Aside from merely authorizing domicile in particular places, certificates of residence were closely tied to the provision of public welfare, particularly pensions. A decree handed down by the Legislative Assembly in December 1791 required that anyone – with the exception of merchants appropriately vouched for by municipal authorities – receiving a variety of payments from the public purse had to produce a certificate attesting that he or she currently resided in the French Empire, and had done so without interruption for the previous six months.
