Guide
Proof of address: what counts in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and India
- US (REAL ID)
- 2 proofs, rules set by each state
- UK (DBS check)
- Bank statements and utility bills from the last 3 months
- Australia (police check)
- 100 points, at least one primary document
There is no single list: the bank, the DMV and the passport office each publish their own. Here is what the official lists accept in each country, and the date limits that catch people out.
A real moment
“You moved three months ago. Your bills are paperless, the lease is in your flatmate's name, and the form wants a proof of address dated within 60 days.”
Most official lists accept a recent utility bill, bank statement, lease or mortgage, tax or council papers, and government letters in your name at your current address. The details differ: US DMVs set limits from 60 days to a year, UK DBS checks want many items from the last 3 months, and some refuse printed online statements.
The checklist
What to have ready
Last checked against the official sources on 1 October 2026
United States (REAL ID)
- Two proofs of your home addressUSA.gov's examples: a deed, mortgage statement, lease, utility bill or bank statement.
- State date limitsFlorida many within 60 days, Texas within 180 days, New York nothing over a year old.
- PrintoutsPrinted e-statements are fine in California, Texas, Florida and New York; Pennsylvania wants paper documents.
United Kingdom (DBS identity check)
- Issued in the last 3 monthsA bank or building society statement, a credit card statement, or a utility bill (not a mobile phone bill, and not printed from an online account).
- Issued in the last 12 monthsA mortgage statement, Council Tax statement, P45 or P60, benefit statement, or HMRC self-assessment or tax letter.
- No internet printoutsDBS does not accept documents printed from the internet, photocopies or scans.
Australia
- AFP police check: 100 pointsAt least one primary document. Address documents include a bank statement, lease, rates notice, or a utility bill under 12 months old.
- Services AustraliaA lease, vehicle registration, a paid rates notice or paid utility account under 12 months old, electoral enrolment, or a bank statement showing your address.
Canada (Ontario health card example)
- One proof that you live in OntarioSuch as a utility or phone bill, monthly bank statement, pay stub, tax Notice of Assessment, insurance policy, lease or mortgage, or property tax bill.
- Original or digital, no photocopiesA printed original or a digital image; some items, like a driver's licence, must be originals.
India (passport)
- One proof of present addressAadhaar, an electricity, water, landline or postpaid mobile bill, gas connection proof, voter ID, rent agreement, or the photo passbook of a running bank account. Bank statements are not accepted.
Official lists, country by country
Date limits and printout rules
What not to rely on
US (REAL ID)
2 proofs, rules set by each state
UK (DBS check)
Bank statements and utility bills from the last 3 months
Australia (police check)
100 points, at least one primary document
India (passport)
Aadhaar, utility bills, rent agreement and more
United States: two proofs, state rules
For a REAL ID, every state asks for two proofs of your home address, and each sets its own details. Texas wants one that shows 30 days in the state, Florida many dated within 60 days, and New York nothing more than a year old and no P.O. box.
United Kingdom: the DBS list is the strictest
For a standard or enhanced DBS check, bank and credit card statements and utility bills must be from the last 3 months, and a utility bill cannot be a mobile phone bill or printed from an online account. Mortgage, Council Tax, P45 or P60 and benefit statements can be up to 12 months old.
Australia: points or lists
The AFP's police check asks for 100 points of ID, including at least one primary document; a utility bill must be under 12 months old. Services Australia uses lists instead of points, and wants utility accounts and rates notices paid, in your name and under 12 months old.
Canada and India
Ontario's health card list accepts many documents, from utility and phone bills to bank statements, tax notices and leases, as originals or digital images but not photocopies. India's passport office accepts Aadhaar, utility bills, voter ID, a rent agreement or a bank photo passbook, but not a bank statement.
Paperless bills and printouts
Rules on printouts differ most. US DMVs in California, Texas, Florida and New York accept printed e-statements, but Pennsylvania and UK DBS checks do not. Download each month's statement as a PDF and keep it in DigiSafe, so you can print it when an office will accept it.
Step by step
- 1
Find the official list for the office asking you.
- 2
Check its date limit, such as 60 days, 3 months or 12 months.
- 3
Check whether it accepts printouts of online statements.
- 4
Pick documents in your name at your current address.
- 5
Keep each new bill or statement in DigiSafe as it arrives.
- 6
Bring originals when the office asks for them.
Questions people ask
Is a bank statement proof of address?+
Usually, yes: US DMVs, UK DBS checks, Australia and Ontario all list it. India's passport office is an exception: it does not accept bank statements, though it accepts a photo passbook.
Can I use a printed online statement as proof of address?+
It depends on who asks. California, Texas, Florida and New York DMVs accept printed e-statements. Pennsylvania wants paper documents, and UK DBS checks do not accept documents printed from the internet.
Is a mobile phone bill proof of address in the UK?+
Not for a DBS check: its list accepts utility bills but excludes mobile phone bills. Other organisations set their own rules.
How recent does proof of address need to be?+
It varies: 60 days for many items in Florida, 180 days in Texas, a year in New York, 3 months for UK DBS bank and utility documents, and under 12 months for Australian utility bills.
Where this comes from
Official sources, dated.
Every requirement on this page comes from the official pages listed here, last checked on 1 October 2026. Rules change and offices can ask for more, so check the official page before you go.
- 1USA.gov: REAL IDusa.gov
- 2Texas DPS: Residency requirementdps.texas.gov
- 3FLHSMV: What to bringflhsmv.gov
- 4New York DMV: Enhanced or REAL IDdmv.ny.gov
- 5PennDOT: REAL ID document checkpa.gov
- 6GOV.UK: DBS ID checking guidelines (standard and enhanced)gov.uk
- 7AFP: National police check 100-point checklist (PDF)afp.gov.au
- 8Services Australia: Proving your identityservicesaustralia.gov.au
- 9Ontario: Documents needed to get a health cardontario.ca
- 10Passport Seva: Proof of present addresspassportindia.gov.in
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