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Residency Documentation

Guidelines

Documentation should be provided by the claimant (the person claiming Florida residency) - this will either be the independent student or the dependent student's parent or legal guardian.

For the definition of a claimant and more information about dependent/independent status, visit the Residency Definitions webpage.

Directions

  1. Documents supporting the establishment of legal residence must be dated, issued, or filed 12 months before the first day of classes of the term for which a Florida residency classification is sought. View the academic calendar for the exact dates for each term.
  2. All documentation is subject to verification.
  3. If applying for Initial Residency Classification, you must provide at least two (2) of the following documents, with dates that evidence the 12-month qualifying period mentioned above.
  4. if you are a current student applying for Residency Reclassification, you must provide at least three (3) of the following documents, with dates that evidence the 12-month qualifying period mentioned above.
  5. At least one of the documents must be from the First Tier shown below.

PLEASE NOTE: Sending in this information does not necessarily qualify you for Florida residency. Additional documentation may be required.

First Tier:

At least one of the two documents submitted must be from this list.

  • Florida Driver's license
  • Florida voter registration card
  • Florida vehicle registration
  • A State of Florida identification card
  • Proof of purchase of a permanent home in Florida which is occupied as a primary residence by the individual or by the individual's parents if the individual is a dependent child
  • Proof of homestead exemption in Florida
  • Transcripts from a Florida high school for multiple years (2 years or more) if Florida high school diploma or GED was earned within last 12 months
  • Proof of permanent full-time employment in Florida (one or more jobs for at least 30 hours per week for a consecutive 12-month period) *Please submit a signed letter on letterhead from your employer indicating: Your position start date and end date; whether the position is full-time or part-time; number of hours worked per week. If you have more than one job working a total of 30 hours per week for the required 12 consecutive months, then you may submit a letter from each employer.

Second Tier:

May be used in conjunction with one document from First Tier.

  • A Declaration of Domicile in Florida *The date the Declaration of Domicile was executed and stamped by the Clerk of Courts must be 12 months prior to the first day of classes of the term for which Florida residency classification is sought.
  • A Florida professional or occupational license
  • Florida incorporation
  • Documents evidencing family ties in Florida *Please submit a signed and notarized letter from an immediate family member (parent or sibling) who is a Florida resident. The letter must indicate: Type of relationship; date of residency establishment for the relative; current address of relative. Your relative should be able to indicate when you established Florida residency. The letter must be submitted with at least two Florida IDs in your relative's name with issue dates that are 12 months prior to the first day of classes of the term for which Florida residency classification is sought. At least one document must be from the First Tier.
  • Proof of membership in Florida-based charitable or professional organizations
  • Any other documentation that supports the student's request for resident status
    • Examples:
      • Utility bills and proof of 12 consecutive months of payments *Utility bills include water and electricity bills. We cannot accept bills such as cable or phone bills. You must submit: Utility bills from the consecutive 12 month period and proof of payments from the consecutive 12 month period. Proof of payment can include bank statements or ledgers. The bills and proof of payments must indicate the claimant's name and address.
      • Lease agreement and proof of 12 consecutive months of payments
      • State or court documents evidencing legal ties to Florida

Unacceptable Documents

May NOT be used.

  • Hunting/fishing licenses
  • Library cards
  • Shopping club/rental cards
  • Birth certificate
  • Passport
  • Social Security Card
  • Florida Concealed Weapon Permit
  • Insurance cards