Newbie

[movingon2]

I have a F-150 & I'm interested in livig in it. Converting the bed.  I do hope to buy a conversion van or small RV in the future. Here's my newbie question. I have a AZ drivers license & my truck will be licensed & registered in AZ once I pay it off. Would I be a part time AZ resident? Would I have to get a license in another state? How or where would I get mail, AZ? I'm currently in MI visiting my daughter. I have been stopped by police driving my daughter's car. When I show them my AZ license they ask if I'm living or going to be moving in MI. I don't want to. I want to keep everything in AZ. What do I say?  I'm a part time resident in AZ? I don't know if they even know or understand it. They may think I'm lying or something. Please help. Very important. Thanks

 

[cargovanconversion]

Cannot help you with your question, but welcome to the forum!

Do a search for residency on this forum and you'll find a lot of useful information.

Van Williams

 

[Almost There]

I have a F-150 & I'm interested in livig in it. Converting the bed.  I do hope to buy a conversion van or small RV in the future. Here's my newbie question. I have a AZ drivers license & my truck will be licensed & registered in AZ once I pay it off. Would I be a part time AZ resident? Would I have to get a license in another state? How or where would I get mail, AZ? I'm currently in MI visiting my daughter. I have been stopped by police driving my daughter's car. When I show them my AZ license they ask if I'm living or going to be moving in MI. I don't want to. I want to keep everything in AZ. What do I say?  I'm a part time resident in AZ? I don't know if they even know or understand it. They may think I'm lying or something. Please help. Very important. Thanks

Welcome to the forum!

There's no such thing legally as a 'part time resident'.

If you choose AZ as your state of residency, you're a resident there whenever and wherever you're travelling. The rest of the world wants you to have a legal residency - the feds, the state, your bank and c/c companies, your insurance etc. etc.

For mailing, there's services set up to provide mailing services for those that roam whether by land or sea...   Some also use a friend or relative as a legal residence address.

The things to take into consideration when deciding on a legal domicile include state income tax, health care, ease of titling vehicles and drivers license.

Some others here have much experience with it and can make recommendations depending on your circumstances.

Oh and when you're stopped while driving your daughters' car the simple explanation is that you're visiting your daughter who lives at xxxx and that you live in AZ. No officer I have no intention of moving to MI, it's too cold here in the winter...

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Almost There is totally correct.

Every state has laws that say that if you move into their state, you can't keep operating with a drivers license and plates from your old state.  They all give you "X" number of days to turn in your old plates and drivers license and get new ones from them.  Oh and incidentally, pay them money for the new plates and drivers license.  And start paying them income taxes.  It's all about the money.  That's why the police ask questions when they see the AZ license and a car with MI plates. 

As long as you don't buy property or rent an apartment and move in to it, you remain a resident of your old state and you are just visiting or vacationing or whatever in the new state.

Regards
John

 

[Almost There]

Almost There is totally correct.

Every state has laws that say that if you move into their state, you can't keep operating with a drivers license and plates from your old state.  They all give you "X" number of days to turn in your old plates and drivers license and get new ones from them.  Oh and incidentally, pay them money for the new plates and drivers license.  And start paying them income taxes.  It's all about the money.  That's why the police ask questions when they see the AZ license and a car with MI plates. 

As long as you don't buy property or rent an apartment and move in to it, you remain a resident of your old state and you are just visiting or vacationing or whatever in the new state.

Regards
John

That's not necessarily true! You can own property in, say Florida, but be a legal resident in, say, New York. The US snowbirds do it all the time, elsewise Florida would be empty all winter.

The problem with residency and legal issues comes when you start making money in that state. If they have state income tax they all want their *fair* share of it.

For drivers license/vehicle tags/auto & health insurance it pays to do the research and do everything in a state that is most beneficial to you.

IIRC there are several here who are 'residents' of South Dakota because of the fairly loose requirements to do the paperwork but are now running into health care insurance problems with no insurer in the state covering out of state claims.

 

[Patrick46]

Yep...it's none of the LEO's business if you're moving to MI, thinking of moving there, or what your plans are.

Do you have a valid license?? Yep!

Is the car fully registered, and insured?? Yep!

Have you been drinking or in possession of illicit drugs? Nope!

Have a nice day officer. (end of conversation)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh...and Welcome to the board there Movingon2!

Lots of great folks and tons of quality information to be had here!

Hello from the Oregon shoreline!

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

That's not necessarily true! You can own property in, say Florida, but be a legal resident in, say, New York. The US snowbirds do it all the time, elsewise Florida would be empty all winter.

I'm not a lawyer.  It's certainly true that people own homes and properties in more than one state.

But if you no longer have a home or apartment in AZ, just a mailing address of some kind, and you rent an apartment in MI, I would worry that MI **MAY** try to use that as prima facia evidence that you live there now, and you MAY end up having to pay a lawyer to fight them over it.

Anyway, that would be my concern.

Regards
John

 

[Bdog1]

If you get a job, there is a short time to get tag and license switched over supposedly. However, here in Florida it is common to see people obviously working driving cars with out of state tags. We have no state income tax either.

 

[akrvbob]

Other than having an income tax, AZ is a great state to be a resident of. I am a Nevada resident and have my tags in Arizona--never had an issue with it. Cop ever asks you are just there sightseeing or visiting famliy/friends--which is probably 100% true. Even if it's not, how is he going to know? The problem will be if you stay in one spot for along time, he might notice and you'll get his attention.

It's no big deal, it will rarely be a problem for any of us.

There are at least two mail forwarding services in Quartzsite, AZ and they will receive your mail for you. There address will become your address. I have friends who use this one and are very happy with it and it's very cheap:
http://www.bcmmailandship.com/

My girlfriend uses this one and has had some problems with them, but not so bad she has switched:
http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/IRONWOOD.OUTPOST.mailboxes.and.more.928-550-7020

Bob

 

[sillysal54]

Does anybody know if Medicare requires a physical address. I will be 65 soon and need to sign up. Just wondering if I keep everything in PA such as insurance, drivers license, etc., will I need to provide Medicare a physical address?

 

[highdesertranger]

welcome Movingon. thanks Bob for the mail forwarding places, my friend is looking for me up in the Mojave Valley, I am seriously considering Az for my residence. as to the OP, you can't have driver licenses in 2 or more states anymore. most of the time you are supposed to spend 6 months in your state of residence, but who's to say just as long as you as you do not have a permanent job in another state. highdesertranger