FEMA Fact Sheet
DR-4611-LA FS 016
Applicants who need a friend or relative to act on their behalf when applying for disaster
assistance, or to meet the FEMA inspector on site, can do so by writing and submitting a
third-party statement. This document is a legal agreement that allows another person over
the age of 18 to provide and receive information from FEMA on behalf of the survivor.
Third-party written consent is useful when:
▪ The applicant is displaced and unable to be present during the home inspection.
▪ People need help filling out the application for FEMA assistance. This could be helpful for:
o Senior citizens
o People who have difficulties understanding verbal and/or written information
o People with mental, physical or sensory challenges that may prevent them from understanding
A third-party written consent must:
▪ Be in writing. The written statement can be uploaded to your DisasterAssistance.gov account, mailed, faxed or
brought into a Disaster Recovery Center.
o Mail or fax to:
FEMA National Processing Service Center
P.O. Box 10055
Hyattsville, MD 20782-8055
Fax: 800-827-8112
o Verbal permission is only accepted when both the survivor and the third party are present at a FEMA
Disaster Recovery Center or while calling the FEMA Helpline.
▪ Verify identity. The survivor must state their full name, current address, date and place of birth as well as their
application number.
▪ Be signed by the survivor. By signing the document, the survivor agrees that the information is truthful.
▪ Include an individual identifier. Including the application number will help a FEMA representative locate your
application and expedite the process.
▪ Include information to be disclosed to the third party by FEMA.
▪ Identify the person or group to which the disclosure is being consented. This can be a friend, neighbor, relative
or a representative such as an insurance agent.
Survivors must be able to successfully answer all verifications if they call the FEMA Helpline and request that the
operator speak to a third party on their behalf.
How to Contact FEMA
▪ Online at DisasterAssistance.gov
▪ Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 (TTY 800-462-7585) any time
▪ Download the FEMA mobile app
For the latest information on Hurricane Ida visit fema.gov/disaster/4611. Follow us on Twitter at
twitter.com/FEMARegion6 and like us on Facebook at facebook.com/FEMARegion6/.
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