California

California Voter Eligibility Requirements

You must register before you can vote in California.

You are eligible to vote in California if you meet all of the following requirements:

• You are a citizen of the United States. (Note: Some municipalities allow non-citizen residents to vote in school board elections.) 
• You a resident of California.
• You are at least 18 years of age on Election Day.

You cannot register to vote in California if:

• You are currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony.
• You have been declared incapacitated by a court of law.

California Voter Registration ID Requirements

To register to vote:

• You must provide your driver’s license number or state ID card number if you have one.
• If you do not have either of these IDs, you can use the last 4 digits of your Social Security number (SSN).
• If you do not have a Social Security number, then leave that space blank on your registration form.

If you don’t provide any of these numbers or the state can’t match the number you provide to official records, you will have to show an accepted form of ID the first time you vote.

You can use any unexpired photo ID or a non-photo document with your name and address.

Common examples include:

• California driver’s license
• California state ID card
• US passport or passport card
• Student ID
• Military identification
• Insurance card
• Public housing or assistance card
• Utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document (dated after November 2022)
• Sample ballot or election document (dated for the specific election)
• Voter notification card
• Vehicle registration

Frequently Asked Questions