Proof of residency in Florida: address documents and certification

Florida law asks every license applicant for proof of residential address satisfactory to the department (Florida Statutes § 322.08, Application for license). The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) sets the list, and county tax collectors run most of the offices that check it.

A residential address document is a paper from a third party that ties your name to the place you live, such as a deed, a lease or a utility bill. Tax collectors stress that the list is not exhaustive, and that printouts and faxes are acceptable (Pinellas County Tax Collector, Driver license required documents).

People with no papers in their own name have a set route. The person they live with fills out the state’s Certification of Address and lends their own documents (FLHSMV Form 71120, Certification of Address).

Landlords, title companies and lenders issue the household papers; the county Supervisor of Elections issues voter cards; the tax collector issues vehicle and vessel registrations; utilities, banks, insurers and employers send the dated items. For the certification route, the certifier signs Form 71120 before a notary or the office clerk (FLHSMV Form 71120, Certification of Address).

1. Open your county tax collector’s required-documents page; it mirrors the FLHSMV list and marks the dated items.
2. Pick one undated document, such as a lease, deed or voter card, if you have one.
3. Add a second from a different source and check that its date falls inside the last 60 days (Pinellas County Tax Collector, Driver license required documents).
4. If nothing is in your name, download Form 71120 and plan the visit with the person who will certify your address.

• Bringing your current Florida license or ID as one of the two proofs (Pinellas County Tax Collector, Driver license required documents).
• A bank statement or utility bill older than 60 days (Pinellas County Tax Collector, Driver license required documents).
• Using a P.O. box: the form and the list ask for a residential address.
• A certifier who brings two bills but nothing showing they own or lease the home.

Bring two different documents. The items marked as dated must be no more than 60 days old on the day of your visit (Pinellas County Tax Collector, Driver license required documents).

• A homeless shelter or public assistance agency letter also counts, attached to a Certification of Address (Pinellas County Tax Collector, Driver license required documents).
• Bring marriage certificates or court orders for every name change between your birth record and today (Pinellas County Tax Collector, Driver license required documents).

The Certification of Address is a state affidavit, Form 71120, in which the person you live with confirms that you reside at their address. It covers Class E licenses and ID cards only (FLHSMV Form 71120, Certification of Address).

The certifier is the person whose name is on the household papers and who signs for you. They prove two separate things: one household document shows they own or lease the home, and one supporting document confirms they live there (FLHSMV Form 71120, Certification of Address).

1. You complete section A with your name and residential address and sign it.
2. The certifier completes section B and ticks one household document: deed or mortgage, property tax, a recent monthly mortgage statement, or a rental or lease agreement (FLHSMV Form 71120, Certification of Address).
3. The certifier ticks one supporting document, for example a voter card, a professional license, or a utility bill, financial statement or insurance bill dated within 60 days (FLHSMV Form 71120, Certification of Address).
4. The certifier signs before a notary, or in front of the office clerk at the visit (FLHSMV Form 71120, Certification of Address).
5. You bring the form and the certifier’s documents to the office.

A parent or guardian proves the address for a minor. They bring two proofs in their own name from the regular list, and no Certification of Address is needed (Pinellas County Tax Collector, Driver license required documents).

The office also needs to see the link between parent and child, so bring the child’s birth certificate with the rest of the identity papers.

A Florida license shows where you live today; it does not prove how long you have been a resident. Colleges look at legal residence kept for at least 12 consecutive months before first enrollment (Florida Statutes § 1009.21, Residency for tuition purposes). For a dependent student, the test applies to the parent or parents instead (Florida Statutes § 1009.21, Residency for tuition purposes).

For tuition, a license is one piece of evidence among several, alongside items such as a voter card, a vehicle registration or a homestead exemption (Florida Statutes § 1009.21, Residency for tuition purposes). Keep the dates of your move and your earliest Florida lease.

• FLHSMV Form 71120, Certification of Address: For Class E cards, a certifier shows one household document and one supporting document, several dated within 60 days, and signs before a notary or issuance staff.
• Pinellas County Tax Collector, Driver license required documents: Two different residential address documents, printouts accepted, current license not accepted, listed items dated within 60 days, and the parents’ route for minors.
• Florida Statutes § 322.08, Application for license: A license application includes proof of residential address satisfactory to the department.
• Florida Statutes § 1009.21, Residency for tuition purposes: A resident for tuition purposes, or the parent or parents of a dependent child, has kept legal residence in Florida for at least 12 consecutive months immediately before initial enrollment.