To vote in person in Florida, you must show a current and valid photo ID that also carries your signature, and Florida voter ID laws accept twelve different forms of identification, from a driver’s license to a debit card with your photo. If your ID has a photo but no signature, you bring a second item with your signature. If you have no acceptable ID at all, you can still vote a provisional ballot and then present ID to your county Supervisor of Elections by 5 p.m. on the second day after the election.
Accepted Photo IDs at the Polls
Any one of the following current and valid photo IDs is enough on its own for in-person voting, whether you vote early or on Election Day:1Florida Senate. Florida Code 101.043 – Identification Required at Polls
- Florida driver’s license
- Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
- United States passport
- Debit or credit card with your photo
- Military identification
- Student identification
- Retirement center identification
- Neighborhood association identification
- Public assistance identification
- Veteran health identification card issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- Concealed weapon or firearm license
- Government employee identification card from any federal, state, county, or municipal entity
The statute says “current and valid,” so expiration matters. An expired driver’s license or lapsed passport does not qualify. Check the date on whatever you plan to bring before you leave for the polls.
One thing that does not matter: the address on your ID. Poll workers cannot use it to challenge where you are registered.1Florida Senate. Florida Code 101.043 – Identification Required at Polls
When Your ID Has a Photo but No Signature
Florida requires both a photo and a signature on your identification. Some qualifying IDs, like certain military cards and debit cards, carry a photo without a signature. In that case, bring a second piece of ID that shows your name and signature. The second item does not need a photo.1Florida Senate. Florida Code 101.043 – Identification Required at Polls
At the precinct, you sign the register or an electronic pad after the poll worker reviews your ID. The worker compares that signature against the one on your identification. If they match to the worker’s satisfaction, you cast a regular ballot.
Voting Without Acceptable ID: The Provisional Ballot
Forgetting your ID does not cost you your vote. If you cannot show any of the twelve accepted forms, the poll worker gives you a provisional ballot. You mark it the same way you would a regular ballot, but instead of going into the scanner it goes into a sealed envelope that is set aside for later review.1Florida Senate. Florida Code 101.043 – Identification Required at Polls
The envelope is also your Provisional Ballot Voter’s Certificate and Affirmation. You fill in identifying information on the outside, sign it, and affirm that you are eligible to vote in that precinct. That signature matters later, because the county canvassing board compares it against your registration record when deciding whether the ballot counts.
The 5 p.m. Deadline to Provide ID
You have until 5 p.m. on the second day after the election to bring acceptable photo identification to your county Supervisor of Elections office. If you present your ID by that deadline and your signature matches your registration record, the ballot counts. Miss the deadline and the canvassing board reviews the ballot without a verified ID, which makes rejection far more likely.2Florida Senate. Florida Code 101.048 – Provisional Ballots
The board also confirms that you were registered and entitled to vote at the precinct where you cast the ballot, and that you did not already vote elsewhere in the same election.
Vote-by-Mail Uses Your Signature, Not Photo ID
The photo ID rules apply to in-person voting. A vote-by-mail ballot works differently: no photo ID is required at any stage. Your signature on the outside of the ballot return envelope is what proves your identity, and the Supervisor of Elections compares it against the signature in your voter registration file.3Florida Senate. Florida Code 101.68 – Canvassing of Vote-by-Mail Ballots
When you request the ballot, though, you do have to provide an identifying number: your Florida driver’s license number, your Florida ID card number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number. Whatever number you give must match what your county already has in your registration record.4The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 101.62 – Request for Vote-by-Mail Ballots
Curing a Missing or Mismatched Signature
If the signature on your return envelope is missing or does not match your registration record, the Supervisor of Elections will try to reach you by email, text, or phone, and will also send notice by first-class mail. To fix the problem you complete a Vote-by-Mail Ballot Cure Affidavit (Form DS-DE 139) and return it, along with a copy of an acceptable form of identification, to your county Supervisor of Elections.5Florida Department of State Division of Elections. Form DS-DE 139 – Vote-by-Mail Ballot Cure Affidavit
The affidavit has to reach the Supervisor of Elections by 5 p.m. on the second day after the election, the same deadline that applies to provisional ballots. If the signature on the affidavit matches your registration record, the ballot counts. Even when the signatures still do not match, the ballot can still count as long as you submitted a current and valid photo ID that confirms your identity.3Florida Senate. Florida Code 101.68 – Canvassing of Vote-by-Mail Ballots
Before You Go to Vote
A few minutes of preparation avoids the most common Election Day problems:
- Check the expiration date on the ID you plan to bring. An expired ID does not count.
- Confirm your ID has a signature. If it has only a photo, pack a second item that shows your name and signature.
- If your signature has changed since you registered, contact your Supervisor of Elections to update the signature on file before the election.
- Vote-by-mail voters, sign the return envelope the same way you signed your registration. A missing or mismatched signature is the most common reason a mail ballot gets flagged.
- Mark the 5 p.m. cutoff on the second day after the election, whether you are following up a provisional ballot or curing a mail-ballot signature.
If you do not have any of the twelve accepted photo IDs, a Florida identification card from a Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles office is the most straightforward one to obtain. Your county Supervisor of Elections, listed through the Florida Division of Elections, can confirm any local procedures.6Florida Department of State Division of Elections. FAQ – Voting