Cherokee Nation Registration and Photo ID field events reach 18,000 in 2025, 2026 Schedule Announced

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. - The Cherokee Nation served more than 18,000 citizens in 2025 by traveling to communities across the country and in the reservation by taking its Registration staff to help citizens take advantage of the Photo ID and new citizen application services.

Cherokee Nation hosted more than 20 citizenship registration and photo ID field events across the reservation and parts of Arkansas and Missouri as well as 19 other at-large events across the country last year as highlighted in the 2025 Citizenship Registration & Photo ID Field Events Year-End Snapshot.

"Our registration and photo ID teams have been putting in tremendous work this past year, and I just want to thank them for the passion and drive they have," Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said. "When we meet our citizens in their communities like this, our hope is that it makes the tribe's programs and services more attainable to those who don't live around Tahlequah. We continue to have these events going on this year as well."

Of the more than 20 regional photo ID events, more than 4,800 photo IDs were issued to Cherokee citizens, and more than 1,100 new citizen applications were received.

Along with the registration applications and photo ID's, several other departments from the tribe set up information tables. Also, 350 citizens either registered to vote or updated their voter registration with Cherokee Vote.

Cherokee Nation also provides citizenship registration and photo ID services to Cherokees across the United States in areas of high concentrations of Cherokee citizens at events held throughout the year.

Among the thousands that attended at-large events, more than 3,400 photo IDs were issued in 2025, and more than 800 new citizenship applications were received in 2025. More than 860 at-large citizens either registered to vote or updated their voter registration too.

The Cherokee Nation has more than 477,000 Cherokee Nation citizens, with more than 332,000 living at-large and more than 145,000 living in the reservation. The Cherokee Nation also has 66 Cherokee Community Organizations nationwide.

For a list of this year's Regional Photo ID Events visit: https://www.cherokee.org/all-services/tribal-registration/field-events/

For a list of this year's At-Large Photo ID Events visit: https://cherokeesatlarge.org/events