The Department expects all domestic students to petition to become a California resident for tuition purposes effective by the start of the second Fall Quarter, Fall 2026. The Department will not pay a domestic student's nonresident supplemental tuition (NRST) beyond the first year. While the filing period for a Fall 2026 residence petition is not until July 1, 2026 to September 1, 2026, actions to meet residency requirements begin the year before a residency petition is submitted. This includes being continuously physically present in California for more than one year (366 days) immediately prior to the residence determination date (generally the first day of classes). This means moving to California before or by September 25, 2025 (the first day of Fall 2026 instruction).
Residency status is determined by the UCLA Registrar's Residency Deputy based on physical presence, concurrent intent to permanently remain in the state, and financial independence. Simply living in California for 366 days does not grant residency status. Nonresident supplemental tuition exemptions do exist, information below.
The Department cannot provide exceptions to residence requirements. The Department and UCLA cannot overturn a nonresident determination. Students may appeal if there was an error made by UC or if there is significant new information that became available after the date of nonresident decision. All appeals are handled by the Office of the General Counsel in the UC Office of the President.
If you have any questions about residency requirements, please contact the Residence Deputy directly. The Residence Deputy typically holds a workshop for new graduate students during the University-wide Orientation for New Graduate Students.
Nonresident students may petition to apply for California residency throughout the academic year.
Fall
Opens: July 1
Deadline: September 1
Winter
Opens: November 1
Deadline: December 1
Spring
Opens: February 1
Deadline: March 1
The full policy for each requirement is available on UCOP's website.
Ensure that you establish intent to make California your permanent home by relinquishing legal ties to your former home state as soon as possible! This includes obtaining a California Driver’s License/ID, voter registration, California address on bank statements, file taxes only in California, etc. Deadlines to establish legal ties are the end of each quarter, see policy. For example, when applying for residency determination effective Fall 2026, legal ties may need to be established by the end of Fall Quarter 2025, December 12, 2025 (please see the full policy and/or consult with the Residence Deputy for the exact date). Students who have satisfied the 366-day physical presence requirement but have not timely obtained California legal indicia and/or continue to hold out-of-state legal indicia will be denied a resident classification by the Residence Deputy.
DMV tips for obtaining a California Driver’s License/ID:
Make a DMV appointment early! Consider making an appointment before you make the move to CA so that you have an appointment sometime in October or November.
To prove California residency for the CA Real ID (Driver’s License or ID Card) document requirements, you may request a DMV Letter from the Registrar's Office. Prior to submitting the request, the permanent address on MyUCLA must be a California address.
You must be continuously present in California for more than one year (366 days) immediately prior to the residence determination date of the term for which you request resident status. A short absence during the first year of residence will be evaluated to determine whether it is consistent with a claim of continued residence. Absences totaling more than six weeks over the first year are presumed to be inconsistent with an intent to reside permanently in California and are subject to evaluation of the circumstances.
Graduate students who turn 24 by December 31 of the year they apply for residency are presumed to be financially independent unless they were claimed as a dependent on their parents' federal tax return for the most recent tax year.
You must have the legal ability to establish a permanent domicile in the United States, meaning that you must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States or hold a valid, qualifying nonimmigrant visa.
Actions during the entire year, including Summer 2026, affect the determination made regarding residence status for tuition purposes. A student who is in California solely for educational purposes is not eligible for California residence for tuition purposes, regardless of the length of stay.
Students establishing residency are limited to a total of six weeks of absences. Students who plan to leave for three or more consecutive weeks during the 2025-26 academic year and Summer 2026 should contact the campus residence deputy to seek advice prior to finalizing their travel plans/leaving. Extended visits to your prior state of residence of more than three weeks will be viewed as inconsistent with your claim to be a California resident.
If a student returns to their prior state of residence, including the summer after their first year (Summer 2026), they are presumed to be in California solely for educational purposes and only strong evidence to the contrary can refute this presumption.
A student seeking to establish California residence who accepts employment or conducts research outside of California will be questioned regarding attempts to find employment and/or conduct research within California.
Leaving the state for a unique research opportunity or for special circumstances (such as a medical emergency) may not preclude the student from being classified as a resident, but the burden is on the student to provide convincing evidence that leaving California was not inconsistent with a claim of permanent residence.
Residency information prepared by the UC Office of the President (UCOP). All UC campuses follow the UC Residence Policy and Guidelines.
Residence Requirements (UCLA website)
In some cases, students are classified as nonresidents, but are not charged nonresident supplemental tuition. The most common of these exemptions and waivers are:
AB 540 and California Dream Act
T or U visa holders
Spouse, registered domestic partner, or child of deceased law enforcement officer or firefighter
Dependent of a California resident parent (Condit Bill)
Foster youth
More information about exemptions may be found on UCLA's Registrar's site.