Voter Registration: Requirements and Valid IDs
Commission on Elections · elections
Quick answer
You must be at least 18 on or before election day, a resident of the Philippines for 1 year and of your locality for 6 months. COMELEC accepts 14 identification documents including the National ID, Postal ID, NBI clearance and PRC licence, but not a cedula or a PNP clearance.
Last verified
Where these figures come from
About these figures: the numbers below come from COMELEC's official published sources: Commission on Elections | Registration Requirements (https://comelec.gov.ph/?r=VoterRegistration/WhatisVoterRegistration/RegistrationRequirements, retrieved 2026-09-01); Commission on Elections | Voter Registration Overview, Resolution No. 11177 (https://comelec.gov.ph/?r=VoterRegistration/VoterRegistrationOverview, 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.
Voter registration turns on three numbers and one list of documents.
The three qualifications
| Requirement | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Age | At least 18 years of age on or before the day of the National and Local Elections |
| Residence in the Philippines | At least 1 year |
| Residence in the place where you will vote | At least 6 months immediately preceding the elections |
Plus: not otherwise disqualified by law. These come from Section 9 of Republic Act 8189 and Section 13 of COMELEC Resolution 10963.
The 14 accepted identification documents
| # | Document |
|---|---|
| 1 | National ID under the PhilSys |
| 2 | Postal ID card |
| 3 | PWD ID card |
| 4 | Student’s ID card 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 Unified Multi-Purpose ID card |
| 10 | IBP ID card |
| 11 | Licence issued by the PRC |
| 12 | Certificate of Confirmation from the NCIP, for members of ICCs or IPs |
| 13 | Barangay identification or certification with photo |
| 14 | Any other government-issued valid ID |
Two documents COMELEC explicitly refuses
This is the trap, and COMELEC states it outright:
Community Tax Certificates and PNP clearance shall not be honored as valid identification documents for purposes of registration.
| Document | Elsewhere | At COMELEC |
|---|---|---|
| NBI clearance, ₱160.00 all-in | Accepted widely | Accepted |
| PNP National Police Clearance, ₱150.00 | Accepted widely, and PNP itself lists 26 IDs for it | Not honored |
| Cedula, the Community Tax Certificate | Used for many transactions | Not honored |
The cheaper clearance is the one that does not work here. The police clearance guide covers the ₱150.00 document COMELEC will not take, and the NBI clearance guide the ₱160.00 one it will.
If you have no ID
COMELEC provides a fallback, with a hard cap:
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Who may identify you | Any registered voter of the precinct where you intend to register, or a relative within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity |
| How | Under oath |
| Limit | No registered voter or relative may identify more than 3 applicants |
| If identity cannot be established | No application form shall be issued, and a pre-accomplished form shall not be accepted |
Who is disqualified
| Ground | Condition | Can it lapse? |
|---|---|---|
| Sentenced by final judgment to imprisonment of not less than 1 year | Unless removed by plenary pardon or amnesty | Yes, automatic 5 years after service of sentence |
| Final judgment for a crime involving disloyalty to the government: rebellion, sedition, violation of firearms laws, or a crime against national security | Unless restored to full civil and political rights | Yes, automatic 5 years after service of sentence |
| Declared insane or incompetent by competent authority | Unless subsequently declared otherwise | On a further declaration |
The firearms clause is worth noting alongside the LTOPF guide: a firearms-law conviction reaches your right to vote, not only your licence.
What the accepted IDs cost
COMELEC charges nothing it publishes for registration, but the ID you use to prove identity may have a price at the agency that issues it.
| 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 | ₱130.00 plus ₱30.00, ₱160.00 total | Accepted |
| NBI clearance, delivered | ₱200.00 in NCR, ₱350.00 outside | Accepted |
| PRC licence renewal, 3 years | ₱450.00 baccalaureate, ₱420.00 otherwise | Accepted |
| LTO student permit | Covered with the LTO rules | Accepted |
| Philippine passport | Covered with the DFA rules | Accepted |
| National Police Clearance | ₱150.00 plus a convenience fee | Not honored |
| PSA birth certificate, viewable online | ₱130.00 | Not on the list |
The cheapest accepted route for someone holding nothing is a barangay identification or certification with photo, which COMELEC accepts and for which it publishes no fee.
The election this is currently running for
COMELEC Resolution No. 11177, promulgated 15 October 2025, sets the rules on the system of continuing registration of voters for the November 2, 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections.
What this page does not cover
COMELEC does not publish, on the pages read for this guide, a registration fee, the registration schedule dates, the list of registration centers, the ERB approval schedule, the biometrics capture procedure, or the transfer and reactivation processes. None of those are stated here.
Related
The precinct finder guide covers finding where you vote. The COMELEC ID guide covers the voter ID card.
Frequently asked questions
- Who can register to vote?
- Any Filipino citizen not yet registered who is at least 18 years of age on or before the day of the National and Local Elections, a resident of the Philippines for at least 1 year and of the place where they propose to vote for at least 6 months immediately preceding the elections, and not otherwise disqualified by law.
- What ID do I bring?
- COMELEC lists 14 documents, including the PhilSys National ID, Postal ID, PWD ID, a student's ID or library card signed by the school authority, a senior citizen's ID, an LTO driver's licence or student permit, an NBI clearance, a Philippine passport, an SSS or GSIS UMID, an IBP ID, a PRC licence, an NCIP Certificate of Confirmation, a barangay identification or certification with photo, and any other government-issued valid ID.
- Is a police clearance accepted?
- No. COMELEC states that Community Tax Certificates, the cedula, 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 at all?
- You may be identified under oath by any registered voter of the precinct where you intend to register, or by a relative within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity. No registered voter or relative may identify more than 3 applicants.
- What happens if I cannot prove my identity?
- COMELEC states you shall not be issued an application form, nor shall a pre-accomplished application form be accepted.
- Who is disqualified?
- Anyone sentenced by final judgment to imprisonment of not less than 1 year, unless removed by plenary pardon or amnesty; anyone adjudged by final judgment of a crime involving disloyalty to the government, such as rebellion, sedition, violation of firearms laws or a crime against national security, unless restored to full civil and political rights; and an insane or incompetent person as declared by competent authority.
- Can a disqualification be lifted?
- For the first two grounds, yes automatically. COMELEC states such a person shall automatically reacquire the right to vote upon expiration of 5 years after service of sentence.
- What law covers this?
- Section 9 of Republic Act No. 8189, and Section 13 of COMELEC Resolution No. 10963. Resolution No. 11177, promulgated 15 October 2025, sets the continuing registration rules for the November 2, 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections.