X Research source Students who were born out of the country must also meet INS requirements for residency in the United States. Santa Monica College reserves the right to request additional documents when those … A California issued REAL ID driver license or identification card meets these new requirements and is marked with a gold bear and star. More often than not, proof of California residency is requested when you are being considered for enrollment into Medi-Cal. California nonresidents are required to cover the full costs of their tuition and therefore pay a higher rate. Demonstrate that you are paying taxes in the state. Yes, as long as you have a residence (in this case your SO's place) and are able to receive mail there, you can be considered a resident of California. Establishing Your Residence in California, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/c\/c3\/Become-a-California-Resident-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Become-a-California-Resident-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/c\/c3\/Become-a-California-Resident-Step-1.jpg\/aid9457491-v4-728px-Become-a-California-Resident-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"