Dominican Republic Removes Birthday-Month ID Card Restriction

The Central Electoral Board (JCE), the Dominican Republic’s electoral and civil identification authority, has removed the birthday-month restriction for obtaining the country’s new identity and voter card. The measure takes effect Friday, August 28, as the institution marks the renewal of its three-millionth citizen.

The JCE announced the change during a ceremony at its headquarters in Santo Domingo, where its Plenary Board recognized Onaney Rosmel Severino Alcántara as the citizen to reach the three-million mark in the ongoing replacement of the Dominican identity and voter card.

JCE President Román Andrés Jáquez Liranzo said the broader access represents the next stage of a process that began progressively on April 12. Citizens will now be able to visit the JCE’s identification centers without having to wait for their birth month.

More Than 3.2 Million Renewals Reached

As of Thursday’s cutoff, the JCE reported that 3,066,520 people had renewed and received their new cards. That represents 35.8% of the 8,569,272 people currently included in the electoral roll.

An additional 164,970 cards are ready for delivery. Combining completed renewals with documents available for collection brings the total to 3,231,490, equivalent to 37.7% of the current electoral roll.

Jáquez said the figures mark a significant stage in the rollout after four months and 15 days of progressive implementation. With the birthday-month restriction now removed, the JCE is expanding access to the renewal process across its identification centers nationwide.

Previous ID Card Will Expire in 2027

The JCE has also reminded citizens that the current identity card has a defined end date. April 1, 2027, will mark the point at which the previous-format card will no longer be accepted for activities requiring official identification.

That deadline gives citizens additional time to complete the renewal, but the latest change removes one of the practical limits that had governed when people could begin the process. The new card is the document that citizens will need once the previous format loses its validity.

Young and Working-Age Adults Lead Renewals

JCE Cedulation Director Américo Rodríguez presented the demographic breakdown of the renewal process. People between 30 and 39 years old account for the largest group, with 626,004 renewals, followed by those aged 40 to 49 with 566,628 and people aged 20 to 29 with 549,924.

The figures also include 516,875 renewals among citizens aged 50 to 59, 400,188 among those aged 60 to 69, and 202,627 among people between 70 and 79. The JCE recorded 133,030 renewals among 16- to 19-year-olds, 55,487 among those aged 80 to 89, 7,539 among citizens aged 90 to 99, and 228 among people aged 100 or older.

Renewals Also Advance Abroad

The process has extended beyond the Dominican Republic, with 136,961 Dominicans registered abroad having completed their renewals. Women account for 76,593 of those renewals, compared with 60,368 completed by men.

Within the country, Santo Domingo province has recorded the highest number of renewed cards at 678,211, including 348,752 women and 329,459 men. It is followed by the National District with 334,842 and Santiago with 326,188.

San Cristóbal has registered 176,857 renewals, while La Vega has 132,531. San Pedro de Macorís has 108,585, Duarte 106,373 and Puerto Plata 106,285. Other provinces with substantial numbers include La Altagracia with 93,011 and La Romana with 89,406.

The JCE also reported 77,132 renewals in Espaillat, 75,128 in San Juan, 73,750 in Azua, 60,993 in Barahona, 59,563 in Peravia, 56,426 in Monseñor Nouel and 55,821 in Monte Plata.

With the restriction removed, the renewal process is moving into a broader phase ahead of the April 2027 deadline. Citizens who have not yet replaced their previous-format card can now proceed without waiting for their birthday month.