ID to Vote
- Available in ethnocultural and Indigenous languages
- Available in printable pdf
- Policy on Voter Identification
- FAQs about voter ID
You must prove your identity and address to register and vote in a federal election. Here are your ID options when you are voting in person – at an Elections Canada office, at advance polls or on election day:
There are three options to prove your identity and address
1) Show one of these pieces of ID
- your driver's licence
- your provincial or territorial ID card
- any other government card with your photo, name and current address
You can use ID with your mailing address if that address appears in your voter registration file. If you're not sure what address we have on file, check your voter registration.
or
2) Show two pieces of ID
At least one must have your current address
- health card
- Canadian passport
- birth certificate
- certificate of Canadian citizenship
- citizenship card
- social insurance number card
- Indian status card
- band membership card
- Métis card
- card issued by an Inuit local authority
- Canadian Forces identity card
- Veterans Affairs health card
- old age security card
- hospital card
- medical clinic card
- label on a prescription container
- identity bracelet issued by a hospital or long-term care facility
- blood donor card
- CNIB card
- credit card
- debit card
- employee card
- student identity card
- public transportation card
- library card
- liquor identity card
- parolee card
- firearms licence
- licence or card issued for fishing, trapping or hunting
- utility bill (e.g. electricity; water; telecommunications services including telephone, cable or satellite)
- bank statement
- credit union statement
- credit card statement
- personal cheque
- government statement of benefits
- government cheque or cheque stub
- pension plan statement
- residential lease or sub-lease
- mortgage contract or statement
- income tax assessment
- property tax assessment or evaluation
- vehicle ownership
- insurance certificate, policy or statement
- correspondence issued by a school, college or university
- letter from a public curator, public guardian or public trustee
- targeted revision form from Elections Canada to residents of long-term care facilities
- letter of confirmation of residence from a First Nations band or reserve or an Inuit local authority
- letter of confirmation of residence, letter of stay, admission form or statement of benefits from one of the following designated establishments:
- student residence
- seniors' residence
- long-term care facility
- shelter
- soup kitchen
We accept e-statements and e-invoices. Print them or show them on a mobile device.
OR
3) If your ID does not have your current address, take an oath
Show two pieces of ID with your name and have someone who knows you attest to your address. This person must show proof of identity and address, be registered in the same polling division, and attest for only one person.
Important information about ID
- Your voter information card is not a piece of ID.
- We accept pieces of ID in their original format. If your document was issued electronically, like an e-statement or an e-invoice, bring a printout or show it on a mobile device.
- We accept different pieces of ID from the same source if the documents serve different purposes. For example, we accept an invoice and a transcript from the same school.
- Your name and address must be printed on the ID. They can't be added by hand, unless they are added by the issuer of the document, like a residence administrator or a guardian.
- We accept expired ID, as long as it has your name and current address.
- The pieces of ID listed above are authorized by the Chief Electoral Officer. No other pieces will be accepted.
- The pieces of ID required for a federal election are not the same as for provincial, territorial or municipal elections.