A Texas Residency Affidavit (form DL-5) only needs notarization when a representative of an organization — a shelter, nonprofit, government agency, assisted-living facility, halfway house, college, or similar provider — is the one certifying your address. If a family member or a housemate who lives with you signs the form, Texas residency affidavit notarization is not required.1Texas Department of Public Safety. Texas Residency Affidavit DL-5
When You Do Need a Notary
Notarization applies in one scenario: an organizational representative is vouching for where you live rather than someone who shares your home. That covers government agencies, nonprofits, assisted-care or adult-living facilities, homeless shelters, transitional service providers, halfway houses, and colleges or universities. The organization must give you either a notarized DL-5 or a notarized letter confirming that you reside at (or receive services at) the listed address and that they receive mail on your behalf.2Legal Information Institute (LII). 37 Texas Administrative Code 15.49 – Proof of Domicile
If you are relying on a shelter, group home, or similar provider, plan on getting the document notarized before your DPS appointment. Walking in without the seal means walking back out.
When You Do Not Need a Notary
If an individual who lives at your address signs Section B, no notary is involved. The rules then split based on whether that person is related to you.
A Relative Who Lives With You
A relative at the same address can complete the affidavit without being notarized and without coming to the DPS office with you. Bring a document showing the family relationship — a birth certificate, marriage license, adoption record, or military dependent ID — along with two acceptable proof-of-address documents in your relative’s name.2Legal Information Institute (LII). 37 Texas Administrative Code 15.49 – Proof of Domicile
A Housemate Who Is Not Related to You
An unrelated person who shares your address can also sign without notarization, but they have to show up at DPS with you in person. They bring their own valid government-issued ID and two acceptable proof-of-address documents in their name.1Texas Department of Public Safety. Texas Residency Affidavit DL-5 The in-person requirement is firm. If your roommate cannot come with you, the DL-5 route through that housemate will not work and you will need another way to prove residency.
How to Get the Form Notarized and What It Costs
When notarization is required, the signer must appear before a Texas notary public in person with valid government-issued ID. The notary verifies identity, witnesses the signature, applies an official seal, and records the transaction in a notary journal.3Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Notary Public Educational Information
Texas caps what a notary can charge. Administering an oath or affirmation with certificate and seal is capped at $10. Acknowledging a signature is capped at $10 for the first signature and $1 for each additional one.3Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Notary Public Educational Information Banks, UPS stores, and shipping centers commonly offer notary services, and some banks notarize for account holders at no charge. If the organizational representative signing your DL-5 works for a government agency, that agency may have a notary on staff.
Penalties for a False Affidavit
Both signatures on the DL-5 carry the same warning: knowingly swearing to false information on a driver’s license or ID card application is a Class A misdemeanor under Texas law.4State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code TRANSP 521.454 – False Application A Class A misdemeanor carries up to one year in county jail and a fine of up to $4,000. The person who signs Section B faces the same exposure as the applicant, and prosecutors do not have to pin down which specific statement was false — only that the signer made sworn statements that cannot all be true.
Federal perjury charges are theoretically available for false sworn statements, with penalties of up to five years in federal prison.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 1621 – Perjury Generally In practice, a false residency affidavit is prosecuted under state law.
School and University Residency Affidavits Are Separate
The DL-5 and its notarization rules apply only to driver’s license and state ID applications. Texas public school enrollment and in-state college tuition use their own residency processes, and notarization requirements vary by district or institution — check directly with the enrollment or admissions office rather than assuming the DL-5 rules carry over.6State of Texas. Texas Education Code ED 25.001 – Admission7Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Texas Residency