Document Guide
Not all IDs are created equal under the SAVE Act. See which documents qualify, what they cost, and who is most affected.
* EDL (Enhanced Driver's License) is only issued in Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, and Washington. A standard driver's license or standard Real ID does not qualify.
U.S. passport or passport card
A valid U.S. passport book or passport card. Accepted in all 50 states under the SAVE Act. Requires a certified birth certificate or naturalization certificate to obtain.
~6 weeks
Enhanced Driver's License (EDL)
An Enhanced Driver's License that indicates U.S. citizenship on its face. Only issued by MI, MN, NY, VT, and WA. A standard driver's license or standard Real ID does NOT qualify under the SAVE Act because Real ID only verifies lawful status, not citizenship.
~3 weeks
Certified copy of U.S. birth certificate
A certified copy of a birth certificate issued by a U.S. state, territory, or the District of Columbia. Must be a certified copy with a registrar's seal — hospital souvenir certificates do not qualify. Name on the certificate must match voter registration or be accompanied by legal name-change documentation.
~2 weeks
Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS-240 / DS-1350)
Issued to U.S. citizens born abroad to American parents. The FS-240 is the current form; the DS-1350 was discontinued in 2010 but existing copies are still accepted. Replacements must be requested from the U.S. State Department.
~2 months
Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550 / N-570)
Issued to immigrants who have completed the naturalization process. Replacing a lost or damaged certificate costs $555 and can take over a year. There are approximately 23 million naturalized U.S. citizens.
~1 year
Certificate of Citizenship (Form N-560 / N-561)
Issued to people who derived or acquired U.S. citizenship through their parents (e.g., born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent, or became a citizen when a parent naturalized). Replacement costs and timelines mirror the Certificate of Naturalization.
~1 year
U.S. Military ID + proof of U.S. birthplace on service record
A current U.S. military identification card (CAC or veteran ID) combined with a service record (e.g., DD-214) that shows a U.S. birthplace. The military ID alone is not sufficient — the service record must also confirm U.S. birth.
~6 weeks
Government-issued photo ID showing U.S. birthplace
Any government-issued photo identification that displays the holder's U.S. birthplace on its face. In practice, very few government photo IDs include birthplace information. Standard driver's licenses in most states do not show birthplace, making this category extremely narrow.
~4 weeks
American Indian Card with DHS 'KIC' classification
An American Indian Card (Form I-872) issued by DHS with the specific 'KIC' classification, which denotes U.S. citizenship for members of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas under the Texas Band of Kickapoo Act of 1983. This is an extremely narrow category. Standard tribal enrollment cards and tribal photo IDs do NOT qualify under the SAVE Act, potentially disenfranchising hundreds of thousands of Native American voters.
~3 months
| Document | Accepted nationally | States that issue it | Est. % who have it | Cost if missing | Time to obtain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
U.S. passport or passport card A valid U.S. passport book or passport card. Accepted in all 50 states under the SAVE Act. Requires a certified birth certificate or naturalization certificate to obtain. costtimerequires birth certificaterequires photo id | All 50 states + DC | N/A — federal document | 47% | $165 $165 first-time adult passport book ($130 application + $35 execution fee). $130 renewal by mail. Passport card: $65 new, $30 renewal. Routine processing takes about 4–6 weeks plus mailing time; expedited processing takes 2–3 weeks and adds $60. | ~6 weeks |
Enhanced Driver's License (EDL) An Enhanced Driver's License that indicates U.S. citizenship on its face. Only issued by MI, MN, NY, VT, and WA. A standard driver's license or standard Real ID does NOT qualify under the SAVE Act because Real ID only verifies lawful status, not citizenship. limited statesrequires birth certificaterequires in person visit | 5 states only * | MIMNNYVTWA | 8% | $35 MI: $45, MN: $30, NY: $30, VT: $33, WA: $40. Only available as an upgrade in these 5 states. Standard driver's licenses and standard Real IDs do NOT qualify. (Idaho offers an optional citizenship marker, but it is not a federally recognized Enhanced Driver's License and its sufficiency under the SAVE Act is uncertain.) | ~3 weeks |
Certified copy of U.S. birth certificate A certified copy of a birth certificate issued by a U.S. state, territory, or the District of Columbia. Must be a certified copy with a registrar's seal — hospital souvenir certificates do not qualify. Name on the certificate must match voter registration or be accompanied by legal name-change documentation. name mismatchrecords may not existrequires request to birth state | All 50 states + DC | N/A — federal document | 95% | $20 A first certified copy ranges from about $10 to $35 depending on the state; online or third-party orders run higher. Some states charge additional fees for expedited processing or mailing. | ~2 weeks |
Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS-240 / DS-1350) Issued to U.S. citizens born abroad to American parents. The FS-240 is the current form; the DS-1350 was discontinued in 2010 but existing copies are still accepted. Replacements must be requested from the U.S. State Department. rare documenttimecost | All 50 states + DC | N/A — federal document | 1% | $100 $50 to request a replacement from the State Department. Additional notarization or mailing fees may apply. DS-1350 was discontinued in 2010; existing copies remain valid. | ~2 months |
Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550 / N-570) Issued to immigrants who have completed the naturalization process. Replacing a lost or damaged certificate costs $555 and can take over a year. There are approximately 23 million naturalized U.S. citizens. costextreme timebureaucratic complexity | All 50 states + DC | N/A — federal document | 9% | $555 $555 filing fee for replacement (Form N-565). Fee waivers are available but rarely granted. Processing time can exceed 12 months. | ~1 year |
Certificate of Citizenship (Form N-560 / N-561) Issued to people who derived or acquired U.S. citizenship through their parents (e.g., born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent, or became a citizen when a parent naturalized). Replacement costs and timelines mirror the Certificate of Naturalization. costextreme timebureaucratic complexity | All 50 states + DC | N/A — federal document | 2% | $555 $555 filing fee for replacement (Form N-565). Same process and timeline as naturalization certificate replacement. | ~1 year |
U.S. Military ID + proof of U.S. birthplace on service record A current U.S. military identification card (CAC or veteran ID) combined with a service record (e.g., DD-214) that shows a U.S. birthplace. The military ID alone is not sufficient — the service record must also confirm U.S. birth. limited populationrecords accessbureaucratic complexity | All 50 states + DC | N/A — federal document | 7% | Free Free for active-duty service members and veterans with VA benefits. However, obtaining a corrected DD-214 or service record showing U.S. birthplace may require a records request to the National Archives. | ~6 weeks |
Government-issued photo ID showing U.S. birthplace Any government-issued photo identification that displays the holder's U.S. birthplace on its face. In practice, very few government photo IDs include birthplace information. Standard driver's licenses in most states do not show birthplace, making this category extremely narrow. extremely raremost ids lack birthplaceunclear which ids qualify | All 50 states + DC | N/A — federal document | 3% | $25 Cost varies by jurisdiction. Very few government-issued photo IDs actually display birthplace. Most driver's licenses do not show birthplace. | ~4 weeks |
American Indian Card with DHS 'KIC' classification An American Indian Card (Form I-872) issued by DHS with the specific 'KIC' classification, which denotes U.S. citizenship for members of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas under the Texas Band of Kickapoo Act of 1983. This is an extremely narrow category. Standard tribal enrollment cards and tribal photo IDs do NOT qualify under the SAVE Act, potentially disenfranchising hundreds of thousands of Native American voters. extremely rare classificationtribal id excludedbureaucratic complexity | All 50 states + DC | N/A — federal document | <1% | Free Free if eligible, but the 'KIC' (Kickapoo) classification is an extremely narrow DHS designation — it denotes U.S. citizenship for members of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas on the American Indian Card (Form I-872). Standard tribal enrollment cards do NOT qualify. | ~3 months |