North Carolina voters are required to show photo identification at the polls this year.

The state’s voter ID law first applied during the 2023 municipal elections, but many more people will first encounter that requirement in 2024, when races for president and governor are on the ballot.

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What ID to I need to vote in North Carolina?

The simplest way for voters to comply is to show an active passport or a valid North Carolina driver's license. A valid license is one that’s unexpired, or has been expired for less than a year. Additionally, senior citizens can use expired licenses as long as the license was unexpired when they turned 65.

Brand-new North Carolina residents can also use a driver’s license from their previous state, but only if they registered to vote in North Carolina within 90 days of the election and haven’t gotten a North Carolina license yet.

For people with expired licenses, or for those who don’t have one at all, the rules can become more complicated.

The North Carolina State Board of Elections has published a list of dozens of acceptable forms of ID, including many school and college IDs, military or veterans photo ID or tribal enrollment cards with photo.

For those without an identification card, the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles offers them free to non-drivers who can provide:

  • One document verifying age and identity
    • A Social Security card or one document proving they have a Social Security number
      • For U.S. citizens, one document proving residency

        People who want to get an ID can also go to their home county’s board of elections office, which will take their photo and verify their name, birth date and Social Security number to create an ID that can be used in this election and future elections.

        People in the 25 western counties under emergency orders due to Helene storm damage won’t need to show an ID at all, due to state law that exempts people in areas hit by natural disasters close to an election.

        Vote in North Carolina without photo ID

        People who want to vote but don’t have any qualifying ID won’t be turned away. They’ll be allowed to cast what’s known as a provisional ballot — which officials won’t count unless the voter either comes back later to show their ID, or if the voter fills out an impediment form explaining that they don't have an ID.

        Similarly, people who aren’t registered to vote but wish to cast a ballot can sign up to vote during early voting at a polling place.