Photo ID

Valid Forms of Photographic Identification (ID)

Starting January 1, 2012, Kansas voters must show photographic identification when casting a vote in person. Acceptable forms of photo ID are:

A concealed carry of handgun license issued by Kansas or a concealed carry of handgun or weapon license issued by another state or district of the United States
A driver's license or nondriver's identification card issued by Kansas or by another state or district of the United States
An employee badge or identification document issued by a municipal, county, state, or federal government office
An identification card issued by an Indian tribe
A military identification document issued by the United States
A public assistance identification card issued by a municipal, county, state or federal government office
A student identification card issued by an accredited postsecondary institution of education in the state of Kansas
A United States passport

Exemptions from the Photographic Identification Requirement

Persons age 65 or older may use expired photo ID documents.
The photo ID requirements do not apply to military and overseas citizens who vote under the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA).
The photo ID requirements do not apply in mail ballot elections. Mail ballot elections are limited to local jurisdictions holding special question-submitted elections.
The photo ID requirements do not apply to voters who qualify, apply and are accepted to the permanent advance voting list, as long as they remain on the permanent advance voting list.
Any person whose religious beliefs prohibit photographic identification may be exempted from the photo ID requirement. Any such person must complete and sign a Declaration of Religious Objection (Form DRO).

Advance Voters Identification Requirements

A person voting in person in the county election office or at a satellite site is treated the same as a regular voter at the polling place on election day.
A person voting by mail may write his or her driver's license number on the application form or submit a copy of valid identification with the ballot application.
If an advance voter fails to provide identification information, or if the information provided is not valid, the county election officer may issue a provisional ballot, but the ballot is not considered valid unless the voter submits identification sometime before the county canvass.

Free Photographic Identification

A registered voter who does not possess any of the approved government-issued photographic identification documents and who wishes to vote may apply for a free nondriver identification card at the Division of Motor Vehicles. The person must sign a form containing an affidavit stating that he or she:

Is registered to vote
Does not possess a photographic identification document

Form DEVID1 (Certification Requesting Fee Waiver for Nondriver Identification Card) is provided by the Division of Vehicles at all driver's license offices, at all county election offices and on the Secretary of State's website.

Free Birth Certificate in Order to Obtain Free Photographic Identification

In order to obtain a nondriver identification card, a person must present acceptable proof of identity and proof of residence to the Division of Vehicles, Kansas Department of Revenue. Qualifying individuals who lack proof of identity and desire to obtain a free nondriver identification card may obtain a Kansas birth certificate from the Kansas Office of Vital Statistics at no cost to the individual.

Qualification Criteria

To qualify, such person must meet all of the following criteria:

Be registered to vote in Kansas
Have been born in Kansas
Lack any of the documents necessary to prove identity
Not possess any valid photographic identification documents under Kansas law
Sign an affidavit attesting to items 1 and 2

Forms

To obtain a free birth certificate in order to obtain a free nondriver identification card, all three of the following forms must be submitted to the Kansas Office of Vital Statistics by a qualifying individual:

Form BCA (Affidavit of Person Requesting Free Certified Copy of Birth Certificate)
Form DE- VID1 (Certification Requesting Fee Waiver for Nondriver Identification Card)
Form VS-235 10/09 (Application for Certified Copy of Kansas Birth Certificate)

Applying in Order to Obtain a Free Nondriver Identification Card

Please note that if a person is trying to obtain a birth certificate under this program for the purpose of obtaining a free nondriver identification card:

A free driver's license will not be issued under this program, only a nondriver identification card will be issued.
A Kansas driver's license and a Kansas nondriver identification card cannot be held simultaneously by the same individual.
Only one birth certificate per person may be issued under this program. The recipient should keep it in a safe place for future needs.
The forms submitted under this program can be shared with other agencies.
Individuals not born in Kansas may find how to obtain a birth certificate in their state or territory at the National Center for Health Statistics website.

Not Born In Kansas: Free State Voter Identification Document

Individuals who were born outside of Kansas, who do not have proof of identity and do not wish to pay for such a document from their home state, may apply for a State Voter Identification Document. (Note: This identification document is valid only for the purpose of voting in Kansas and may not be used for any other purpose.) To qualify, such person must:

Not possess any valid photographic identification documents under Kansas law
Lack any of the documents necessary to prove identity
Sign an affidavit attesting to items 1 and 2
Be registered to vote in Kansas
Have been born outside of the state of Kansas.

Qualified individuals should email the election division of the Secretary of State's office or call the office at 800-262-VOTE.