Cédula de Identidad y Electoral

Dominican identity card (Cédula de identidad y electoral)
Dominican identity card since 2014
Issued by	Dominican Republic
Valid in	Dominican Republic  Haiti
Expiration	Adults: 10 years after issue Minors: 18th birthday
Cost	Citizens: Free of charge Foreigners: DOP$3,000~6,000

The Dominican national identity card (Cédula de Identidad y Electoral or cédula) is a polycarbonate card which contains the holder's name and surnames, city of birth, nationality, sex, date of birth, civil status, occupation, polling station, residential address, and a photograph that adheres to ISO/IEC 19794-5. The card can also optionally include the holder's blood type. Formerly, it included the holder's race (until 2014).

Each cédula features an 11-digit number that uniquely identifies the holder on a national level. This number is used as a driver's license number as well as a taxpayer identification number. Private companies also use the cédula number to uniquely identify their customers.

The cédula is issued at Central Electoral Board (Spanish: Junta Central Electoral, JCE) offices nationally and at Cedulación en el Exterior offices internationally. They are issued to all Dominican citizens and legal residents in the country.

The Dominican cédula was first issued in 1932 as a result of law number 247. All males who were 16 or older were required to hold a cédula and pay an annual renewal tax under threat of imprisonment. This early cédula was only useful for identification purposes and did not allow its holders to participate in elections. Law 390 made the cédula a legal requirement for all adult women with similar punishments for those who did not renew their cédula on time.

Shortly after the Trujillo dictatorship ended, a new document named the "Registro Electoral" was created with the intent of organising those who were eligible to vote. The Registro Electoral in combination with the paper cédula continued to be used until 1992, when “la cédula azul” replaced it and combined the two into one document.

In 1998, the JCE introduced a new cédula, replacing the blue cédula with an electronically-backed yellow/brown plastic card.

On 15 January 2014, the JCE announced the specifications for a new cédula that would address many of the security concerns raised over the previous card. The new cédula began being issued in April 2014.

On 16 December 2014, the JCE announced all old cédulas would be revoked on 10 January 2015. Although most governmental organisations ceased accepting the old cédula on the JCE's deadline, the Superintendence of Banks instructed banks to continue accepting the old cédula in combination with a driver's license or passport until 30 June 2015 for existing customers.

As of July 2015, no governmental or private institution in the Dominican Republic accepts the old cédula as a valid form of identification.