Office of the Registrar
Residency Requirements
Establishing Bona Fide Domicile
- The advice from the Office of the Attorney General, Education Division concerning presumption, is that before domicile is established, an individual must complete all basic requirements that a legal Washington resident is required to do by law.
- Domicile must be established, with documentation, a minimum of one year immediately prior to the first day of the quarter of residence questionnaire application. It is the student’s responsibility to request a change in residency status once all requirements have been met.
Individuals must provide documentation showing they meet the following guidelines to establish bona fide Washington State domicile:
1. Live in the state for at least 12 consecutive months as legal residents. A legal resident must relinquish all valid legal ties with their former state of residence and establish such ties in Washington in accordance with state and local legislation.
2. Establish Washington State legal ties:
- Driver’s License/State ID: One must obtain a Washington State Driver’s License within 30 days of arrival to establish legal ties to Washington State if they have a valid out-of-state driver’s license, including international driver’s license. If an individual does not drive or possess a driver’s license from any state or country, s/he should obtain a Washington State Identification Card within 30 days of arrival.
- Vehicle Registration: Individuals who own or operate a vehicle in Washington must have their vehicle registered in Washington within 30 days of arrival to establish legal ties to Washington State.
- Voter Registration: Individuals who have previously registered to vote in their former state of residence must register to vote in Washington. If one does not register to vote in Washington, this means s/he may still vote absentee in the prior state of residency.
- Students who are legally ineligible to vote are exempt from this requirement.
- Establish a bank account in Washington: Bank account(s) established prior to arriving in Washington is sufficient as long as one’s name and Washington address is associated with the account and documented.
- Rental agreement/lease/mortgage statement/home ownership to demonstrate domicile within the state of Washington
Students who are establishing bona fide domicile independently must complete the following requirements in addition to the guidelines listed above:
3. Be financially independent for the current and prior calendar years. Students who are 25 years of age or younger must provide their parents’ most recent tax returns.
4. Students must prove conclusively that they have not come to Washington State primarily for educational purposes. For purposes of establishing residency, students who are enrolled for 7 credits or more per quarter are required to be employed at a non-student position, working at least 30 hours per week.
Examples of other factors that may help students establish proof of domicile include:
Disposition of property in the former state of residence, relocation of household members, participation in local community organizations, and generally becoming involved in activities that will help prove their intent to make Washington their official place of residence.
For more specific information on bona fide domicile, please navigate to Residency FAQs.
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