State residency, permanent addresses, mail, etc.

[josephusminimus]

When I leave this place I'll no longer have a permanent address and have no idea where I'm likely to be six months from now.&nbsp; I've been kicking the issue around with the post office folks, the Social Security pension folks, and generally finding things are more complicated today than I'd have expected.<br /><br />DLs and vehicle registrations, required automobile liability&nbsp;insurance, bank accounts, everything, are all nailing themselves down on the corners around us.<br /><br />The post office suggested a general delivery option, but the forwarding services there are expensive if a person thought of it as an option with duration.&nbsp; <br /><br />I suppose, reading the other threads, this isn't a problem for most nomads posting here because they either have permanent addresses somewhere, or they have friends and family who'll provide, either the illusion of a residence, or an actual physical place they call home.<br /><br />But most of my friends are old enough they might kick anytime and if I'm out of contact I mightn't hear until my mail dribbles off to nothing.<br /><br />Probably the problem's uncommon enough so's it doesn't apply to enough people to be worth discussing, but maybe a few others are scratching their heads about it, or have already figured out ways to deal with it all.

 

[Guest]

If you have a friend who is giving you an address to use, why wouldn't you keep in regular contact? &nbsp;They are doing you a favour. &nbsp;It hardly seems likely that they would die without you knowing it unless you intend to just use them and disappear. &nbsp;I love my friends and have several who will be helping me. I can't imagine being out of contact long enough for them to die without my knowing it.<br /><br />

 

[rvwandering]

&nbsp;We use a friend's address to make it easier to stay residents of Pennsylvania for our health insurance , driver's licenses ,etc. but we do as much online as possible. All of our banking , insurance and registrations are done online. Checks are deposited directly in our accounts. We get very little mail that we actually have to be concerned about.<br /><br />&nbsp;If you can't use a friends address , a lot of people use South Dakota as their home state. You have to spend one night there but it seems pretty easy to set up residency. Driver's licenses don't have to be renewed every year , taxes are low or non existent and mail services are cheap.

 

[josephusminimus]

If you have a friend who is giving you an address to use, why wouldn't you keep in regular contact? &nbsp;They are doing you a favour. &nbsp;It hardly seems likely that they would die without you knowing it unless you intend to just use them and disappear. &nbsp;I love my friends and have several who will be helping me. I can't imagine being out of contact long enough for them to die without my knowing it.<br /><br />

dfunkt: My friends who are still alive and I have been friends 30-40 years, but we sometimes go years without contact.&nbsp; We go our own ways, each knowing we're out there for the other and having a general means of contacting if need be, but we don't have to live one in the lap of the other to know if we're alive, we're friends.&nbsp; I recently learned a friend I've had all my life almost died three years ago.<br /><br />We humans all have different ways of maintaining our relationships.&nbsp; I don't advise others how they should do theirs.&nbsp;

 

[josephusminimus]

&nbsp;

&nbsp;We use a friend's address to make it easier to stay residents of Pennsylvania for our health insurance , driver's licenses ,etc. but we do as much online as possible. All of our banking , insurance and registrations are done online. Checks are deposited directly in our accounts. We get very little mail that we actually have to be concerned about.<br /><br />&nbsp;If you can't use a friends address , a lot of people use South Dakota as their home state. You have to spend one night there but it seems pretty easy to set up residency. Driver's licenses don't have to be renewed every year , taxes are low or non existent and mail services are cheap.

Helpful info.&nbsp; Gracias.

 

[wandering mike]

I use Escapees Mail Service in Texas. &nbsp;They can help get a Texas license and an address that is generally treated as a physical address. &nbsp;It ends up being about $10 to $15 a month. &nbsp;Many other private mail box services are out there too. &nbsp;I view it as a cost of this life style. &nbsp;No different than having to pay to dump your tanks now and then. &nbsp;And what does $10/month translate to in terms of miles of travel at even say just 25 cents a mile? &nbsp;40 miles a month? &nbsp;For me in a Class C, we are talking about 25 miles a month.<br /><br />But if your volume of mail is low, using a friend who is married or lives with someone else might work as they probably won't die at the same time. &nbsp;Or I understand some homeless shelters will allow the use of their address as a "legal" address. &nbsp;Maybe someone out there on the board has insight as to that as an option. &nbsp;Maybe a senior center or church may offer the service for a low volume of mail if you develop a friendship with the group.

 

[josephusminimus]

I use Escapees Mail Service in Texas. &nbsp;They can help get a Texas license and an address that is generally treated as a physical address. &nbsp;It ends up being about $10 to $15 a month. &nbsp;Many other private mail box services are out there too. &nbsp;I view it as a cost of this life style. &nbsp;No different than having to pay to dump your tanks now and then. &nbsp;And what does $10/month translate to in terms of miles of travel at even say just 25 cents a mile? &nbsp;40 miles a month? &nbsp;For me in a Class C, we are talking about 25 miles a month.<br /><br />But if your volume of mail is low, using a friend who is married or lives with someone else might work as they probably won't die at the same time. &nbsp;Or I understand some homeless shelters will allow the use of their address as a "legal" address. &nbsp;Maybe someone out there on the board has insight as to that as an option. &nbsp;Maybe a senior center or church may offer the service for a low volume of mail if you develop a friendship with the group.

Good suggestions Mike.&nbsp; Thank you.&nbsp;

 

[wandering mike]

On re-reading my original post, the Escapees is billed annually. &nbsp;Just FYI. &nbsp;There are undoubtedly others in your area to I am sure.

 

[akrvbob]

I have a page on the website that covers this:<br />http://cheaprvliving.com/Communications.html<br /><br />Choose one of these states based on which is closest to your main area of travel:<br /><br />Florida (Good Sams Club for mail forwarding)<br />Texas (Escapees for mail forwarding)<br />South Dakota (many good choices for mail forwarding)<br />Nevada. (jbmailroom.com for mail forwarding)<br /><br />None have income taxes, they all make it easy to become residents, Florida probably has cheapest car insurance, Texas has a&nbsp; vehicle inspection and is very hot and ugly, South Dakota is far away and very cold in winter<br />Bob

 

[wandering mike]

Bob: &nbsp;Great page and great info. &nbsp;And the states you mention are worth looking at based on one's travel patterns. &nbsp;Couple of things though as to Texas. &nbsp;<br /><br />As to inspections, no inspection is needed if it expires while you are out of state and you have until 5 days after you get to your destination when you return to get the inspection done. &nbsp;(and make sure you try and register in a non-emissions county to have a simple thing that really is not a big problem to get).<br /><br />As to hot and ugly, Texas has a wide variety of landscapes and is very pretty. &nbsp; &nbsp;Big Bend is great in the summer and fall. &nbsp;The gulf coast is great too for that salt water beach kind of thing. &nbsp;Massive bird watching all along the coast. &nbsp;The hill country too is great, especially when the bluebonnets are out. &nbsp;And for the summer, the Davis Mountains near Alpine have an average high temprature that is lower than Denver. &nbsp;I will agree that there are fewer opportunities for BLM/NF type boondocking in Texas, but then you head over to New Mexico. &nbsp;But in the spring and fall, the couple national forests in the eastern &nbsp;"piney woods" area are nice too.<br /><br />Again, thanks for your efforts in hosting this site and all your other pages that have great info.

 

[hitekhomeless]

Florida is my favorite choice. The are high tech. You can renew both your DL and registration without setting foot in the state. I have never had any trouble with saying I was out of state when called for jury duty. American Home Base (Good Sam Service) forwarding service costs $10 a month plus postage for each shipment. Good Sam would like for you to believe you have to be a Good Sam member to use the service, but you don't. They provide you with both a street address and a PO Box. You can have your mail sent out on a schedule, on demand, or both. You aren't locked into one or the other like with MyDakotaAddress. Florida lets you use a PO Box for your DL and registration.

 

[josephusminimus]

Thanks Bob, Mike and hikehomeless:&nbsp; I'm already a resident of Texas, so it's probably my best shot.&nbsp; I'll get in touch with the people you mentioned.&nbsp; Gracias, J

 

[IGBT]

Florida sounds interesting.&nbsp; I had posted another thread that I was considering Alaska, Wyoming or Florida...now adding Nevada to that list.&nbsp;

 

[RetiredNomad]

I also like FL. for their ease of online DMV services. As for a mailing service I use ...St. Brendan's isle...(Google it)...very efficient.
Just my luck my tags expire in Dec., Cocoa beach is really nice then......
Good luck and safe travels.....

 

[robylinski]

Good info. &nbsp;I was planning to stay a resident of AZ, since I will be keeping my property here, for now. &nbsp;I am also homeschooling my nine year old so the AZ laws are more favorable to that as well &nbsp;As far as mail when my mom died I was gone for six months and had an absolute nightmare with the post office&gt; I ended up having my friend pick up my mail and send it to me once a week&gt; &nbsp;Most of my other stuff is online which made it very easy&gt;

 

[joey]

You can also check out UPS (United Parcel Service) they have a mail forwarding service. They also accept LARGE packages in case you order something and need it shipped to you. http://www.theupsstore.com/products-services/mailbox/Pages/index.aspx

 

[Michael27]

&nbsp;We use a friend's address to make it easier to stay residents of Pennsylvania for our health insurance , driver's licenses ,etc. but we do as much online as possible. All of our banking , insurance and registrations are done online. Checks are deposited directly in our accounts. We get very little mail that we actually have to be concerned about.<br /><br />&nbsp;If you can't use a friends address , a lot of people use South Dakota as their home state. You have to spend one night there but it seems pretty easy to set up residency. Driver's licenses don't have to be renewed every year , taxes are low or non existent and mail services are cheap.

Hey tonyandkaren.

If i get a friend to use his and her address, would i need to show any type of proof that i live in there house when i go to change my driver's licences address.?

 

[VanGrrl57]

Since I live and work in South Dakota even though I live in my van full-time, I use my daughter's address as proof of residency. I also have a PO Box but I'm letting that run out. If my daughter decides to go back to Florida, I have a friend who will let me use her address so it's pretty easy for me. 

VanGrrl57

 

[Seeker]

My house sale in Florida finally closed yesterday.  Yeah!!!

I went to the Florida DMV and told them I was going to travel for awhile.  They set up a profile in their system to my mail forwarding service here https://www.sbimailservice.com/ 

I can keep my old address on driver license and all correspondence will go to the mail service.

Seeker