I immigrated to the US from Canada and have my state ID and SSN, but banks won't let me open an account without a utility bill in my name for proof of address. Since I'm a stay-at-home mom, all utilities and the mortgage are in my husband's name. The bank won't accept a letter from the power company showing me as an authorized user, and they won't accept our marriage certificate with my husband's bill. How can I open a US bank account without a bill addressed to me?
Federal law does not mandate a utility bill to open a bank account. The Customer Identification Program (CIP) requires banks to collect and verify your residential street address, but it allows each bank to decide which documents or non-documentary methods they accept to prove it.
You can open an account without fighting over utility bills. Because you have a state ID and a Social Security number, you can simply choose a bank that accepts your ID as proof of address.
Under the federal Customer Identification Program (CIP), a bank must obtain your name, date of birth, Social Security number, and a residential street address before opening an account.
To verify that address, the bank must have written procedures detailing the documents it will use. The federal government does not force them to use utility bills. The rule states: {"term": "cip-document-rule", "text": "A bank relying on documents to verify a customer's identity must have procedures that set forth the documents that the bank will use."}
Banks are legally permitted to accept alternative documents. The federal manual notes that {"term": "other-id", "text": "other forms of identification may be used if they enable the bank to form a reasonable belief that it knows the true identity of the customer."}
Banks can also use non-documentary methods to verify you. These methods include checking a consumer reporting agency, searching public databases, or contacting you directly.
