Proof of residency letter: template for a landlord or host

A proof of residency letter is a short, signed note in which someone who controls a home vouches that you live there. It fills a gap when bills, leases and statements are all in another person’s name. Typical writers are a landlord, a property manager, a parent or a roommate on the lease.

The letter alone rarely satisfies a DMV. REAL ID rules ask for at least two documents with your name and principal residence, and each state chooses which ones count (6 CFR 37.11, REAL ID application documents). Some states accept a letter only with a formal affidavit or certification, so read the office’s list first.

Where a letter is accepted, its value comes from what travels with it: the writer’s photo ID and the writer’s own proof of the address.

The person who owns or rents the home writes and signs it: a landlord or property manager for a tenant, a homeowner or parent for a relative, or the leaseholder for a roommate. Employers, shelters and faith-based organizations write a similar letter for people they house or serve. California, for example, lists a letter from a shelter, nonprofit, employer or government agency among its residency documents (California DMV, REAL ID checklist).

1. Ask the office that wants the proof whether it accepts a letter, and whether it has its own affidavit form.
2. Fill in the template below with the facts that match the writer’s relationship to you.
3. Have the writer sign and date it, and add the notary block if the office wants a sworn statement.
4. Attach a copy of the writer’s photo ID and a lease agreement, deed or bill in their name at the same address.

• A letter typed and signed by the resident instead of the homeowner or landlord.
• No start date, so the reader cannot tell how long the resident has lived there.
• An address with no unit number, while the resident’s ID shows a unit.
• No attachment showing the writer actually owns or rents the home.
• A notarized letter sent to an office that requires its own state form.

The facts in the letter depend on why the writer can speak for the address. A leaseholder is the person named on the lease, and only a leaseholder or owner should sign. The table shows what each writer states and attaches.

Usually only through a state’s own route. DHS lists two proofs of principal residence address among the minimum REAL ID documents and lets states add requirements (DHS, REAL ID Frequently Asked Questions).

States that allow a host’s word tend to use their own forms. Texas uses a residency affidavit, Form DL-5 (37 Tex. Admin. Code § 15.49, Proof of Domicile), and Florida uses a Certification of Address signed before a notary or office staff (FLHSMV Form 71120, Certification of Address). In those states, bring the state form rather than this letter; see proof of residency for the state guides.

Outside the DMV, letters are common. School districts often ask families who live with relatives for a host statement, though many publish an affidavit of residence to use instead.

• School enrollment: the parent who lives with the host signs, and the student’s name goes in the letter.
• Employer or HR file: confirms a new address when a hire has moved in with family.
• Bank or brokerage: some accept a letter as supporting evidence, but the bank must still collect a street address (31 CFR 1020.220, Customer identification programs for banks).
• Address history check: a former landlord confirms past dates for a tenant screening or background check.

Not always. A plain signed letter works where the reader just needs a statement and a call-back number. An affidavit of residence is the version the writer swears to in front of a notary, who checks their ID.

Ask for notarization when the office says sworn, affidavit or notarized. Texas, for example, asks shelters and care homes for a notarized letter confirming they receive mail or services for the applicant (37 Tex. Admin. Code § 15.49, Proof of Domicile).

• 6 CFR 37.11, REAL ID application documents: REAL ID applicants present at least two documents of the state’s choice that include their name and principal residence.
• DHS, REAL ID Frequently Asked Questions: Two proofs of address of principal residence are part of the REAL ID minimum, and states may impose additional requirements.
• California DMV, REAL ID checklist: A letter attesting California residence from a shelter, nonprofit, faith-based organization, employer or government agency is an accepted residency document.
• 37 Tex. Admin. Code § 15.49, Proof of Domicile: Texas accepts a residency affidavit from a household member, or a notarized letter from a shelter, care facility or college confirming mail or services.
• FLHSMV Form 71120, Certification of Address: Florida’s Certification of Address is signed by the person whose name is on the household documents, before a notary or issuance staff.
• 31 CFR 1020.220, Customer identification programs for banks: Banks must obtain a residential or business street address for an individual customer before opening an account.