DC Residency Verification Form for a Relative Caregiver Enrolling a Child

Residency Proof and Caregiver Status Are Two Separate Requirements

A common mistake DC relative caregivers make at the enrollment desk: assuming the OPC form covers everything. It doesn't. OSSE requires two things — proof that the child lives in the District (the Residency Verification Form) and proof that you're the child's primary caregiver (the OPC form or a CPOA). Showing up with only one gets you sent home.

The DC Residency Verification Form is mandatory for every student enrolling in a DCPS school or public charter school, whether the parent or a caregiver is registering.

Three Ways to Verify Residency on the 2026–27 Form

The current form gives three methods:

Method A — School official verification. A school official verifies residency through an approved record, such as OSSE residency records, a homeless liaison, ward status, or the Address Confidentiality Program.

Method B — Supporting documents. You provide one item from the form's first list or two items from its second list. A lease or utility bill must be accompanied by proof of payment.

Method C — Home visit. A school official visits the home to confirm the child lives there with you.

As a relative caregiver, you may use Method A, B, or C. Method B documents must show the enrolling person's name and address. A lease requires separate proof of rent payment from the two months before review; a gas, electric, or water bill also requires separate proof of payment.

What If You're Staying with Family Temporarily

If you moved into a relative's home with the child — or the child moved into your home without a formal lease — ask the school about Method A verification or a Method C home visit. If you use Method B, the current form allows one DC government financial-assistance document or two qualifying documents.

• Current official DC government financial-assistance documentation issued to the enrolling person within the past 12 months, such as a Medicaid approval or recertification letter, may be used as one Method B document.
• If the living situation is temporary due to housing loss or economic hardship, the child may qualify under the McKinney-Vento Act. Eligible children must be immediately enrolled even without proof of residency; the 2026–27 form also lists homeless-liaison verification as a Method A option.

The Residency Verification Form Is Signed Under Penalty of Perjury

Everything on the form is sworn. False statements carry penalties under D.C. Code § 38-312, and OSSE's Enrollment Audit Team investigates residency fraud. Only claim residency where you have established physical presence in DC and the student actually resides at that address.

If you're a Maryland or Virginia resident caring for a DC child, the child may be able to remain at their DC "school of origin" under McKinney-Vento, but a suburban address does not establish DC residency for a new school. A nonresident may attend only under the District's nonresident enrollment and tuition rules.

Both the residency form and the OPC form expire at the end of each school year. Plan for re-verification every summer. The DC School and Medical Consent Guide includes an expiration tracker so nothing lapses unexpectedly.

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