Proof of Residency Letter Template

Many companies or government bodies will request a letter of residency before they give you access to specific benefits or services. As a legal document, these letters for providing proof need to be made correctly. On this page, you’ll discover all there is to know about writing an affidavit of residence, alongside all required supporting documentation and writing tips. We also have a free downloadable proof of address letter template for an even more simplistic solution and higher acceptance rate.

What is a Proof of Residency Letter?

A letter of residency is a legal document that acts as confirmation that a person resides at a specific address. They are also referred to as an “affidavit of residence” and are used in the United States to prove which state and city a person lives within.

These documents might be written by the person looking to prove their residency. In these cases, their statement is followed by signatures from a third party and acknowledge that the individual named in the document resides where they say they do. In other cases, a third party might write the entire letter. This is usually the case with a landlord, employer, or family member writing a letter of residency on behalf of their children.

What is the Purpose of a Proof of Residency Letter?

In some cases, individuals will need to prove that they reside within a specific state or jurisdiction. This is usually in regards to claiming benefits or programs that are only available to residents of the state in question. In some instances, providing a recent utility bill or other proof of address will suffice. However, there are many situations in which an affidavit of residence is required instead. This is where a residence address letter comes in. They act as confirmation that you live where you say you do and thus can claim any benefits state residents have access to.

When Do You Need to Show Proof of Residency?

There are many instances in which letters for providing proof of residency can be used. If it is required, the company will usually request this from you directly. Below are just some of the types of situations in which the legal document might be needed:

• Applying to government agencies for income support
• Seeking unemployment insurance or health insurance through the state
• Filing driver’s license applications
• Claiming student finance loans and other student benefits
• Submitting school applications for children in particular school districts
• Opening new bank accounts within the state
• Applying for loans and credit cards through banks and third parties
• Completing legal income tax documentation
• Registering to vote in local and state elections
• Verifying your location for jury duty services
• Registering for visas
• Applying for new lease agreements for a new rental property
• Testifying in court cases in another state

What is Included in Letters for Providing Proof?

You are not required to write a proof of residency in any particular format. However, as with all legal documents, they must contain the right basic information to be accepted and considered legally valid. All letter of residency documents need to contain the following information:

• Your full legal name
• Your current residential address
• Your date of birth
• Your signature and date

You can use our simple proof of address letter template so that you don’t miss any of these crucial details. However, please note that alongside putting all this information in the legal document, supplementary evidence needs to be submitted with it. These documents provide further proof that the person resides where they say they do. Example documents that can act as proof include a bank statement, utility bill, or lease agreement. These will need to be recent – usually from within the past three months – and you’ll have to submit two pieces of supplementary evidence along with the letter of residence.

Proof of Residency Letter Sample (Text Version)

The exact wording of a letter of residency depends on its purpose and who is writing the document. However, they all must contain a declaration statement. Below is a simple text version that can be used as a guideline for anyone writing a residency letter for themselves:

To Whom This May Concern,

This is a letter to confirm that I, [INSERT YOUR FULL LEGAL NAME], formally acknowledge residing at the address [INSERT COMPLETE RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS] since [INSERT DATE]. The following relevant supplementary documents have been attached to provide further evidence of my residency for your consideration:

[INSERT LIST OF AT LEAST TWO VALID DOCUMENTS]

Sincerely,

[YOUR SIGNATURE]

[YOUR FULL LEGAL NAME]

Following this, all letter of residency documents written by the person in question should have witness statements confirming the aforementioned claims. A notary section can go at the end of the document if requested. This is not a legal requirement but can make it more likely that the document will be accepted by the third party that requested it.

How to Write a Proof of Residency Letter?

It can be challenging to know where to start when writing a residence address letter. This is why we always recommend using our proof of address template – the simple form can be filled in and submitted. How to fill the form out should be pretty self-explanatory. You need to add your name, address, date of birth, and signature in the blanks.

However, you might also choose to write letters for providing proof of residency yourself. If so, follow the below steps when you create the document so that the declaration is accepted:

1) Create the Heading: All legal documents should have a heading at the top so that whoever is looking at the document knows what it is. For a residence address letter, you should use the heading “Affidavit of Residence” and make it bolder and slightly larger than the font you use for the rest of the document.

2) Date of the Letter: The date then needs to be added to the residence address letter. The format doesn’t matter, just make sure it is aligned to the right-hand side of the page with a gap left between the date and the header.

3) Contact Information: The top left-hand side of the page is where all your contact information should be detailed, just as with usual formal letters. Make sure this is up-to-date as this is what the recipient will use to contact you. It must contain your name, address, and email and/or telephone number.

4) Address the Company: You can then begin writing the letter of residency. Where possible, put the name of the person that requested the document. If unknown, “To Whom This May Concern” is an appropriate address.

5) Write the Body: Always start the main body of the letter with a declaration statement. The nature of the statement will depend on the type of residence address letter required. In some cases, a family member proof of residency letter will suffice. In other instances, you might need to write the letter yourself. Use our proof of address letter template for guidance on this.

6) Conclusion: The letter needs to be finished with your written legal name and signature. You can then print the document and add your hand-written signature and date to the bottom of the page. Make a copy to keep one on file for yourself.

Do I Need to Notarize My Proof of Residency Letter?

There is no legal requirement to have a letter of residency notarized. With that being said, notarized residency address letters are much more credible and applications are more likely to be accepted. Moreover, any mistakes will be picked up by the notary party, which can also help reduce the number of application refusals. Therefore, we always recommend getting the legal document notarized. This is especially true for anyone that is lacking supplemental evidence to support their application.