William Lipovsky
Establishing residency in someone else’s home can be a challenge, but it is possible. Below are the eight documents that can prove your residency if you don’t have a utility bill to use.
Documents That Can Prove Residency (Besides Utility Bills)
Even though utility bills are typically used as proof of residency, there are many other documents that you can use.
If you have a driver’s license or state-issued photo I.D. printed with your current address, for example, this is often sufficient proof of residency.
Here’s the list of documents you can use to prove residency and how to get them.
1. Bank Statements
- Document description: Preprinted account statements from your bank. Bank statements printed from a home computer are generally not accepted as proof of residency.
- How to get it: You can request an account statement at your bank, or you may already have monthly statements mailed to you
2. Court Letters
- Document description: Any correspondence sent to you from a city, county, or state court, such as marital records or government program documents
- How to get it: If you’ve received a court letter but no longer have a copy, you can request a copy from the court that issued the letter.
3. Government Documents
- Document description: Any correspondence sent to you by a city, county, state, or federal government agency
- How to get it: If you’ve received government letters but no longer have a copy, you can request one from the agency that sent it.
4. Income Tax Statements
- Document description: Tax forms from your employer (such as a W2) or a copy of your state or federal income taxes that have already been filed
- How to get it: If you don’t have these documents, you can request copies of tax forms from your employer or income tax statement copies from the IRS.
5. Lease Agreements
- Document description: Landlord contract or residential lease agreement that includes your name
- How to get it: If you rent or lease an apartment or house and don’t have a copy of this paperwork, you can request a copy from the landlord or building manager.
6. Notarized Affidavit of Residency
- Document description: A notarized statement from the owner of the home you reside in stating that you live at that address
- How to get it: Have your parents or the homeowner of your residence write a statement attesting that you reside at the address, and get the document signed by a notary public.
7. School Records
- Document description: Certified school transcript
- How to get it: Request an official school transcript from the high school or college you attended or are currently attending.
8. Vehicle Registration
- Document description: Official state vehicle registration
- How to get it: If you have a vehicle registered in your name with your current address and don’t have the registration card, you can request a copy from your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
