Need to set up a permanent address in Arizona

[Van on 66]

Hello Everyone.

I need to set up a permanent address in Arizona and need some advice.

First of all, I am currently using a friend's address in Phoenix for everything from Social Security to my driver's license. However, that relationship is becoming more and more unstable and I want to make a change. I split my time in Arizona between the Flagstaff area and Fort Mohave so it is inconvenient anyway to go to Phoenix to get mail, etc. Can anyone shed some light on how to accomplish this? I see online that there are places such as iPostal1 that offer mailing addresses, but I don't know if they will work for drivers licenses, social security, and banks. I am assuming from what I've read that these are referred to as virtual addresses and I don't know much about them.

I appreciate any help.

 

[bullfrog !]

The easiest way is to take a seasonal job with housing and get a letter from your employer stating your physical address, make lots of copies, change all your identity cards to that address get a local PO Box to use as a mailing address for them. Keep the PO Box paid up and check your mail every few months as you pass through traveling. In Arizona many of your renewals can be done on line and the others as you pass through. You will need to pick an area where you plan to pass through often.

 

[maki2]

There is are two UPS stores in Flagstaff. I do not know if that will work as a residential address. One is in a big shopping center so likely not, but the other one is smaller and has some postal private boxes in it.

 

[Van on 66]

There is are two UPS stores in Flagstaff. I do not know if that will work as a residential address. One is in a big shopping center so likely not, but the other one is smaller and has some postal private boxes in it.

Unfortunately, you can't use these for a permanent address for things like a driver's license.

 

[shadowmoss]

I used one of them for a bit last year when I was thinking Flagstaff was the closest place that has UPS private mailboxes. They said I could use it for my driver's license. I ended up finding a Postnet store with mailboxes here in the town I summer in. Works for everything so far except I got a letter from the county recorder stating that since it is a mailbox I need to tell them my geographical address. I come back to the same place each summer, so I'll just send them that. Driver's license, SS, banks, etc. are all cool with it.

 

[maki2]

Unfortunately, you can't use these for a permanent address for things like a driver's license.

There is no universal situation where it can’t be accomplished using a private mailbox service. There are exceptional situations and locations. Finding those exceptions is usually done from recommendations within the nomadic community.

 

[bebewanna]

Same problem in New Mexico. My land has no street name or address and you can only get address when you pull a building permit. I had to have friend pick up tabs for me in WA and have until Sept 2024 when DL expires.
Guy close by cannot drive because no license.

Thank George Bush and his terrorist nonsense that's why all the problems getting anything now with no home address. All my credit cards are listed at my parents house in Florida or I could get nothing.

It's ridiculous that homeless people have no rights to get license plates and DL.
No idea what I will do next year.. It's crazy

 

[Morgana]

Am I remembering from another thread that you can get around this with an Escapees membership because it provides some kind of address that meets these requirements? Anyway it might be worth searching the forum. These conversations always seem to have a lot of "no" but an occasional hopeful "yes" as well.

 

[Malamute]

With a PO box, keep in mind you can sign up for informed delivery where you get a scan image of everything thats delivered to your box. Its nice to stay up to date on what mail has actually been delivered to the box or other address so you can get the things most important as soon as possible and n ot worry about the dross so much.

 

[quilting22]

Hello Everyone.

I need to set up a permanent address in Arizona and need some advice.

First of all, I am currently using a friend's address in Phoenix for everything from Social Security to my driver's license. However, that relationship is becoming more and more unstable and I want to make a change. I split my time in Arizona between the Flagstaff area and Fort Mohave so it is inconvenient anyway to go to Phoenix to get mail, etc. Can anyone shed some light on how to accomplish this? I see online that there are places such as iPostal1 that offer mailing addresses, but I don't know if they will work for drivers licenses, social security, and banks. I am assuming from what I've read that these are referred to as virtual addresses and I don't know much about them.

I appreciate any help.

Lots of good advice on here....also the website = cheaprvliving tells how he gets everything from mail to tires delivered from Amazon . Also someone posted that they use one of the privated rented mailboxes and instead of putting "box #" he puts "unit #"....and hasn't had any problems with offical mail. He did say he received a letter from the postmaster general l believe, stated that he needed to put "box #", but he continued to write unit # and hasn't had a problem.

 

[BelgianPup]

Just out of curiosity, at this point. Living in W. WA, homeless people are everywhere here, and many of them live in their cars.

I wonder what they use?

With more and more people living in "mobile dwellings", I wonder if there is any kind of govt plan in the works to deal with it?

That Unit # is a good idea.

 

[maki2]

In Washington state it is pretty much like everywhere else. They either use family or friends addresses or sometimes use an address provided by a charitable organization. Or they are still using their previous address and possibly having their mail sent to a private mailbox. As drivers licenses in WA state are good for up to 6 years using a private mailbox can get you by for a while. Depending on your age you can even renew your drivers license online and have the new one mailed to you. (After the age of 70 you have to do it in person). You can get your license plate tabs sent to a private mailbox. Or you can go to a local license plate service and buy and pick them up there in person.

 

[maki2]

My bank required me to put PMB before my private mail box number on my address the bank uses to send me mail. My private mailbox company does not requires that I use that format.

When I got an enhanced drivers license in WA state they would not accept my private mailbox as a residential address. They are very strict about it and go online to verify what is what.

All this stuff is very situational specific. So do not think that what you read about it in Van life forums is going to be the same rules and requirements situations you find yourself in when you try to sort it all out yourself.

 

[jacqueg]

Am I remembering from another thread that you can get around this with an Escapees membership because it provides some kind of address that meets these requirements? Anyway it might be worth searching the forum. These conversations always seem to have a lot of "no" but an occasional hopeful "yes" as well.

Yes. And they will forward your mail to wherever you are.

 

[abnorm]

^ Fl, Tx and SD for Escapees

 

[afblangley]

I have business and professional licenses that require a bona fide address. Here are some solutions that could be used by nomads.

One option is to use a co working space. There are companies (eg. Regus, WeWork, Spaces) that master lease large swaths of space in commercial buildings and subdivide it. They target entreprenuers with an array of services like mailbox, registered agent, live receptionist, conference rooms, and private offices. The facilities are staffed so there is someone to accept and sign for packages and legal notices. Plus, these are real spaces where you can hangout when the weather outside is inclement, use the internet, recharge your power station, etc. The fees vary greatly, I’ve seen them as low as $30 per month for mailbox only service to $1000+ for a dedicated office. SmartHub has locations in Miami and Houston, offers the most bang for the buck of any co working space that I’ve come across.

Another option is to rent a traditional, dedicated space in an office building. These are unquestionably used as addresses for state, federal, legal, and banking purposes. I have space in a nondescript office building in Chicago. They call it a suite, I call it a 12x12’ closet: 4 walls and a locking door with my name and company on it. Still, it's totally legit (as required for passing an in person site inspection). My total cost is $200 per month. It serves the above mentioned purposes, plus I can use it for storage, and I have a couch that can be used to take a nap.

It's nice to have a home base to recharge when tired, sick, or the vehicle’s broken. While it may be a hassle and expensive to keep a house or apartment that’s vacant most of the time, there’s another option that’s rarely mentioned. Having roommates is not a new concept, but building on AirBnB’s technological disruption, there now are a plethora of websites (eg. Bungalow, Roomster, Spareroom, Cirtru, PadSplit, Roomies, Zumper) that have arisen to facilitate the ability of folks to rent out bedrooms. The prices are typically 50-75% of what a studio apartment would rent for. It's not magical- nothing is going to make San Francisco affordable for someone making $30k per year. But nomadism allows the flexibility to choose a home base in a city that’s affordable.

 

[Scout80]

I work with a guy that has his "residential" address set to a RV park in Parker, AZ with all of his vehicles registered to that address and a PO Box near his house in Phoenix as the mailing address. Though in his case, he did it just as a way to get around having to deal with running his vehicles through emissions checks (please don't shoot the messenger here..I'm neither arguing for or against running an end game around emissions checks).

He's never even been to said RV park, and chose the address completely at random, but has done this for at least the decade that I've known him. I suspect that this is something that anyone could do and "get away with", especially in the case of someone who truly lives in a mobile environment.

I've long suspected that having a permanent address here is really just more about a formality for taxes and emissions inspections, and maybe a hold over from days long gone for tracking you in the event you commit a crime than much of anything else if you're not a land and/or home owner.

 

[earthling]

Hi, I’m in AZ and just yesterday renewed both my ADOT lic/tags with a privately owned PostNet Box. Hope this helps.