Florida Department of State

Florida Department of State
Kurt S. Browning
Secretary of State

Floridians Reminded to Bring Identification When Voting

~Florida law requires photo and signature identification at the polling place~

As early voting begins today for the Presidential Preference Primary Election , Floridians should familiarize themselves with the state’s identification requirements. Voters must present a photo and signature identification at their polling place to participate in any election in Florida. If the photo identification presented does not have the voter’s signature, an additional piece of identification with the voter’s signature is required. Citizens who do not furnish the required identification at the polling place can only vote by a provisional ballot.

Identification has been required to vote in Florida since 1977.  In 1998 the Florida Legislature expanded the ID requirement to include both a photo and signature.  Any combination of the following identifications may be used to satisfy the signature and photo requirement:

• Florida driver’s license;
• Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles;
• United States passport;
• Employee badge or identification*;
• Buyer’s club identification*;
• Debit or credit card;
• Military identification;
• Student identification;
• Retirement center identification;
• Neighborhood association identification;
• And public assistance identification.

*The employee badge and buyer’s club identification were removed from Florida law as acceptable forms of identification in the 2007 Legislative Session. However, since the United States Department of Justice has not pre-cleared the change in acceptable forms of identification, the employee badge and buyer’s club identification cards will be permitted in the Presidential Preference Primary Election.