Voter ID Information
View the list of acceptable IDs.
Wisconsin law now requires voters to present a photo ID for their vote to be counted.
Your photo ID does not need to show a current address. Election officials will only be looking at the type of ID presented, the name and photograph on the ID, and the expiration date of the ID.
Whether your Wisconsin ID or Wisconsin driver license complies with the federal Real ID Act of 2005 does not matter when it comes to voting. Wisconsin ID cards that do not comply with Real ID requirements are acceptable forms of voter ID.
Our goal is for each eligible voter to be able to cast a ballot and have that ballot counted.
Acceptable Forms of Photo ID
Wisconsin driver license*
WI DOT-issued photo ID card*
U.S. passport*
Military ID card*
Certificate of naturalization issued within last 2 years
Unexpired Wisconsin driver license or state ID receipt
ID card issued by a federally recognized Indian tribe in Wisconsin
ID issued by a Wisconsin accredited university or college—must contain issuance date, student signature, and expiration date within 2 years of issuance. If the ID is expired, proof of current enrollment is also required.
Unexpired Veterans Affairs ID card
*The expiration date must be after the date of the last November election.
View the information listed below in an infographic.
Obtaining a Photo ID
If you are eligible to vote but do not have a Wisconsin license or ID card, you may obtain a free ID for voting. If you are missing any part of the documentation, you may petition the DMV to obtain an ID without that documentation (see below).
For the shortest lines, visit the DMV mid-morning or mid-afternoon, and try to avoid Mondays, Fridays, and the beginning and end of each month. ID customers are given priority service at the DMV. Everyone who is in the office at closing time will be served.
The Dane County Voter ID Coalition provides free assistance with obtaining transportation to the DMV and working through the DMV application process. This is a joint effort of the League of Women Voters of Dane County and the Dane County NAACP. For assistance, call (608) 285-2141.
Vote Absentee
Absentee voters casting a ballot in person in the City Clerk’s Office must present a photo ID just as they would if they were voting at the polls.
Absentee requests for ballots sent by mail must be accompanied by a photocopy or picture of an acceptable form of voter ID. Once you have sent the Clerk’s Office a photocopy of your ID, you will not need to send copies with future requests unless you change your voter registration. Please read your absentee ballot instruction letter very carefully. We want your vote to count!
Hospitalized voters may appoint an agent to pick up their ballot from the City Clerk’s Office. The agent needs to bring the hospitalized voter’s photo ID to the Clerk’s Office.
Senior Citizens
Wisconsin residents who are U.S. citizens age 65 and over qualify for a Wisconsin ID card from the DMV that will never expire. This ID is acceptable for voting purposes. The non-expiring ID card doesn’t comply with “Real ID” standards required for air travel. A licensed driver cannot obtain a non-expiring ID card without surrendering their driver license and driving privileges.
Senior citizens confined to their homes, or living in nursing homes and care facilities are exempted from photo ID laws.
Voter ID Exemptions
Photo ID Exemptions
Photo ID is not required for the following absentee voters:
Military voters
Voters who are permanently overseas
Confidential Voters
Indefinitely confined voters
Nursing home residents and other voters who have ballots delivered by Special Voting Deputies
Residents of Care Facilities who are not visited by Special Voting Deputies
Voters Confined to their Homes
Voters confined to their home because of age (70 or older) or disability can send the clerk a letter, asking to be on the permanent absentee list. The request needs to specify that the voter is indefinitely confined. It also needs to contain the voter’s name, address, and signature. In order to remain on the permanent absentee list, the voter needs to return his or her absentee ballot for every election.
Permanent absentee voters do not need to provide ID. The witness signing the absentee envelope certifies the voter’s identity.
Nursing Homes and Care Facilities
Absentee voters in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and community based residential facilities with five or more beds vote when two election officials bring absentee ballots to the facility before the election. These absentee voters do not need to show ID.
Getting a Photo ID Without Proof of Name, Birth, and/or Citizenship
You must provide Photo ID to prove who you are in order for your vote to be counted.
If you need an ID to vote, you can get one for free.
If you are applying for a free ID for voting, & you cannot get the documentation required to prove your name, date of birth, and/or U.S. Citizenship, you may use the ID Petition Process:
You Will Need
Proof of Identity
Choose any 1 of the following (See the full list):Valid photo college ID card from any U.S. university, college or technical college
Social Security Card
W-2 form including your name, address and Social Security Number
Your social security number
Apply at a DMV Service Center
Find a DMV Service Center near you.
There are 2 locations in Dane County.
Madison East DMV Service Center
2001 Bartillon Drive
Madison, WI 53704
Madison Metro Bus route 6 via MATC, route 20, or route 34.
Monday – Friday: 8:30 am – 4:45 pm
Saturday: 8:30 am – Noon
Sunday: Closed
Madison West DMV Service Center
8417 Excelsior Drive
Madison, WI 53717
Madison Metro Bus route 15 or route 73
Monday – Friday: 8:30 am – 4:45 pm
Saturday – Sunday: Closed