Voting Guide

HOW TO REGISTER

Filling out the North Carolina Voter Registration Application (Spanish version) and submitting by mail

• Using N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV) services:
  • Selecting the option to register to vote while applying for a vehicle license or ID
  • Existing NCDMV customers may submit their voter registration application online through the DMV

Note: Certain Agencies are required to offer voter registration services. For more information, please visit our National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) page.

Find information about completing the voter registration application by mail or submitting the voter registration application online through the DMV.

WHO CAN REGISTER

To register to vote in North Carolina, you must:

• Be a U.S. citizen
  • See the USCIS website for citizenship information
  • Citizenship documents are NOT required to register
• Live in the county where you are registering, and have resided there for at least 30 days prior to the date of the election
• Be at least 18 years old, or will be by the date of the general election
  • 16- and 17-year-olds may preregister to vote
  • 17-year-olds may vote in a primary election if they will be 18 at the time of the general election
• Not be serving a sentence for a felony conviction, including probation, parole, or post-release supervision
  • Note: By order of the court, you may now register and vote if you are serving an extended term of probation, post-release supervision, or parole, you have outstanding fines, fees, or restitution, and you do not know of another reason that your probation, post-release supervision, or parole was extended.
  • Once you have completed a felony sentence, including any probation, parole, or post-release supervision, or received a pardon, you are eligible to register and vote. No additional documentation is needed.
  • If you have been discharged from probation, you are eligible to register and vote, even if you still owe money or have a civil lien.

Note: An inactive voter is still a registered voter. A voter who is inactive status will be asked to confirm their addresses when they appear to vote. No special document is required.

Find information about preregistering to vote when you are 16 or 17 years old, registering to vote as a college student, or as a person in the N.C. criminal justice system.

VOTER ID REQUIREMENTS

Current Status: Photo ID Not Required

Voters will not be required to show photo ID for elections held in 2020. Federal and state courts have temporarily blocked North Carolina’s voter photo ID requirement from taking effect until further order of the courts.