, you’ll need to prove to the Secretary of State that you’re a permanent resident of Alabama. You’ll need certain documents to prove who you are, like a U.S. birth certificate or valid U.S. passport, but you’ll also need to have documents that verify your Alabama address.

What documents can be used as proof of residency in Alabama?

To obtain an Alabama driver’s license or

STAR ID

, you’ll need to provide the office of the Secretary of State with four identification documents. These need to provide proof of your:

Identity

Date of birth

Social Security number

Address of principal residence (within Alabama)

For a standard first-time driver’s license, you need two forms of identification. At least one of these must have a photograph, and one needs to be from a ‘primary list.’ Additionally, you’ll need your Social Security card and two proofs of principal residence.

To provide proof of residency in Alabama, you need two items from the following list:

Voter Registration Card

Residential Mortgage Contract

Current Lease or Rental agreement for housing

Proof of payment of residential property tax (Homestead)

Previous year tax returns bearing your address

Vehicle registration

bearing your name and address

Utility bill (Water, Gas, or Electric) less than 90 days old

Any State or Federal Court documents indicating residence address

School enrollment documentation

Defense Department Form 214 (Report of Separation)

Sex offender registration documents

Current homeowners insurance policy with name and address

Social Security benefits statements/summary mailed to your physical address

U.S. or State Government check or other document mailed to your physical address

Military Orders documenting duty station and place of residence.

Any of these documents can be used as proof of residency in the state of Alabama for a driver’s license application. For a STAR ID card, you’ll need two documents from that list—and only one can qualify as an “official electronic statement.”

One more thing to remember: all documents must be original. A photocopy of your state ID or property tax bill won’t satisfy the requirement.

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What qualifies as proof of insurance?

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What qualifies for proof of identity in Alabama?

As we mentioned earlier, there are two levels of identity proof accepted in Alabama—‘primary’ and ‘secondary’ forms of ID. The ‘primary list’ includes:

Certified U.S. birth certificate issued by an agency designated by state or federal authority

Unexpired U.S. passport

Alabama identification card

Alabama driver license

Certificate of naturalization

Certificate of citizenship

U.S. certificate of birth abroad

Resident alien card

Valid foreign passport with valid U.S. immigration document

‘Secondary’ identification documents include:

U.S. state-issued driver's license or non-driver ID card

Current international driver's license/permit

U.S. armed forces driver's license

U.S. military DD-214

Professional license issued by a state or federal agency

Selective Service card

Veterans Administration card

Current medical insurance identification card

U.S. military ID card

ID card issued by school with photo

School enrollment form (DL-1/93)

Certified school record

Certified letter from school

GED certificate

Certificate of graduation

W-2 tax form, along with a copy of the previous year’s filed forms (tax return)

Documents from court of record

Divorce decree

Adoption decree

Name-change decree

Bankruptcy decree

Probation or release documents issued by state or federal department of correction with photo ID card issued by the same authority, or felon ID card issued by the sheriff of the county of your release

If utility bills or other similar documents feature the name of your spouse or parent, you’ll also need to produce a marriage certificate or birth certificate.

For a

Learner License

, which is available from the age of 15 in Alabama, you need to have:

U.S. birth certificate (certified and issued by the Bureau of Vital Statistics - no photocopies)

Social Security card

Acceptable proof of school enrollment or graduation

2 Proofs of Principal Residence

$5 testing fee (no checks)

$36.25 to purchase license (no checks)

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Alabama driver's license renewal

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