What counts as proof of address?
Proof of address is a document from an organization that already writes to you at that address. A utility, a bank, a landlord, an insurer or a government office has you on file there, and the paper shows it. That's why a letter from a friend rarely counts and a bank statement nearly always does.
For a driver's license or ID, the federal REAL ID rule, 6 CFR 37.11(f), says you “must present at least two documents of the State's choice that include the individual's name and principal residence.” There's no federal list. Each state writes its own, and the usual entries are a utility bill, a bank or credit card statement, a lease, a mortgage statement or property tax bill, an insurance policy, a pay stub and mail from a government agency. See which bills each state accepts for REAL ID.
The rules that catch people out are the small ones:
- Screenshots. DC says “Screenshots on electronic devices are not acceptable.” Print the PDF.
- PO boxes. DC and Wisconsin both refuse them. The document needs the street address.
- Two from the same place. DC wants two documents “not from the same business, company, or agency,” with the address matching “exactly on both.” Two bills from the same utility count as one source there.
- USPS change of address. “DC DMV does not accept change of address forms from the United States Postal Service.” California lists the USPS change of address confirmation by name, so check your state before you lean on it.
Some states put a date limit on bills: Florida and DC want one issued within 60 days. Our utility bill guide has the windows state by state.
What's the fastest way to get proof of address?
Print something you already get. Log in to your bank or credit card account, download the latest statement and print it. Check that it shows your name and the street address, not a PO box. Wisconsin says “Printouts of electronic documents are acceptable,” and North Carolina lets you bring printed documents or upload digital copies at the office. Do the same for a pay stub, an insurance policy or a tax form that went to this address.
If you need a second one, look at what you pay for. A renter's or car insurance policy comes with a declaration page that names you and the address, and insurance documents are on the lists in Florida, DC, Wisconsin, California and North Carolina. A lease you signed counts too, even if the utilities are in someone else's name.
If the address is new, change it everywhere now. Update it with your bank, your card issuer and your employer. The proof arrives with the next statement or pay stub, not the day you change it, so start before you need it. Our change of address checklist lists everyone to tell.
How do I get proof of address if nothing is in my name?
This is the usual case for anyone who lives with family, rents a room or isn't on the lease, and it's more fixable than it feels. Several states write down a way to use the household's paperwork. In Florida and DC, the person whose name is on the bills signs the state's own form saying you live there, and brings their documents. California lets you use a family member's documents, and Wisconsin lets applicants 26 or younger use a parent's or guardian's license or ID.
- Florida. FLHSMV asks for “two different documents with their Florida residential address.” If you have none, the person you live with can complete a Certification of Address form. They either come to the office with you or sign it in front of a notary, and the form goes in with two proofs of address in their name. It isn't available for a commercial license or learner's permit.
- Washington, DC. The Proof of Residency Certification has to be “signed within the last 60 days by the certifier residing at the residence,” and it goes in with a copy of the certifier's DC license or ID and their own proofs of residency.
- California. You can borrow a family member's documents. The DMV's list says that if documents addressed to you “are not readily available, you may use a birth certificate, marriage license, or domestic partner registration certificate to trace your relationship” to the person they're addressed to. That covers a parent, a child or a spouse. It doesn't cover a roommate.
- Wisconsin. If you're 26 or younger, you can use a parent's or guardian's Wisconsin license or ID, as long as their address matches the one you give and the one DMV has on file.
Pennsylvania and Tennessee have their own versions, covered in our utility bill guide. Where your state's list doesn't name a household form, a sworn statement you write yourself usually won't get you through. Wisconsin and California both list specific documents, and neither names a letter from anyone in the household.
Then start getting mail in your own name the same week. Put the address on your bank account, get a renter's policy in your name, or register to vote. Next time, you won't need anyone to come with you.
What is a proof of address letter?
At a DMV, the “letter” people search for is usually the state's own certification form, like Florida's and DC's above, not something you write yourself. Download it from your DMV's site and bring everything it says to attach.
Outside a DMV, a school, a landlord or an employer may take a signed letter from the person you live with. Ask for their wording first. If they leave it to you, the letter should state both full names, the street address, the date you started living there and that you live there now, with the signer's signature, the date and a phone number. Attach a copy of one of the signer's own bills or statements for the same address. The attached bill is what makes the letter believable.
Can I use a bank statement as proof of address?
Usually, yes. A bank or credit card statement is on the lists in Florida, Wisconsin and California, and North Carolina lists a “financial statement.” DC's list doesn't include one, so check your state first. Our bank statement guide shows where the name, address and statement period sit on the page.
Do I need proof of address to open a bank account or vote?
For a bank account, federal law asks for your address, not a document that proves it. The rule for banks, 31 CFR 1020.220, requires the bank to collect “a residential or business street address,” and someone without one can give “the residential or business street address of next of kin or of another contact individual.” The only document it names for a person is a government photo ID. Any proof-of-address document a bank asks for is that bank's own policy, so ask what it accepts before you go.
To vote, federal law asks for it from first-time voters who registered by mail: you registered by mail, haven't voted in a federal election in that state before, and didn't send a photo ID, a bill or a matching driver's license or Social Security number with your registration. Then 52 U.S.C. 21083(b) asks for “a current and valid photo identification” or “a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows the name and address of the voter.” States can add rules of their own on top, so check with your election office.
Where should I keep proof of address?
The first bill at a new address is worth keeping for a reason that has nothing to do with paying it: it's what the DMV, the bank and the school district will ask for. The same goes for the lease, the policy pages and the statements. They're easy to get once and annoying to find twice.
That's the job we built Granite for. It keeps the original file, so the statement you print is exactly what the bank sent. Search by document type and year to pull up last month's statement or this year's policy. Granite reads the address off your lease, property tax bill, homeowner's policy and vehicle registration, and every bill and statement is searchable by the words on it, street address included.