Registered persons whose names appear on the list of electors are entitled to vote in national elections using their ID Cards as the means of identification.
In terms of the provision of services to the national community, the Elections and Boundaries Commission is one of the major service providers in Trinidad and Tobago. At present there are approximately 1.143 million electors registered with the EBC, each of whom has qualified to own a National Identification (ID) Card produced by the staff of the Commission. From this client base, an average of three hundred thousand (300,000) persons visit the Commission’s Eighteen Registration Areas and Sub Offices annually to seek various services.
The ID card is the most sought-after product and preferred form of national identification for a number of service providers in both the public and private sectors. It is one of several products produced from the Commission’s registration system.
As of June 1, 2023, persons will NO LONGER NEED AN APPOINTMENT to conduct any transaction at any EBC office.
The procedure used in the processing of the application and the production of the I.D. Card is significantly different from that used in respect of some other national documents; e.g. Driver’s Permit and Passport. While the issuance of a Driver’s Permit is normally a same-day transaction and the Passport is reportedly issued within a specific number of working days following an application, the issue of an Identification Card to a first-time applicant will take somewhat longer.
This is due, in part, to the fact that:
These procedures naturally add to the time-frame within which an Identification Card can be processed and delivered to an applicant. It should be noted, though, that unlike the issue of your first- I.D. Card, applications for replacement and renewal cards are processed much faster
Notwithstanding the above, the Commission wishes to advise that it is not unmindful of its responsibility towards the public to provide this very important national document in a timely manner; and gives the assurance that every effort continues to be made to ensure efficient service delivery.
To qualify for a National Identification Card a person must be:
Registered persons whose names appear on the list of electors are entitled to vote in national elections using their ID Cards as the means of identification.
Only persons eighteen (18) years and over are eligible to vote. Election Rule No. 36 states:
“No person shall be entitled to vote at a polling station for any polling division unless his registration record appears in the Unit Register of Electors for that polling division, or his name appears on the Revised List of Electors for that polling division.”
An Identification Card is valid for a period of ten (10) years from the date of issue. As the expiry date of an ID Card approaches, an application to renew the card can and should be made at least two (2) months prior to the expiry date. A card which was either lost, stolen, mutilated or otherwise destroyed, or contains incorrect information can be replaced upon the payment of a fee.
The fee for a first issue replacement card is $10.00 (TTD), while a second or subsequent issue costs $20.00 (TTD).
For enquires into your identification card please contact your Registration Area Office. The telephone numbers for all our Registration Area Offices and Sub-offices can be found here.
