Texas Proof of Residency Letter: DPS, Schools, DL-5 Rules

Proof of Residency Letter (Texas)

Statement of residence by a host household, landlord or relative, with a Texas unsworn declaration (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 132.001) or a notary jurat. Part A is for a person; Part B is for an organization writing to Texas DPS.

Part A: Personal Letter (Host, Landlord or Relative)

[Your Full Legal Name]
[Street Address, Unit]
[City], Texas [ZIP]
[Phone] · [Email]

[Date]

To: [School district and campus registrar, employer, bank, housing provider or other recipient]
[Recipient’s Mailing Address]

Re: Residency of [Resident’s Full Legal Name(s)] at [Street Address, Unit], [City], Texas [ZIP], [County] County

Dear [Registrar or Recipient Name]:

1. Who I Am and How I Know

I, [Your Full Legal Name], am (check one):

My role	Check	Details
Owner of the home at the address above, and I live there	☐	Living here since [Date]
Tenant named on the lease for the address above, and I live there	☐	Lease dated [Date]
Relative of the resident who lives at the address above but is not on the lease or deed	☐	Relationship: [for example, sister or grandparent]; living here since [Date]
Landlord or property manager for the address above (I do not live there)	☐	My knowledge comes from the lease and rental records
Other	☐	[Describe your role and how you know the facts]

2. Statement of Residence

Use the paragraph that fits your role and delete the other.

[If you live at the address:] [Resident’s Full Legal Name] has lived at the address above since [Move-in Date] as [his / her / their] primary residence. This is a home address, not a mailing address only.

(Optional) The resident sleeps here [number] nights per week.

[Landlord or manager only:] According to my records, [Resident’s Full Legal Name] has been a tenant or authorized occupant of this address under a lease dated [Lease Date] since [Start Date].

The following people live at this address:

Full name	Relationship to me	Under 18?	Living here since
[Full Name]	[Relationship]	[Yes / No]	[Date]
[Full Name]	[Relationship]	[Yes / No]	[Date]
[Full Name]	[Relationship]	[Yes / No]	[Date]

3. Documents Attached

• A copy of my government-issued photo ID.

• [If you live at the address:] Copies of two documents in my name that show this address, such as a deed, mortgage statement or lease, and an electric, water or gas bill dated [Date].

• [If you are the landlord:] A copy of the signed lease naming the resident.

• [If you are related to the resident:] A copy of a [birth certificate / marriage license / other document] showing our relationship.

• [Any other document the recipient asked for]

4. For School Enrollment (Delete If Not Used)

The following students live at this address:

Student’s full name	Grade	School
[Full Name]	[Grade]	[School Name]
[Full Name]	[Grade]	[School Name]

I will notify [School District Name] within [number] days if these students move out of my home. I understand that the district may make reasonable inquiries to verify residence (Tex. Educ. Code § 25.001(c)). I also understand that a person who knowingly falsifies information on a form required for enrollment can be held liable to the district for tuition or per-student costs if the student was not eligible (§ 25.001(h)), and can be prosecuted under Texas Penal Code § 37.10.

5. Contact for Verification

You may contact me at [Phone] or [Email]. The best time to reach me is [days and hours].

6. Signature

I have personal knowledge of each fact stated above, or, for a landlord or manager, of the records described.

Use one of the two options below and delete the other.

Option A: Unsworn declaration (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 132.001)

My name is [First] [Middle] [Last], my date of birth is [Date of Birth], and my address is [Street], [City], Texas, [ZIP Code], and United States. I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.

Executed in [County] County, State of Texas, on the [day] day of [Month], [Year].

___________________________
[Your Full Legal Name], Declarant

Option B: Signed before a notary

___________________________
[Your Full Legal Name]

State of Texas
County of [County]

Sworn to and subscribed before me on [Date] by [Your Full Legal Name].

___________________________
Notary Public, State of Texas
Printed name: [Notary’s Name]
My commission expires: [Date]
[Notary Seal]

Resident’s signature (only if the recipient asks both people to sign)

I confirm that I live at the address above as stated in this letter.

___________________________
[Resident’s Full Legal Name] · Date: [Date]

Part B: Organization Letter for Texas DPS (Notarized)

[Organization Letterhead: name, street address, phone]

[Date]

To: Texas Department of Public Safety, Driver License Office (presented by the applicant)

Re: Texas residency of [Applicant’s Full Legal Name], date of birth [Date of Birth]

[Organization Name] is a [governmental entity / not-for-profit organization / assisted care facility or home / adult assisted living facility or home / homeless shelter / transitional service provider / group or halfway house / college or university].

I am the [Title] of [Organization Name]. I certify that [Applicant’s Full Legal Name] [resides / receives services] at [Street Address, Unit], [City], Texas [ZIP], and has done so since [Date].

[Organization Name] [receives mail for the applicant at this address] [and/or] [provides services to the applicant at this address].

(Keep only what is true. DL-5 instruction 5 asks the organization to confirm it receives mail; if it only provides services, ask DPS first.)

You may verify this letter by contacting me at [Phone] or [Email].

___________________________
[Representative’s Full Name]
[Title], [Organization Name]

State of Texas
County of [County]

Sworn to and subscribed before me on [Date] by [Representative’s Full Name], [Title] of [Organization Name].

___________________________
Notary Public, State of Texas
Printed name: [Notary’s Name]
My commission expires: [Date]
[Notary Seal]

Before You Use It (Delete This Section)

• Use either Part A or Part B and delete the other. In Part A, keep one role in section 1, one paragraph in section 2 and one signature option in section 6.

• Texas DPS does not accept a personal letter. For a driver license or ID, use DPS Form DL-5, the Texas Residency Affidavit. A relative who lives with you signs Section B and attaches copies of two of their own residency documents plus a document showing the relationship. A non-relative attaches two of their own documents and must come to the DPS office with you and show ID (37 Tex. Admin. Code § 15.49(h)(1)). Part B is only for organizations, and DPS requires it to be notarized (§ 15.49(h)(2)).

• DPS documents. Bring two printed documents with your name and Texas residential address. Bills and statements must be dated within 180 days, and one document must show you have lived in Texas for at least 30 days. The 30 days are waived if you surrender a valid out-of-state license or ID or apply for a commercial license. Mail with a forwarding or address label does not count.

• Schools. Ask the district for its own form first. Each district sets its own minimum proof of residency (Tex. Educ. Code § 25.001(c)), and some require the host and the parent to sign in front of the campus registrar or a notary. Date limits on bills vary by district.

• A child living with someone other than a parent. A letter alone is not enough. The routes include a court order naming a guardian or other person with lawful control (§ 25.001(b)(3)); other evidence of legal responsibility for the child, if the district accepts it by board policy (§ 25.001(j)); a separate residence that the board accepts for a student under 18 (§ 25.001(b)(4), (d)); a grandparent who lives in the district and provides a substantial amount of after-school care, as the board decides (§ 25.001(b)(9)); or an Authorization Agreement for Nonparent Adult Caregiver. The parent and the caregiver must sign that agreement and swear to it before a notary. It is void if signed without a court’s written order when a custody order exists, a custody case is pending, or a court has continuing, exclusive jurisdiction over the child (Tex. Fam. Code § 34.004(b), (c)). In most cases it is also void if copies are not mailed within 10 days to a living parent who did not sign it (§ 34.005).

• Homeless students are entitled to enroll regardless of where they or their parents live (§ 25.001(b)(5)).

• Voter registration needs no letter. The application states your residence address (Tex. Elec. Code § 13.002).

• Signature. If you live outside Texas, put your own state and country in the declaration. An unsworn declaration cannot replace a lien or property instrument filed with a county clerk, an oath of office, or an oath that must be taken before a particular public officer other than a notary (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 132.001(b)). The notary may use their own jurat wording.

• State only what you know. A false unsworn declaration made with intent to deceive is perjury, a Class A misdemeanor (Tex. Penal Code § 37.02).