To get a Texas driver license or ID card, you must prove you live in Texas, normally with two documents that show your name and Texas address. If you live with a relative, a friend or in a care home, the bills and the lease are often in someone else’s name. That is what the Texas Residency Affidavit, Form DL-5, is for: the person you live with, or an organization that serves you, vouches for your address.
This page explains who fills in each section of the DL-5, which documents the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) asks for in each situation, and when a notary is needed. Everything is quoted from the DPS form and its official residency page.
The short answer
The DL-5 is a two-section DPS form. You complete Section A. The person you live with, or a representative of an organization that provides services to you, completes Section B. A relative must add two residency documents in the relative’s name and proof of the family relationship. A non-relative must add two residency documents and “accompany the applicant” to the DPS office. An organization’s representative instead provides “a notarized letter or notarized DL-5”. The DPS decides whether to accept it: the form “and any proof submitted do not guarantee the issuance of a Texas driver license or identification card.”
The normal rule: two documents and 30 days
The DPS residency page says: “To verify Texas residency, an individual must present two printed documents from the list below. Both documents must contain the individual’s name and residential address. One of the documents must verify that the individual has lived in Texas for at least 30 days.” The 30-day part is waived if you surrender a valid, unexpired license or ID from another state, or apply for a commercial driver license, but you still have to prove residency.
The DL-5 is the fallback: “Individuals who are unable to provide two acceptable documents may be eligible to complete a Texas Residency Affidavit.” The state’s rules on domicile are in the Texas Administrative Code, 37 TAC sections 15.49 and 16.7, cited at the top of the form.
How to fill out the Texas Residency Affidavit (DL-5)
| Section | Who completes it | What it contains |
|---|---|---|
| Section A: Applicant Information | You, the person applying for the license or ID | Your name and residence address, your signature and the date, under a statement that “it is a crime to knowingly make any false statement relating to the application”. |
| Section B: Individual or Representative Information | The person who lives at that address, or a representative of an organization that serves you there | Their name, the organization (if a representative), their address, and their signed certification: “The applicant does live at my residence or receives services at the location listed above.” |
| Notarization | A notary, “if required” | A blank space at the bottom of the form. |
Three situations, three sets of documents
The DPS instructions on the back of the form treat relatives, non-relatives and organizations differently:
| Who signs Section B | What to bring | Must they come to DPS? |
|---|---|---|
| A relative you live with | The signed affidavit, “copies of two (2) acceptable residency documents”, and “document(s) demonstrating family relationship”, such as a marriage license, birth certificate, adoption records or military dependent ID card. | The form does not require it. |
| A non-relative you live with | The signed affidavit and copies of two acceptable residency documents. | Yes. “The individual must accompany the applicant and present identification acceptable for DL/ID issuance under 37 TAC 15.24.” |
| A representative of an organization | “A notarized letter or notarized DL-5 certifying to the address where the applicant resides or receives services and verifying they receive mail for the applicant”, instead of two residency documents. | No. “This representative is not required to accompany the applicant.” |
The organizations covered are “a governmental entity, not-for-profit organization, assisted care facility/home, adult assisted living facility/home, homeless shelter, transitional service provider, or group/half way house”. For a relative, the rule requires the two residency documents to be in the name of the person who completed the affidavit (37 TAC 15.49(h)(1)(A)). For a non-relative, neither the form nor the rule says whose name must be on them: bring documents in the certifier’s name showing the shared address, and ask your DPS office if in doubt.
A false statement is a crime. Both the applicant and the person signing Section B certify that they understand “according to Texas law, it is a crime to knowingly make any false statement relating to the application for a driver license or identification card.” Sign only if the applicant really lives or receives services at that address.
Does the DL-5 need to be notarized?
Only in some cases. The form says “Notarization (if required) may be provided in the space below”. The instructions require it for an organization’s representative, who must provide “a notarized letter or notarized DL-5”. For a relative or a non-relative who lives with you, the form’s instructions do not mention a notary. The DPS “has the authority to reject or require additional evidence to verify residence address”, so so ask your DPS office in advance whether they want a relative’s or housemate’s affidavit notarized.
Documents the DPS accepts as proof of residency
Both the normal two-document route and the DL-5 route rely on the same list. The documents must show the name and the Texas residential address, and the DL-5 adds that they must “show the applicant has lived in Texas for at least 30 days prior to application”. The main items on the DPS list:
- A current deed, mortgage, monthly mortgage statement, mortgage payment booklet, or residential rental or lease agreement.
- A valid, unexpired Texas voter registration card, motor vehicle registration or title, or boat registration or title.
- A valid, unexpired Texas concealed handgun license or license to carry.
- A utility or residential service bill dated within 180 days of the application: electric, water, gas, internet, cable, streaming, lawn service, cell phone and similar.
- A current homeowner’s, renter’s or automobile insurance policy, statement or card.
- A Texas high school, college or university report card or transcript for the current school year.
- A pre-printed W-2, 1099 or 1098 tax form for the most recent tax year.
- Bank, investment or credit card statements, or mail from a federal, state, county or city government agency, dated within 180 days.
- A current automobile payment booklet or statement, or current documents from the U.S. military or Veterans Administration showing the address.
- A pre-printed paycheck or payment stub dated within 180 days.
- A valid, unexpired Texas fishing or hunting license, a medical explanation of benefits or medical bills, or a document from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice showing recent release or parole.
- A current Form DS-2019 or a document issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (non-commercial licenses and IDs only).
Two details from the DPS page catch people out. “Printed documents are required and printed electronic statements are acceptable”, so bring paper. And both documents can come from the same source only if it is “a local governmental entity or service provider that provides multiple residential services”, for example a water and gas bill from the same municipal utility on separate statements. “Statements for the same service for different months are not acceptable.” The rule adds: “Mail addressed with a forwarding label or address label affixed to the envelope or contents is not acceptable” (37 TAC 15.49(g)).
Two lists, small differences. The DL-5 form (revised 06/2023) and the DPS residency page list almost the same documents, but not quite. The form puts a 180-day limit on medical bills; the web page adds documents from the Veterans Administration, mail from a third party representing a government agency, a letter of Texas residency from the Texas Juvenile Justice Department and a printout from votetexas.gov. Check the current DPS page before your appointment.
Who is exempt or uses an alternative address
The form’s instructions say an applicant does not need to comply with this section if they are in the Attorney General’s address confidentiality program, currently incarcerated in a Texas Department of Criminal Justice facility, a minor in Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) conservatorship, under 21 in DFPS paid foster care, or a homeless youth as defined by federal law. The DPS page adds judges and their spouses, and active duty military personnel, their spouses and dependents, who may give an address outside Texas, and notes that “Peace officers using an alternative address must still verify their Texas residency.” Some of these groups still bring other papers instead: under 37 TAC 15.49, minors in DFPS conservatorship and young people in DFPS paid foster care may present an approved DFPS residency form signed by a caseworker or caregiver, and homeless youth may present a letter from, for example, their school district or an emergency shelter.
How to use the DL-5, step by step
- Download the current form from the DPS website (Form DL-5).
- Complete Section A with your name and residence address, then sign and date it.
- Have Section B completed by the person you live with or by the organization’s representative. “The form must be complete, legible, and signed by the applicant and the individual or representative.”
- Gather the supporting documents for your situation: residency documents in the certifier’s name, proof of relationship if related, or a notarized letter or notarized DL-5 from an organization.
- Bring the certifier if they are not related to you.
- Bring everything else the application needs. The DL-5 covers residency only.
Common mistakes
- Showing residency documents on a phone. The DPS wants printed copies.
- A non-relative signing Section B and staying home. They must come with you and bring acceptable ID.
- Forgetting proof of the relationship when a relative signs.
- A care home sending an unsigned or unnotarized letter. A representative’s letter or DL-5 must be notarized.
- Two bills for the same service in different months. “Statements for the same service for different months are not acceptable.”
- Mail with a forwarding label. Mail with a forwarding or address label stuck on is not acceptable.
- Old bills. Utility bills, bank statements and government mail must be dated within 180 days.
Free DL-5 checklist and organization letter
The DL-5 is an official DPS form: use the current version from the DPS website. Our free download does not replace it. It is a preparation pack with a checklist for each of the three situations above and a fill-in letter for an organization’s representative, worded to cover what the DPS instructions ask for: the address where the applicant lives or receives services, and confirmation that the organization receives mail for the applicant. The representative signs it before a notary.
Need a letter for a school, landlord or other purpose instead? See our proof of residency letter and general affidavit form.
Texas residency affidavit: common questions
What is a DL-5 form in Texas?
It is the Texas Residency Affidavit, a DPS form that lets someone you live with, or an organization that serves you, certify your Texas address when you cannot provide two residency documents yourself.
Does the person signing the DL-5 have to go to DPS?
Only if they are not related to you. “If the individual who completes Section B is not related to the applicant, they must accompany the applicant and submit this affidavit in person.” An organization’s representative does not have to come.
Does a Texas residency affidavit have to be notarized?
For an organization’s representative, yes: a notarized letter or notarized DL-5. For a relative or a non-relative who lives with you, the form’s instructions do not require it, though the form has a space for notarization “if required”.
Can I use mail sent to me at someone else’s address?
Not if it carries a forwarding label: “Mail addressed with a forwarding label or address label affixed to the envelope or contents is not acceptable” (37 TAC 15.49(g)). That is often when the DL-5 route is the better option.
Can I use the DL-5 if I just moved to Texas?
The documents must show at least 30 days of Texas residence before the application, unless you surrender a valid license or ID from another state or apply for a commercial license.
Does a DL-5 guarantee I will get a license?
No. The form says it and any proof “do not guarantee the issuance”, and the DPS “determines if submitted documents are acceptable”.
Related
How this page was checked
Quotations come from the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Texas Residency Affidavit, Form DL-5 (Rev. 06/2023) and its instructions, and from the DPS page Texas Residency Requirement for Driver Licenses and ID Cards. The affidavit rules also appear in 37 TAC section 15.49, subsections (g), (h), (j) and (k). Where the rule and the form differ (for example, the rule lists colleges among the organizations and accepts a letter verifying “mail or services”), this page follows the stricter DPS form.
Last verified: October 2026. We do not advance this date without re-checking the sources. The DPS can revise its form and document list at any time: check the current versions before your appointment.
LegalTemplateVault is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Compiled and edited by Daniel Mercer, editor of LegalTemplateVault. He is not an attorney, and neither is anyone else on this site: we compile primary sources and cite them so you can check them yourself.