Federal Assistance

New Mexico residents affected by the wildfires in Colfax, Lincoln, Mora, San Miguel and Valencia counties can make it easier to communicate with FEMA by creating an online account. You can upload documents and check the status of your application from anywhere with an internet connection.

First, if you have not registered with FEMA, you must either:

• Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 or
• Visit disasterassistance.gov/.
• To receive a link to download the FEMA app, which is available in English and Spanish:
• Apple devices: text APPLE to 43362; or
• Android devices: text ANDROID to 43362; or
• Visit fema.gov/about/news-multimedia/app.

You’ll need the following information to complete your registration:

• Your Social Security number or the number of a minor child in the household who is a U.S. Citizen, Non-Citizen National or Qualified Alien
• Annual household income
• Contact information (phone number, mailing address, email address, and the address of the damaged home)
• Insurance Information (coverage, insurance company name, etc.)
• Bank account information. (If you are eligible to receive financial assistance, the money can be deposited electronically in your account.)

To create an online disaster-assistance account:

• Go to www.disasterassistance.gov/
• Select the Create Account button at the bottom of the page and follow instructions. You must first verify your identity:

1. Click Check Status on the Home page or from the Get Assistance menu.
2. Click Create Account.
3. Enter your date of birth and Social Security number.
4. Answer four security questions to prove who you are.

You have two chances to confirm your identity. If you fail the second time, you get a message that says, “Your answers do not match our records.” If that happens, click Home and go from step 1 above to try again.

After your identity is verified, you may:

1. Create a user ID and password.
2. Enter an email address. This is the only way we can send you a PIN and you need that to access your account. A temporary PIN will be sent to the email address you entered. You should receive it within 24 hours.
3. When you get your PIN, follow the instructions in the email to finish creating your account.

You can then upload your important documents in the Upload Center. This page takes you to the login if you are returning to add more documents: go.usa.gov/xUPX5.

You will need a secure access code to access your account. Since the code is valid for only one login session, it is more secure than a password or PIN that is reusable.

You can choose to get your code from a text message, an email, or a phone call. FEMA pulls the phone number(s) and email address from information you provided with your FEMA registration.

For help to create or access your account, call the Help Desk, which operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: 800-745-0243.

When you call, you need to provide the following:

• Your FEMA Registration ID; and
• Your Social Security number or the number of a minor child in the household who is a U.S. Citizen, Non-citizen National or Qualified Alien.

The Help Desk cannot provide information or guidance about your FEMA application. You must contact the FEMA Helpline for information about your application at 800-621-3362 from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. MDT, seven days a week. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service.

FEMA is required to verify you lived at the address in your application as your primary residence before providing most types of assistance. FEMA is also required to verify you owned your home before providing Home Repair or Replacement Assistance.
As part of our effort to make the disaster assistance process quicker and reduce the burden on applicants, we try to verify occupancy and ownership by using an automated public records search. If we cannot verify you lived in or owned the home that you listed in your application, we will ask you to provide documents to prove occupancy and/or ownership to help us determine if you are eligible for assistance.

Proof of Occupancy
FEMA accepts the following documents as proof you lived in your home before the declared disaster:

• Lease or housing agreement
• Rent receipts
• Utility bill (electric, water/sewer, etc.)
• Pay stub
• Bank or credit card statement
• Driver’s license, state issued identification card or voter registration card
• Public official’s statement
• Medical provider’s bill
• Social service organization documents (e.g., Meals on Wheels)
• Motor vehicle registration
• Affidavits of Residency or other court documentation
• Mobile home park documents
• Letter or mail delivered to your address from an employer, public official, social service organization, local school or school district or mobile home park owner or manager

If you cannot provide the documentation listed, occupants of mobile homes or travel trailers may provide a self- declarative statement. Learn more about the full requirements by calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362.

Proof of Ownership
FEMA accepts the following documents as proof you owned your home before the declared disaster.

• Deed or title
• Mortgage documentation
• Homeowners insurance documentation
• Property tax receipt or bill
• Manufactured home certificate of title
• Home purchase contracts (excludes Rent to Own Contracts)
• Last will and testament (with death certificate) naming you heir to the property
• Receipts for major repairs or maintenance dated within five years prior to the disaster
• Letter prepared after the disaster, from a mobile home park owner or manager or public official, that meets FEMA requirements
• Most documents can be dated within one year prior to the disaster and/or within the 18-month period of assistance. However, your driver’s license, state-issued identification card or voter registration card must have been dated before the disaster happened and not have expired when you send a copy to FEMA.

If you cannot provide the documentation listed, owners of mobile homes, travel trailers, or those that inherited their home may provide a self-declarative statement. Learn more about the full requirements by calling the FEMA Helpline 800-621-3362.

When you apply for assistance, have the following information readily available:

• A current phone number where you can be contacted
• Your address at the time of the disaster and the address where you are now staying
• Your Social Security number, if available
• A general list of damage and losses
• If insured, the policy number or the agent and/or the company name

If it is safe to do so, start cleaning up now. Take photos to document damage and begin cleanup and repairs to prevent further damage. Remember to keep receipts from all purchases related to cleanup and repair.

Disaster assistance may include financial help with temporary lodging and home repairs along with other programs to assist families recovering from effects of the event.

Those in need of temporary housing, call the New Mexico State Fire Resource Hotline: 1-800-432-2080, Option #4.