Which U.S. states already require proof of citizenship to register to vote and what documents do they accept?
Executive summary
Three states are routinely identified in recent reporting as requiring documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote — Arizona, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — and those requirements typically accept primary citizenship documents such as a U.S. passport or a birth certificate, with some states also accepting tribal or other federal documents (Ballotpedia; Votebeat) [1] [2]. The broader legal and policy landscape is in flux: federal proposals and litigation, supplemental state procedures, and ballot initiatives are reshaping how proof-of-citizenship rules are proposed, enforced, or blocked [3] [4] [5].
1. Which states currently require documentary proof of citizenship: the short list and caveats
Most mainstream trackers and recent reporting single out Arizona, New Hampshire, and Wyoming as the states that currently require documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration [2], while other states either have dormant statutes, implementation delays, or new legislative provisions that have not been uniformly applied (Ballotpedia) [1]. Movement Advancement Project’s database notes a slightly different tally—reflecting technicalities such as North Dakota’s lack of a voter registration system—but the consistent, named examples across sources remain Arizona, New Hampshire, and Wyoming [6] [2].
2. What documents those states accept when proof is required
When states require documentary proof, the common list mirrors federal-era examples: photocopies of a birth certificate, a U.S. passport, and certain tribal or federal birth affidavits such as a Tribal Certificate of Indian Blood or a Bureau of Indian Affairs affidavit of birth are treated as acceptable documentary proof in state guidance cited by Ballotpedia [1]. Ballotpedia’s state-level notes explicitly list photocopied birth certificates (with supplemental legal documents if names differ), U.S. passports, and tribal documentation as examples accepted under such proof-of-citizenship regimes [1].
3. Implementation realities: statutes versus practice
A state law on the books does not always mean it’s being applied; Georgia and Louisiana provide recent examples where statutes requiring proof exist but had not been implemented as of January 2026, and instead states rely on database checks like matching driver’s license or Social Security numbers to verify citizenship claims [1]. Similarly, administrative choices—such as using USCIS’s Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program for cross‑checks—have become more frequent since 2025, with very low rates of SAVE flags returning as noncitizens in state verifications [3].
4. Legal constraints, controversy, and downstream effects
Federal law and litigation shape whether proof-of-citizenship can be required for federal elections: the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) restricts states from imposing documentary proof for federal registration and the Brennan Center highlights legal challenges and limits, noting courts and federal authorities have blocked or questioned such state practices in the past [4]. Advocacy and research groups warn that documentary proof regimes can suppress eligible voters who lack immediate access to passports or birth certificates, and historical implementations in states like Kansas and Arizona have been studied for registration impacts [7] [4].
5. The near-term political landscape: bills and ballot measures
Beyond current state rules, a spate of legislative proposals and ballot initiatives in 2025–2026 would expand or formalize proof-of-citizenship requirements in multiple states; Ballotpedia and related reporting list proposed measures in states including Michigan, California, Alaska, and West Virginia, and note some measures already certified for 2026 ballots [5] [8]. At the federal level, bills such as the SAVE Act and related proposals would impose documentary proof nationwide if enacted, but courts and executive‑branch actions have produced stops and starts, leaving the final map contested and evolving [3] [9].
6. Bottom line for understanding who must show what today
As of the latest aggregated reporting, Arizona, New Hampshire, and Wyoming are the clearest examples of states that require documentary proof of citizenship to register, and the documents accepted typically include primary proofs such as birth certificates, U.S. passports, and certain tribal or federal birth records; many other states either rely on attestation plus database checks, have statutes not implemented, or are the subject of ongoing legislative and legal contests [2] [1] [3]. Where gaps exist in the public reporting provided here—such as exhaustive, state-by-state lists of accepted documents for every jurisdiction—state election office pages and Ballotpedia’s state entries provide the granular, official lists used when rules are in force [1] [10].