Help! Vechicle registration question

[Satellite5812]

Something that only just occurred to me now that I'm getting ready to finalize the sale on my new van: the DMV is going to want a physical address for the registration. I'm using a P.O. box for mail, and will soon be gone from my apartment.

How is this commonly handled? I'm buying the van tonight, going to DMV tomorrow, so if anyone on here has advice I'd be very grateful to hear it! Thanks!!

 

[RollinWOT]

You can ask a close relative if you can use their physical address or sometimes a PO Box is sufficient. Hope it turns out well for you. Cheers!

 

[Almost There]

Well, technically, tomorrow your physical address will still be your apartment and that address should be used for the registration.

Once you do move out of the apartment you may still need an actual physical address, depending on what state you live in. If that is the case then either a relative or a close friend can be asked to help. It's easy to file a change of address.

In my case, I'm 'moving in with a friend' - it's in quotes because I will not ever spend a night there but where I live, I have to have a physical address to get a post office box...

It's not only the DMV that wants you to have an address - the feds, the state, your bank, insurance companies etc. etc. don't understand the concept of not being homeless but not having a sticks and bricks building to call home. Since it's easier to humor them than to fight them, we all just figure out a way to give them what they want while we enjoy the freedom...

 

[Reducto]

My homebase is Nevada and I've had my box listed on my registration and license for a few years now. It's a private mail store, not a post office, if that makes a difference. I don't say PO BOX, I just write it out like an apartment

12345 main st #123

I've heard some states crack down on this kind of thing but don't have any first hand experience with that. Worst case just put your current address and see if they will accept a mailing address.

 

[WriterMs]

Near the top of this website is a menu item that says How-To Articles. One of them is "How to Stay in Touch." A little of this is outdated but it has a good rundown of why many fulltimers have "artificial" residencies in certain states.

I went with South Dakota, because my insurance is cheaper, they have laws set up specifically to allow full-time RVers to be residents with only one overnight in the state required, you can legally use a mailing service as your official address, there is no need to go back once a year for a vehicle inspection (I use a Madison service, so I am not 100% certain if the biggest cities in SD do have emmission checks or similar.) and they have no income tax. Last year, because SD did not enact what was needed to fully utilize "Obamacare," they now have a lot of folks falling through the cracks for healthcare. That is the only drawback for SD that I have found so far.

Since you have to register your new home right away, I think I would choose to do what is suggested above: use your current physical address and then do a change of address when you figure out how you'll handle it. If your van was formerly a commercial vehicle this may be a new can of worms from what I've read in other forum threads.

OH... and a recent forum thread where these issues are discussed is at:

https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-New-South-Dakota-resident

The thread was started some time ago... but click to go to the last few pages and you'll see more current discussions

 

[akrvbob]

I think every DMV will let you use a mailing address and another for a physical address. Most states, if not all, have rural areas where there is no home delivery and they MUST use a P.O. Box for mail.

Every state requires a legal home address that is residential. However, none of them have the time or manpower to verify you live there--how could they. The computer tells them its a residence and that's all they need.

You can use any residence address yo want and no one will ever know. After I moved into a van the first time I used my last address for 6 years and one ever cared. All my mail went to Maibox Plus, which is now the UPS Store.
Bob

 

[highdesertranger]

Bob is right. many rural areas do not have mail delivery. so just use an address from one of these areas and get a PO Box or a mail forwarding address. my sister didn't have home delivery until last year, she used a PO Box for years. highdesertranger

 

[eDJ_]

I'd add these two resources.  I once read in one of these of a few states that are probably the best for those living out of their vehicle to register in. 

You may want to check your Libraries for these:


"Roll Your Own: Complete Guide to Living in a Truck, Bus, Van or Camper"  (1974)

http://www.amazon.com/Roll-Your-Own-Complete-Living/dp/0020810504


"Rolling Homes: Handmade Houses on Wheels"  (1979)

http://www.amazon.com/Rolling-Homes-Handmade-Houses-Wheels/dp/089104129X


i know these are a bit dated, but there is still some ideas represented in these that may be valuable to a
newbie.

I have actually seen people put up Rural Mail Boxes on the side of secondary roads and leave the red flag
up with a note in it to the delivery person stating that they have bought property and would like a Box Number assigned.  They of course leave their name.   Usually the next day there is a reply with a number
written on a form to mark on the box.   Then the person prior to leaving town leaves a note to hold their
mail at the PO for them.  They will pick it up on return.   Then a small lock is placed on the box above the
letter slot such that loads of junk mail and ad's cannot be crammed into it.  They won't get much mail otherwise. 

But there are ways of getting this stuff.   Mail Forwarding Services used to be common for this too.  If you know some Truck Drivers, they seem to know all the tricks.

 

[Canine]

When I was a kid, I didn't have a physical address. My address literally was: "Turn onto the ABC Road, then take the second left, then keep going straight right into the driveway- don't follow the turn in the road." UPS hated that. I don't know what address was given for UPS packages, but I remember the driver had to ask where we lived and then remembered the location by our last name. My folks used a P.O. Box for nearly everything. That was a long time ago, though. I'm sure having a physical address is becoming more of a requirement.

Good suggestions in the comments!

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

When I was a kid, I didn't have a physical address. My address literally was: "Turn onto the ABC Road, then take the second left, then keep going straight right into the driveway- don't follow the turn in the road." UPS hated that. I don't know what address was given for UPS packages, but I remember the driver had to ask where we lived and then remembered the location by our last name. My folks used a P.O. Box for nearly everything. That was a long time ago, though. I'm sure having a physical address is becoming more of a requirement.

When they implemented 911 here in my county, part of the process was seeing to it that every damn building a 911 responder would need to find would have it's own number and street name.

We went from RD2 Box 154 (RD2 being the abbreviation for Rural Delivery Route 2) to 32 Rock City Road.  That lasted for about 2 months, then they decided that since my uncle shared a driveway with us, and we were both back about 50 yards or so from the road, our DRIVEWAY had to be named.  We got to pick the name ourselves, so we were able to use our last name.  I now live at 12 Perz Lane.  The lane is marked with a street sign, and our houses are required to have the numbers on them.

Regards
John

 

[akrvbob]

I think it's easy to get a physical street address, what we are talking about is no physical mail delivery.

My piece of land in AZ has a physical address, but no mail delivery. I think that's fairly common in really rural areas.
Bob