Legal Definitions - Resident

Resident

A resident is someone who lives in a place for an indefinite amount of time.

For legal purposes, federal courts may determine if someone is a resident, also known as being domiciled, of a state to decide if diversity jurisdiction exists. For example, in Baker v. Keck, the Eastern District of Illinois decided that a person who lived in Oklahoma for several years, voted there, and participated in community events was a resident of Oklahoma for federal diversity jurisdiction purposes.

Another example of a resident is someone who lives in a particular city or town for many years, has a permanent address there, and considers it their home.

These examples illustrate that a resident is someone who has established a long-term presence in a particular place and considers it their home.