North Dakota

Voter registration is not required in North Dakota. You must show an accepted ID to vote in person. 

You need to provide an ID number when you vote by mail.

North Dakota ID Requirements for Voting In Person

Accepted IDs

You can use the following forms of ID:

  • North Dakota driver’s license
  • North Dakota non-driver’s ID card
  • Tribal government-issued ID
  • Long-term care identification certificate (provided by ND facility)

Your ID must show your:

  • Name
  • Current residential address (not a PO Box)
  • Date of birth

In addition to your ID, you can supplement any missing or outdated voter info with:

  • Current utility bill
  • Current bank statement
  • Document or check issued by a federal, state, local, or tribal government
  • Paycheck

Students who present a valid form of North Dakota ID that lists a different North Dakota address to the one where they currently reside may vote if they also provide both of the following:

1. Student ID card with student’s legal name and a photograph

AND

2. Printed document issued by their college or university which contains all of the following:

  • Student’s name
  • Student’s address
  • Student’s date of birth
  • Institution’s letterhead or seal

Tribal government issued IDs include:

  • Tribal IDs issued by the Bureau of Indian Affairs for a tribe located in North Dakota
  • Tribal ID issued by any other tribal agency or entity
  • Any document that sets forth the tribal member’s name, date of birth, and current North Dakota residential address)

If your Tribal ID does not include your residential address, check with your tribe whether you need to get an updated ID to use for voting. Some tribes have an agreement with the state of North Dakota that their members can vote without an ID listing their address. More information is available here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Your ballot will be set aside if you cannot show an ID accepted for voting in North Dakota.  You need to take extra steps for your vote to count!

For your ballot to count, you can either:

  • Return with an accepted ID before the polls close on Election Day.
  • Present an accepted ID to your municipal clerk’s office by 4 pm on the Friday after the election.

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VoteRiders is here to help!
Contact us if you have questions or need free help getting ID.

You must present a physical ID to vote in North Dakota. You cannot use an image, copy, or digital ID when you are voting in person.

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VoteRiders is here to help! 
Contact us if you have questions or need free help getting ID.

You do not need a REAL ID to vote in North Dakota.

Your driver’s license or state ID card will show a star in the upper corner if it meets REAL ID requirements under federal law.

Get in touch with VoteRiders if you have questions or need free help getting ID.

North Dakota ID Requirements for Voting By Mail

Any voter in North Dakota can vote by mail. No excuse is required but you must request an absentee ballot.

You must include the following when you apply for an absentee ballot: 

  • The identification number from an acceptable form of ID:
    • Current North Dakota driver’s license
    • Current North Dakota non-driver’s ID card
    • Tribal government-issued ID
  • If this ID does not include your legal name, current address, and date of birth – you can supplement this information with: 
    • Current utility bill
    • Current bank statement
    • Document or check issued by a federal, state or local government
    • Paycheck

OR

  • If you are a uniformed service member or their immediate family member temporarily serving away from your residence in North Dakota: 
    • You may use a current military ID or passport 
  • If you are a resident of North Dakota temporarily living outside the country 
    • You may use a passport 
  • If you are an individual living in a long-term care facility: 
    • You may use a long-term care certificate prescribed by the secretary of state and issued by a long-term care facility in North Dakota
  • If you are a voter living with a disability that prevents you from traveling away from their home:
    • You must include a signature on your absentee/mail ballot application from another qualified North Dakota voter, who, by signing, certifies that you are qualified to vote in that precinct.

Frequently Asked Questions

An election official must notify you if your signatures on the absentee ballot application and the affidavit on your returned ballot envelope do not appear to match. The notification will advise that the signature verification of your absentee ballot must be completed by the close of the meeting of the canvassing board, which occurs six (6) days following election day.

You may confirm the validity of the signatures by written communication or personal visit to the office of the election official administering the election. Whether you confirm by written communication or through a personal visit to the election official, you must provide the identification used when applying for your ballot.