforming people who are having difficulty voting because:

• They do not have an accepted form of photo ID
• their appearance has changed and no longer matches their photo Voter ID
• the name on their current photo Voter ID is different to their name on the electoral register
• the free Voter Authority Certificate does not record or display a person’s gender.
• It’s important to note that those who have changed their names must register to vote with their new name before applying for a free Voter Authority Certificate. This can be done using this online form.

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Supported by the Greater London Authority, City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, London E16 1ZE. Printed and promoted by LGBT HERO, Unit 74, The Link, 49 Effra Road, London SW2 1BZ