Documentation of physical presence

Documentation of Physical Presence is used to establish the fact that an individual has been physically residing in Wisconsin continuously during a specific period of time. Each item of documentation must include your name and a date within the period of time in question. Examples of some types of documentation of your physical presence in Wisconsin follow. You are not limited to these examples, however, and may submit other records more appropriate in your situation. Check with our office to verify that records not included on this list will be acceptable. We understand the difficulty some may have in producing these documents, but we must include them with your records to satisfy residence audits.

You may submit copies of your documentation rather than originals with the exception of letters written on your behalf. In most cases, 3 to 4 items per month will suffice. It may sometimes be necessary, however, to request additional documentation depending on individual circumstances.

Appropriate documents include:

• Bank statements showing ATM or other debit card transactions in Wisconsin, if the account is only in one person’s name (no joint accounts—unless the statement identifies which transactions are made by which card holder)
• Credit card statements showing purchases in Wisconsin, if the account is only in one person’s name (no joint accounts—unless the statement identifies which charges are made by which card holder)
• Monthly billing statements from utilities or other businesses.
• Verification of, and/or bills from doctor or dentist appointments in Wisconsin.
• Documentation of volunteer work or involvement in community activities in Wisconsin. (e.g.: an original letter from a Volunteer Coordinator on official letterhead).
• List of visits to health club/fitness center (must be on letterhead, show the name of the member who checked in, check-in dates, and location (including city and state) of facility.
• An original, signed statement from a landlord or resident manager verifying your physical occupancy of the rented premises during the period of time in question. This statement must be written on letterhead stationery or, if letterhead is not used, the statement must be notarized.
• Canceled checks you wrote to local businesses or credit card receipts you signed with charges to local businesses.
• Envelopes (excluding window envelopes) addressed to you at your Wisconsin address with a legible postmark.

Unacceptable documents include:

• Duplicate checks: These do not show the original signature. Only canceled checks are acceptable.
• A lease: This does not attest to one’s physical occupancy during the dates in question.
• Letters written on your behalf from friends and relatives. Only letters written by impartial individuals are acceptable.
• Any document that indicates the physical presence of two people (i.e: envelopes or bills addressed to spouses or registered domestic partners).
• Envelopes that do not bear a clearly dated postmark or window envelopes.