COMELEC Voter ID: What Is Actually Published
Commission on Elections · elections
Quick answer
COMELEC publishes a Voter ID Card page under Voter Registration and a Voter ID Generation and Distribution press release dated 20 December 2017. It publishes no current fee, issuance timeline or replacement process on the pages read, so none is stated here.
Last verified
Where these figures come from
About these figures: the numbers below come from COMELEC's official published sources: Commission on Elections | Voter Registration Overview, Resolution No. 11177 (https://comelec.gov.ph/?r=VoterRegistration/VoterRegistrationOverview, retrieved 2026-09-01); Commission on Elections | Registration Requirements (https://comelec.gov.ph/?r=VoterRegistration/WhatisVoterRegistration/RegistrationRequirements, retrieved 2026-09-01). Agencies change fees and rates without notice, so confirm with COMELEC before you rely on them. Last verified: 2026-09-01.
COMELEC publishes very little about the voter ID card, and this page says so rather than filling the gap.
What COMELEC actually publishes
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| A Voter ID Card page under Voter Registration | Listed |
| Voter ID Generation and Distribution | A press release dated 20 December 2017 |
| A current issuance process | Not published on the pages read |
| A fee | Not published |
| A replacement procedure | Not published |
| A validity period | Not published |
This guide does not state whether the card is currently being issued, because COMELEC does not say on the pages read for it. What it does publish is the registration process the card would follow from.
What you can use instead
For registration itself, COMELEC accepts 14 documents:
| # | Document |
|---|---|
| 1 | PhilSys National ID |
| 2 | Postal ID card |
| 3 | PWD ID card |
| 4 | Student’s ID or library card, signed by the school authority |
| 5 | Senior citizen’s ID card |
| 6 | LTO driver’s licence or student permit |
| 7 | NBI clearance |
| 8 | Philippine passport |
| 9 | SSS or GSIS or other UMID |
| 10 | IBP ID card |
| 11 | PRC licence |
| 12 | NCIP Certificate of Confirmation, for members of ICCs or IPs |
| 13 | Barangay identification or certification with photo |
| 14 | Any other government-issued valid ID |
And it refuses two outright: the cedula and a PNP clearance.
Where a voter’s ID is accepted
| Where | How it counts |
|---|---|
| National Police Clearance | Voter’s ID is 1 of the 26 accepted documents, and only 1 is required for a ₱150.00 clearance |
So the card retains value as identity elsewhere even while COMELEC is quiet about issuing it.
The National ID alternative
The PhilSys National ID heads COMELEC’s own list. PhilSys publishes that non-acceptance of the National ID without just and sufficient cause is subject to fines amounting to ₱500,000.00 under RA 11055, and that registration is open from age 1. The National ID guide and the ePhilID guide cover both formats.
What the accepted IDs cost
| Accepted ID | Published fee | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| PhilSys National ID | No registration fee published | Accepted |
| ePhilID, paper format | No printing fee published | Accepted |
| Postal ID, regular | ₱550.00 | Accepted |
| Postal ID, rush | ₱650.00 | Accepted |
| NBI clearance | ₱160.00 all-in | Accepted |
| NBI clearance, delivered | ₱200.00 in NCR, ₱350.00 outside | Accepted |
| PRC licence renewal, 3 years | ₱450.00 or ₱420.00 | Accepted |
| National Police Clearance | ₱150.00 plus a convenience fee | Not honored |
| PSA birth certificate, viewable online | ₱130.00 | Not on the list |
A barangay identification or certification with photo is accepted and carries no published fee, which makes it the cheapest route for someone holding nothing.
The cost of getting registered, end to end
COMELEC publishes no fee. Everything you spend goes to the agency that issues your proof of identity, and the spread is wide.
| Route to an accepted ID | Published fee | Published wait |
|---|---|---|
| Barangay identification or certification with photo | No fee published | - |
| PhilSys National ID | No registration fee published | Registration open from age 1 |
| ePhilID, paper format | No printing fee published | - |
| PSA birth certificate, needed to register for PhilSys | ₱130.00 | Viewable copy valid 60 days |
| NBI clearance, collected | ₱160.00 all-in | - |
| NBI clearance, delivered in NCR | ₱200.00 | 5 working days |
| NBI clearance, delivered outside NCR | ₱350.00 | 7 to 10 working days |
| Postal ID, regular | ₱550.00 | 24 days, 1 hour and 37 minutes |
| Postal ID, rush | ₱650.00 | 37 minutes same day |
| PRC licence renewal, 3 years | ₱450.00, or ₱420.00 non-baccalaureate | - |
The cheapest accepted document carries no published fee at all, and the most expensive on this list is ₱650.00. A police clearance at ₱150.00 is not accepted, so paying for one to register is money wasted.
What this page does not cover
COMELEC does not publish, on the pages read for this guide, whether voter ID cards are currently being issued, a fee, an issuance timeline, a replacement process for a lost card, a validity period, or the voter certification procedure and its cost. None of those are stated here, and no figure has been substituted for them.
Related
The voter registration guide covers the process the card follows from. The precinct finder guide covers where you vote.
Frequently asked questions
- Does COMELEC still issue a voter ID?
- COMELEC lists a Voter ID Card page under Voter Registration, and a Voter ID Generation and Distribution item dated 20 December 2017. It does not publish a current issuance process on the pages read for this guide, and this page does not claim one either way.
- How much does a voter ID cost?
- COMELEC publishes no fee on the pages read for this guide, so this page does not state one.
- Is a voter ID accepted as valid ID elsewhere?
- Yes, in the places this site covers. A Voter's ID is one of the 26 documents PNP accepts for a National Police Clearance, where only one ID is required.
- What can I use instead?
- For voter registration itself, COMELEC accepts 14 documents including the PhilSys National ID, Postal ID, NBI clearance, PRC licence, LTO driver's licence and a barangay identification with photo.
- Does COMELEC accept a police clearance?
- No. COMELEC states that Community Tax Certificates and PNP clearance shall not be honored as valid identification documents for purposes of registration. An NBI clearance is accepted.
- What if I have no ID for registration?
- You may be identified under oath by a registered voter of the precinct where you intend to register, or a relative within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity. No one may identify more than 3 applicants.
- How do I prove I am registered?
- COMELEC publishes voter certification as a service area, and maintains Register Anywhere Program approved and disapproved applicant lists. The certification procedure and fee were not read from the source and are not stated here.
- Where does the National ID fit?
- The PhilSys National ID is first on COMELEC's list of accepted identification documents for registration, and PhilSys publishes that non-acceptance of the National ID without just and sufficient cause carries a fine of ₱500,000.00 under RA 11055.