Some school districts require a residency, shared-residency, or co-residency affidavit to be notarized, while others do not. The current form and enrollment instructions from the student's school district determine the requirement.
Published and reviewed by iRemoteNotary
Last reviewed August 15, 2026
Sometimes. School residency-affidavit requirements vary by district. Some districts require a parent, guardian, homeowner, leaseholder, or other adult to sign a notarized shared- or co-residency affidavit when standard proof of residence is unavailable. Other districts use residency affidavits that specifically do not require notarization.
For example, Fort Bend ISD's current 2026–27 dual/co-residence instructions require notarization, while New York City Public Schools states that its Parent Affidavit of Residency and Non-Parent Affidavit do not need to be notarized. Always use the district's current form and follow its instructions rather than assuming notarization is required.
School enrollment often requires proof that a student lives within the district or attendance boundary. A lease, deed, utility bill, driver's license, or other standard proof may satisfy that requirement, but families do not always live in a situation where those documents are in the parent's name.
When a parent and child live with a relative, friend, homeowner, or leaseholder, a district may use a residency affidavit, shared-residency affidavit, co-residency affidavit, affidavit of residence, or similar form to document where the student actually lives.
The word “affidavit” does not automatically mean the form must be notarized. The district that created the form decides what signatures, supporting records, identification, and notarization it requires.
A school residency affidavit is a statement used by a district to help verify where a student lives when ordinary proof-of-residence documents do not fully establish the family's living arrangement.
The terminology varies.
A district may call the document:
The form normally supports the district's enrollment or residency verification process. It does not itself give a family the right to attend a particular school if the district later determines the residency requirements are not satisfied.
No.
There is no useful nationwide rule saying every school residency affidavit must be notarized.
Districts design their own enrollment procedures within applicable state and local requirements.
One district may require both the parent and homeowner to appear before a notary.
Another may accept signed affidavits without notarization.
Another may require additional verification by a registrar or residency investigator.
That is why a parent should use the current form supplied by the actual district rather than downloading a generic affidavit from the internet.
Current official district instructions provide useful examples of how different these requirements can be.
| School district | Current requirement | What it demonstrates |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Bend Independent School District, Texas | For the 2026–27 school year, its dual/co-residence instructions require the affidavit to be notarized. The district states that both the district resident who owns or leases the home and the enrolling student's parent or guardian sign before the notary. | Some shared-residency forms expressly require notarization and multiple signers. |
| Kenosha Unified School District, Wisconsin | Current district policy states that in specified residency situations the parent/guardian or adult residing with the student must provide proof of residency and sign a notarized affidavit before enrollment. | A district may use notarization as part of its residency-verification process. |
| New York City Public Schools | Its enrollment-forms page tells families using the Parent Affidavit of Residency or Non-Parent Affidavit that the forms do not need notarization and says notarization sections can be left blank. | An affidavit can be an official school form without requiring a notary. |
These examples should not be treated as rules for other districts. They illustrate the central point: Check the actual school district's current form.
The required signer depends on the district's form.
A shared-residency situation commonly involves:
• the student's parent or legal guardian
• the homeowner or leaseholder
• another adult whose residence is being used to establish where the student lives
Some forms require one signer.
Others require both the parent and resident homeowner or leaseholder.
Fort Bend ISD is an example of a district requiring both the district resident and the parent or guardian to sign its dual/co-residence affidavit.
Do not assume one person's notarized signature satisfies a form that requires two.
Notarization normally does not replace the underlying residency evidence.
Depending on the district, supporting documentation may include:
The notary's role is not to approve the student's residency. The school district evaluates whether the enrollment documentation satisfies its residency rules.
Potentially, when the district accepts remote online notarization and the requested notarial act can be performed under the law governing the commissioned online notary.
Before choosing RON, check the form and the district's instructions.
Important questions include:
• Does the form simply require notarization?
• Does it specifically require an in-person notary?
• Does the district require an original paper form?
• Will the district accept an electronically notarized PDF?
• Does it require both signers to sign before the same notary?
• Does the district require in-person submission after notarization?
Do not assume that a district accepts an electronic form merely because the signature was lawfully notarized.
Not necessarily for every form, but the district's instructions and the notarial workflow must support the proposed arrangement.
If two signatures require notarization, determine:
• whether both signatures must be notarized
• whether they must occur in the same session
• whether both signers may appear remotely
• whether the school accepts separate certificates or sessions
• whether the receiving district requires one completed original paper form
Do not split a school's form into separate signing procedures unless the district permits it.
If the parent and homeowner are in different states or countries, raise that issue before scheduling.
If the district's form requires a signature to be made or acknowledged before a notary, the safest preparation is to keep the required signature lines unsigned until the notarial procedure is confirmed.
Read the form before signing.
If the document contains:
• a jurat
• an oath or affirmation
• “subscribed and sworn”
• instructions saying to sign before a notary
do not pre-sign that portion.
If the form uses an acknowledgment, a previously signed document may sometimes be acknowledged depending on the applicable law and instructions, but the signer should not guess which procedure applies.
The notary should not choose a notarial act for the signer when the form or recipient has not specified one.
Investigate another process when:
A notary cannot determine whether a student meets school-boundary or residency eligibility requirements.
Send the unsigned form and the school's instructions before scheduling so the requested notarial workflow can be reviewed.
Start a School Document Notary RequestNo. Requirements differ by school district and form. Some districts require notarization for shared- or co-residency affidavits, while others expressly say their residency affidavits do not need a notary. Use the current instructions from the student's district.
It is generally a school enrollment form used when a student and parent or guardian live in a home where the ordinary lease, deed, or utility records may be in another person's name. The district may require the parent and homeowner or leaseholder to confirm the living arrangement.
Potentially, if the district accepts remote online notarization, the form permits the proposed procedure, and the commissioned online notary can perform the required act. Confirm the district's electronic-document requirements first.
Not in every situation. The answer depends on the school form, whether both signatures require notarization, the notarial procedure, and whether the district will accept the completed format. Confirm this before scheduling separate signers.
The signer must satisfy the notary's applicable identity-verification requirements. The school may separately require copies or presentation of specified IDs and proof-of-residency records. Those are separate requirements.
Do not pre-sign a section that the form instructs you to sign before a notary or under oath. Review the form first and keep required signature lines unsigned when the execution procedure is unclear.
The school can still determine whether the form, supporting documents, submission method, residency evidence, or execution format meets its enrollment requirements. Notarization does not determine school residency eligibility.
The following primary sources support the legal and procedural information in this guide. Requirements can change, so confirm current rules with the receiving organization before relying on a notarized document.
Duals & POA's — Dual/Co-Residence Requirements
Fort Bend Independent School District
Accessed August 15, 2026
Parent Resources — Dual Co-Residence Affidavit
Fort Bend Independent School District
Accessed August 15, 2026
Policy 5220 — Nonresident Students
Kenosha Unified School District
Accessed August 15, 2026
New York City Public Schools
Accessed August 15, 2026
New York City Public Schools
Accessed August 15, 2026
Send the unsigned school form and the district's instructions so iRemoteNotary can review the requested notarization before you schedule.